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The Ghosts We Keep

The Ghosts We Keep

  • Downloads：3653
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-07-05 09:51:04
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Mason Deaver
  • ISBN：133859334X
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

Perfect for fans of Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli， this book will rip your heart out before showing you how to heal from tragedy and celebrate life in the process。

When Liam Cooper's older brother Ethan is killed in a hit-and-run， Liam has to not only learn to face the world without one of the people he loved the most， but also face the fading relationship with his two best friends。

Feeling more alone and isolated than ever， Liam finds themself sharing time with Marcus， Ethan's best friend， and through Marcus， Liam finds the one person that seems to know exactly what they're going through， for the better， and the worse。

This book is about grief。 But it's also about why we live。 Why we have to keep moving on， and why we should。

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Reviews

Anya ，

Woof！！！！！！

Bellamy ，

this book was beautiful devastating。 i cried very hard。 highly recommend

Brandon ，

I can’t even describe how much I loved this book。 Full review soon？

Christopher Renna ，

A heart-felt novel about coming to terms with grief。Grieving the recent loss of his older brother， Liam struggles with close relationships--his parents， his best friends， teachers， and his deceased brother's best friend。 During the process， he learns more about himself and his brother。 The Ghosts We Keep is an easy-read。 Mason Deaver has crafted a nice， touching novel。 Yet some plot points didn't achieve the impact they'd hoped for。 I easily picked up on a major reveal long before the main chara A heart-felt novel about coming to terms with grief。Grieving the recent loss of his older brother， Liam struggles with close relationships--his parents， his best friends， teachers， and his deceased brother's best friend。 During the process， he learns more about himself and his brother。 The Ghosts We Keep is an easy-read。 Mason Deaver has crafted a nice， touching novel。 Yet some plot points didn't achieve the impact they'd hoped for。 I easily picked up on a major reveal long before the main character， Liam。 Some moments of drama were glossed over so quickly with a slight sheen of neglect that they didn't carry the weight of the moment。 And a few conversations seemed a little too far-fetched to believe they were spoken by teenagers。Overall， my biggest disappointment was with Deaver's approach to wrapping up some of the relationships。 They chose to summarize the extent of a relationship rather than letting it play out。 And considering the novel takes place in 2019， it was somewhat jarring to read a summarized version of the relationship years into the future as I read the novel in July 2021。 I'm interested to see what Deaver comes up with next。 Reading their next novel might be a nice， easy-read just like The Ghosts We Keep。 Three stars ！！！ 。。。more

The Dreamcatcher ，

✨4。5 stars✨This is NOT A LOVE STORY。 But it is about love， in a way。 And Grief。 And Sadness。 And pain。I was in tears multiple times when I read it。 This book will make you ache。 Make you feel hollow inside all the while you read it。 Make you hurt。 Because it's written from experience。Every part of it hurts， you know。 Marcus and Ethan and their doomed love。 Liam and his new life without his brother。 Parents without their son。 Everything about this book is meant to hurt and it hits you right in th ✨4。5 stars✨This is NOT A LOVE STORY。 But it is about love， in a way。 And Grief。 And Sadness。 And pain。I was in tears multiple times when I read it。 This book will make you ache。 Make you feel hollow inside all the while you read it。 Make you hurt。 Because it's written from experience。Every part of it hurts， you know。 Marcus and Ethan and their doomed love。 Liam and his new life without his brother。 Parents without their son。 Everything about this book is meant to hurt and it hits you right in the heart。Read it for grief。 For aching。 For sadness。 For love。 。。。more

Jennifer ，

3。5 starslISTEN， I understand， everyone has a different way of dealing with grief。 however， these here characters are just assholes。 They aren't likeable。 I found myself not rooting for one person。 However， the story？ great， fantastic。 I felt like I was just listening， without getting too invested because everyone was pissing me off at some point。 Nothing really surprised me in this story， everything kind of just came to me before the author revealed it。 tbh I took it for what it was， I liked th 3。5 starslISTEN， I understand， everyone has a different way of dealing with grief。 however， these here characters are just assholes。 They aren't likeable。 I found myself not rooting for one person。 However， the story？ great， fantastic。 I felt like I was just listening， without getting too invested because everyone was pissing me off at some point。 Nothing really surprised me in this story， everything kind of just came to me before the author revealed it。 tbh I took it for what it was， I liked the plot。 I am a little disappointed because I liked their first book so much， this fell short。 。。。more

