Book Nerd’s Night Out is back, and this month’s Epic Reads Book Club pick at The Bookmark was none other than Robyn Schneider’s Invisible Ghosts. Stay tuned to find out how it went, and maybe even hear one of the many very creepy stories Schneider herself told us.
Before we delve into the experience, let’s give a quick recap of the novel.
Invisible Ghosts follows the story of Rose and her older brother Logan that now lives with her as a ghost. Yes, you heard me. This contemporary YA novel mixes in magical realism with an everyday kind of plot. It’s not so much a ghost story or a story about ghosts, but instead, it is a love story with a ghost in it.
Rose lost her older brother at a young age due to an allergic reaction that she accepts full blame for. After this, she spends most of her time with her ghostly brother, that is until an old friend moves back to town with the intention of being a part of her life again. However, Rose has done such a great job at trying to be invisible that she doesn’t want Jamie ruining everything. The only thing is, which changes her plans, that Jamie can see Logan too.
This Book Club was characterized by a frenzy among the attendees. We buzzed, speaking up about what some referred to as the many loose ends in the book. Others were completely enamored by the story and the way it was told.
The author, Robyn, was nothing short of pleasant. Though we had some technical difficulties due to the heavy rain, we were wowed by her enthusiasm for answering questions. She stuck through the many times Skype shut down on us! Despite the problems with technology, we did get some great answers.
Since the book dealt with ghosts, we asked Robyn if she had any ghost stories of her own. One that stuck with us was how she once had female neighbors that decided to play with an Ouija Board. Long story short, the girls ended up with various cases of sleep paralysis after that. Not fun!
As for the book itself, it deals with themes of loss and moving on, but its not your typical story. There is something refreshing in the way Schneider presents to us. Rose’s grief is evident throughout the entire novel, and you can see how her parents’ grief conflicts with hers during the process. In the end, the novel shows the readers a journey through her loss and how to come out of it stronger than when you first went in.
As is common in a book club, we asked her for book recommendations. Some of her recommendations were anything Victoria Schwab, J.K. Rowling, and The Belles.
Overall, it’s a great way to spend a night. Be sure to go to the next book clubs! You can find the info below.
The Bookmark: The Vicarious Adventures
Sleeping Giant by Sylvain Neuvel on September 19 at 6:30 PM
The Bookmark: Epic Reads Book Club
Hidden Pieces: A Novel by Paula Stokes on September 26 at 6:30 PM
You can also download the app Meetup. This great tool will allow you to tune in and find out when the next Book Clubs are.