The secondary characters were just as dynamic, and also had very serious problems of their own to deal with.

There aren't always positive adult relationships in fiction for young people, and so it was nice that Ghost had so many adults that he could turn to. I loved his relationship with his mother, and later, with Coach. We really get to see him grow over the course of the novel, and even as he does the wrong thing, his heart is usually in the right place. Moreover, Ghost is just a straight up likable character, even as he makes poor decision after poor decision. The day-making/ruining things your classmates would say, interactions with adults in positions of authority, and not really being sure about who you are and what you want in life - Reynolds nails it all. I really struggle with middle grade fiction, as I oftentimes have trouble identifying with the characters (I mean, middle school was a loooooooong time ago), but Reynolds took me right back to the thick of it. I listened to this audiobook, and it was excellent. After the coach begs him to join, and Ghost reluctantly agrees, he begins to see that he might be happier if he runs towards something instead of away from everything. So Ghost has a ton of natural talent, which he puts to use when he inadvertently impresses the coach of a local track team. Jason Reynolds (author) + Guy Lockhard* (narrator) = MagicĬastle Cranshaw, aka Ghost, has been running from things his whole life: his violent father, the consequences of altercations at school with a bully, and most of all, the anger that's been building up inside him.

Ghost by jason