Aashi Singh ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This book made me feel understood。 Reading it was difficult but it was worth it。 The story is so authentic and so are the friendships。 I am glad that the friendship breakup wasn't resolved because a lot of YA books preach forgiveness even to the characters who are undeserving of it。The story has been crafted so well and I love every page despite the pain I felt。 This book made me feel understood。 Reading it was difficult but it was worth it。 The story is so authentic and so are the friendships。 I am glad that the friendship breakup wasn't resolved because a lot of YA books preach forgiveness even to the characters who are undeserving of it。The story has been crafted so well and I love every page despite the pain I felt。 。。。more

micah ➳ canonicallychaotic ，

fuck

haley ☆ ，

this book portrayed grief as something very honest， complicated， and easy to relate to if you've lost someone you loved before。 many times I found myself getting emotional because it felt like someone actually put certain feelings you experience while grieving into words。 my only major complaint about this book is the ending - it feels like there should've been a few more chapters or something to tie up loose ends。 but it's worth the read！ this book portrayed grief as something very honest， complicated， and easy to relate to if you've lost someone you loved before。 many times I found myself getting emotional because it felt like someone actually put certain feelings you experience while grieving into words。 my only major complaint about this book is the ending - it feels like there should've been a few more chapters or something to tie up loose ends。 but it's worth the read！ 。。。more

Yarden ，

This book was lovely written， but is。 Harsh。 Too harsh。 Im not sure how i feel but for the fact that i am tired。 And upset and sad。 I know a good book should make you feel。 But i am overwhelmed。 I feel like there should be a trigger warning for self harm， too。 I avoid such books as i am not mentally healthy， and i think its dangerous to write such things with no warning ahead。

Katie | thebookishkatie_ ，

Sobbed。 CW: death， anxiety， panic attacks， suicidal ideation

Morgan ，

3。5 starsI loved Mason's debut book， I Wish You All the Best， but this one didn't blow me away。 Liam， the main character， is a nonbinary teen， who uses he/they pronouns， and I absolutely loved the representation。 I appreciated when another character said to Liam that they could wear a moustache/beard if he wanted because nonbinary doesn't have one look。 I also liked Joel， a trans boy side character。 However， I hate how they handled that friendship group between Liam， Joel and Vanessa。 They were 3。5 starsI loved Mason's debut book， I Wish You All the Best， but this one didn't blow me away。 Liam， the main character， is a nonbinary teen， who uses he/they pronouns， and I absolutely loved the representation。 I appreciated when another character said to Liam that they could wear a moustache/beard if he wanted because nonbinary doesn't have one look。 I also liked Joel， a trans boy side character。 However， I hate how they handled that friendship group between Liam， Joel and Vanessa。 They were all stubborn， but mostly Liam and Vanessa。 I also disliked Liam's personality， to be honest。 They used another person's intimate poem without his permission， made a song with it， and uploaded it without asking the owner。 And when he asked them to take it down， Liam didn't do it at first。 That's just such a shitty move if you ask me。 Music is a big part of this book， and I liked how Liam learnt to channel his emotions into a song， that was great to read as someone who loves music and sometimes creates it。 Content warnings: death， grief， car accident， panic attack， transphobia， suicidal thoughts， self-harm， vomit。 。。。more

paloma flores ，

the authors note is so sad

Karissa ，

It's been about a month since Liam Cooper's brother， Ethan， died in a hit and run accident。 Things haven't been easy at home or school。 He explores his grief while having to come to terms with the idea that his friendships are beginning to wilt。 There's a lot of representation within the book - Liam is nonbinary， Joel， one of his best friends， is transgender， and he learns that his brother was gay and in a secret relationship with his own best friend， Marcus。 I got an ARC from Epic Reads （holla！ It's been about a month since Liam Cooper's brother， Ethan， died in a hit and run accident。 Things haven't been easy at home or school。 He explores his grief while having to come to terms with the idea that his friendships are beginning to wilt。 There's a lot of representation within the book - Liam is nonbinary， Joel， one of his best friends， is transgender， and he learns that his brother was gay and in a secret relationship with his own best friend， Marcus。 I got an ARC from Epic Reads （holla！）， so it didn't have the author's note in the back。 I was able to read it and the author's note helped me a lot。 Liam is not a likeable character - neither are his friends - and in the author's note， Deaver recognizes that。 Liam is going through a lot and doesn't know how to process his grief and begins alienating himself from others。 The ending seemed to rush a little， and the flashbacks were out of order， but they served their purpose of allowing the reader to see Ethan and the sibling relationship。 。。。more

