Good for the Twilight crowd? Girl meets dead boy. They fight evil. Girl teaches dead boy to move on. Girl dates live boy. ( )

Nora's family has recently moved into a beautiful old house previously Eleanor Hays, a famous author. Although her younger siblings make some odd comments and several items go missing, Nora doesn't realize there's anything odd about her new home until she's home alone one evening and meets a ghost. It initially scares her, but Tom, the ghost, doesn't seem all that bad - he returns the stuff he took and just asks that Nora's family not remove the house's grandfather clock. However, he's not the only ghost haunting the house, and a couple of the others aren't nearly so nice.

Eh, this was okay. Apparently I read it back in 2012, but I didn't remember a thing about it, not even as I was reading. Nora and Tom fell in love very quickly (I suppose it's tough to properly develop a romance when one half of the couple can't leave the house), and it was clear that falling in love with a ghost probably wasn't going to end in a happily ever after for poor Nora. I wonder if all the other entries in this series involve the heroine having to come to the realization that they can't stay with their supernatural boyfriends? I mean, Nick seemed nice, but hopefully there are at least a few cute paranormal HEAs in the mix.

The artwork wasn't necessarily bad but wasn't really to my taste. A bit too busy. My ARC is in black-and-white, which doesn't necessarily mean that's what the final publication looks like, but the "Look Inside" portion shown on Amazon doesn't look any different.

Will I ever read more of this series? Well, I've had this ARC for at least 10 years, read it at least once before, and never felt the urge to try another one, so probably not. It looks like each entry is handled by a different author-illustrator pair, though, so it could be interesting to see how they vary in appeal and quality.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) ( )

... *sniff sniff*

Well that was unexpected..

The feelings I mean, not the plot.

( )

I really liked this story more than the other stories. I think the story was sweet and I loved how the story ended. I liked the art in this book as well. ( )

So this one was a little bit predictable but mainly b/c there isn't really another good place for this story to to go. That being said I think it was pretty well done although not as fun as some of the other My Boyfriend is a Monster books (not as bad as some of the others either.) ( )

So this one was a little bit predictable but mainly b/c there isn't really another good place for this story to to go. That being said I think it was pretty well done although not as fun as some of the other My Boyfriend is a Monster books (not as bad as some of the others either.) ( )

So this one was a little bit predictable but mainly b/c there isn't really another good place for this story to to go. That being said I think it was pretty well done although not as fun as some of the other My Boyfriend is a Monster books (not as bad as some of the others either.) ( )

So this one was a little bit predictable but mainly b/c there isn't really another good place for this story to to go. That being said I think it was pretty well done although not as fun as some of the other My Boyfriend is a Monster books (not as bad as some of the others either.) ( )

I heart these titles. This one maybe the least but they're still so fun. ( )

I really enjoy this series: it's slightly formulaic teen romance, but the artwork is lovely and the stories are surprisingly strong with carefully crafted messages about being strong hidden within. I don't think this was my favourite, but it's simple and sweet and enjoyable. ( )

Yes, I am actually reviewing a young adult title! Although I'd give these to middle-schoolers - they're perfectly appropriate for 6th grade and up.

Nora is settling in to her family's new house, a historic Victorian mansion once inhabited by a famous author, when she discovers the previous tenants haven't quite left...she's never been able to talk to boys, but Tom, the friendly ghost, isn't like anyone she's ever met and she's perfectly happy...until the other ghosts appear, and they're not so friendly. With the help of a psychic, Nora sends the evil and lost ghosts and the darkness they've brought away.

SPOILERS
I have several tween and teen girls at my library who adore this series - they're also manga fans. I admit that I like them too. It's a somewhat guilty pleasure, as I can clearly see the flaws after I read them...but they're so much fun in the reading! This one was mostly sweet and romantic and the art was much better than the fairy title Under His Spell (the zombie one, I Love Him to Pieces is still my all-time favorite though!). I did think the characters were a bit one-dimensional. The back says Nora is kind of living in the past, but we don't really see anything in the book that backs that up. Also, other than a rather dreamy attraction there doesn't seem to be a reason for Nora to fall in love with Tom. One minute she's shrieking in terror, the next she's calling him her boyfriend and the next they're kissing. However, I do really like that this series has a strong dose of reality. In previous books, the female lead does not go gaily waltzing off into the sunset with a paranormal creature because they are IN LOVE. In My Boyfriend Bites, the guy kindly but firmly points out that the girl needs to do some major growing up and he's got problems of his own, in Under His Spell the girl backs off from spending the rest of her life in a fairy kingdom. In this book, Nora does NOT end up with Tom, he moves on to his family in the afterlife and she finds a real, live boy who likes her.

Verdict: If you have tween or young teen girls who are looking for a gentle romance with humor and you would also like to subtly reinforce the idea that there's more to relationships than psychic tinglies, this is the series to get. This particular entry was more sweet than funny, but the art was strong and it's a strong entry in the series.

ISBN: 9780761385493; Published January 2012 by Lerner Graphic Universe; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library