Caroline ，

[4。5/5] without competition the saddest book I’ve ever read。 tears upon tears upon tears。 the chapter switch between before and after Ethan’s death， and each time it ripped my heart out。

JoAnna ，

Wow。 Just wow。 This book was heartbreaking， and sweet， and wonderful。 I loved the way it bounced between "before" and "after" so readers got a better sense of who Ethan was than if it had all been from the perspective of looking back at the past。 The author's note at the end resonated with me because I recently lost my father， as well （though it wasn't as unexpected as the author's loss。） I so appreciate that they chose to channel that grief into this beautiful story of brothers， friends， and lo Wow。 Just wow。 This book was heartbreaking， and sweet， and wonderful。 I loved the way it bounced between "before" and "after" so readers got a better sense of who Ethan was than if it had all been from the perspective of looking back at the past。 The author's note at the end resonated with me because I recently lost my father， as well （though it wasn't as unexpected as the author's loss。） I so appreciate that they chose to channel that grief into this beautiful story of brothers， friends， and love。 This is Mason Deaver's second book， and my second 5 star rating of their work。 They are quickly becoming an author I'll automatically read without learning anything about the book beforehand！ 。。。more

Sheyanne ，

Make sure to look up trigger warnings before reading this book。 I loved how this book showed how grief can really be。 It’s not always an easy thing to get through and not everyone treats you kindly when you’re going through it。 Overall this was a great read。

sana ，

this was one of my most anticipated reads for this year and idc what anyone else says abt this book， i was NOT disappointed😤 i will not lie， the writing was average， maybe even bad， but thats partly why i liked it。 as someone who cares more about the story being told instead of the WAY the story is being told， it made it more enjoyable。 it was a like a friend talking to me。 it’s also a good book to cry to， especially if u r super empathetic。 *pls search up the TW！！

sam ，

check tw’s before reading！！this was such a heart-wrenching read that will undoubtedly stick with me for a long time。 the portrayal of grief is so raw and does nothing to hide or omit the ugly side of it。

McKenna ，

I have never read a book so fast in my LIFE。 I could not put it down。 This book is so beautiful and I cried so much。

Farradale ，

This book is such an emotional journey that is often overwhelmingly sad， bleak， uncomfortable， frustrating -- everything the main character who looses their brother experiences。 We see how grief touches and taints everything -- acts of condolences， memories， relationships。 It manifests in apathy and destruction of self and others。 It's not ok。 Nothing is ok。 Stop asking us if we are ok。 This story isn't a guidebook about how to navigate grief， how to treat those who grieve， nor is it an upliftin This book is such an emotional journey that is often overwhelmingly sad， bleak， uncomfortable， frustrating -- everything the main character who looses their brother experiences。 We see how grief touches and taints everything -- acts of condolences， memories， relationships。 It manifests in apathy and destruction of self and others。 It's not ok。 Nothing is ok。 Stop asking us if we are ok。 This story isn't a guidebook about how to navigate grief， how to treat those who grieve， nor is it an uplifting tale of escaping the clutches of grief。 It simply is。 What really brought it together for me was Mason Deaver's note at the end of the book regarding how they experienced their own personal grief of losing their father and that this book only really matters to them。 With the context of their own experience， we really gain such a compelling insight into loss and grief in the backdrop of a young adult grappling with their （and other's treatment of） their sexuality， gender identity， and sense of need for relationships both romantic and platonic。 Kudos to Mason Deaver and touching readers with this work。 。。。more

maya ，

（because it feels rude to give a book about grief only one star？）obviously this could’ve been a touching and moving book and to some it might have been all that and i’m sorry if i’m being too critical or cynical but to say this eloquently: it sucked。 the main character was annoying， bratty， selfish and only some of it can be blamed on their grief， since they were already that way in the flashbacks。 they blackmailed and pressured others （marcus） into saying things， crossed boundaries， didn’t have （because it feels rude to give a book about grief only one star？）obviously this could’ve been a touching and moving book and to some it might have been all that and i’m sorry if i’m being too critical or cynical but to say this eloquently: it sucked。 the main character was annoying， bratty， selfish and only some of it can be blamed on their grief， since they were already that way in the flashbacks。 they blackmailed and pressured others （marcus） into saying things， crossed boundaries， didn’t have an ounce of respect for their family and were overall an asshole。 moreover， the writing was bad。 i hated the way the author tried so hard to include pop culture into this， it doesn’t have any place in a book like this （or honestly if u ask me in any book） and all the mentions of internet stuff made me cringe。 couldn’t take any of it seriously at all。a good thing was the representation of course， especially to have a non binary main character was nice， but just representation doesn’t make a book good， unfortunately 。。。more

lilyanne ，

my fucking god i need therapy after this。 and i need to give liam and marcus a hug。

Sanexiah ，

Very pointless and boring reading ngl

Weronika ，

This book is pure sadness

Gabi Valladares ，

The Ghosts We Keep is heartbreaking and beautiful; Liam’s hurt and hopelessness throughout were palpable。 I wanted to reach into the pages and comfort them， provide solace in some way。 Mason Deaver is a true talent in evoking emotion and I can’t wait to read more from them。

belle ☆ﾐ （thisbellereadstoo） ，

rep: non-binary MC （he/them）， vietnamese bisexual trans SC， bisexual SC， gay SCsadmittedly， it doesn't take a lot for me to cry while reading a book。 once i started on the ghosts we keep， i knew my tears would make an appearance。 books surrounding any kind of loss and grief will， more often than not， make me cry。 the ghosts we keep follows liam before and after their brother's untimely death。 as liam struggles with the loss of their only brother， they find certain parts of their lives breaking a rep: non-binary MC （he/them）， vietnamese bisexual trans SC， bisexual SC， gay SCsadmittedly， it doesn't take a lot for me to cry while reading a book。 once i started on the ghosts we keep， i knew my tears would make an appearance。 books surrounding any kind of loss and grief will， more often than not， make me cry。 the ghosts we keep follows liam before and after their brother's untimely death。 as liam struggles with the loss of their only brother， they find certain parts of their lives breaking apart at its seams。liam feel as if they couldn't talk to anyone about ethan because they wouldn't understand。 crushed by grief， liam had no idea what to do next。 everything felt fast yet slow at the same time。 they didn't know how to communicate with their grieving parents who lost a brilliant son due to a hit and run。 during this time， liam struggles with friendships specifically with vanessa and joel。 both of whom liam cares a lot for but feel utterly separated from them since vanessa and joel are a couple。 feeling like a third party and pushed away， liam couldn't help but feel even more alone。 reading the ghosts we keep on public transport wasn't a great idea but thankfully i sat at the end so people couldn't see my eyes tearing up as i was finishing up the book。 honestly， every time liam feels abandoned， lost， lonely and angry， all i want to do is to be there for them。 i couldn't understand liam friends's attitudes towards them。 other than it being liam's story， it's also about ethan who had lost his life while leaving so many things and people behind。 it's difficult for those living since they already have a great deal of memories and more regrets。 i felt so much for ethan。 everyone is complex。 grief is messy。 i absolutely loved liam as an individual。 the pain of losing a brother and the anger that came with it， the survivor's guilt that plagued them， was just heartbreaking。 this isn't the most comprehensive and coherent review。 but it just had me with my thoughts everywhere。 just know that i loved the ghosts we keep。content warnings provided by author: （view spoiler）[Off Page Death of a SiblingDetailed Description of the Deceased's BodyDiscussions of Gender DysphoriaBrief Mentions of TransphobiaSuicide Ideation and Self Harm Beginning on Page 258 and concluding on Page 265 in the Finished and Advanced Copies of the Book（hide spoiler）] 。。。more

kar ，

The most relate book i've ever read。 Friendships。 Puppy love。 Like why？？ I was crying my eyes out reading this。 I love the writing too though， hits me hard even Ethan has died， i love him so much。 The most relate book i've ever read。 Friendships。 Puppy love。 Like why？？ I was crying my eyes out reading this。 I love the writing too though， hits me hard even Ethan has died， i love him so much。 。。。more

River ，

this book was absolutely amazing。 i think i cried a good 3/4 of the book if we are being absolutely honest here。 the representation is fantastic and breaks down stereotypes。

Katie ，

Read this book 2 years after my 20-year-old nephew died unexpectedly， and Jesus， this was a lot。Great story about grief， real but not too heavy。 Hopeful。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Ghosts We Keep

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Ghosts We Keep&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Ghosts We Keep&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0