The Anya of this debut title is our narrator, and she probably wouldn't believe someone wrote a whole book about her if she knew. She thinks she's fat, has worked her whole life to fit in and to disguise the fact that she comes from an immigrant Russian family, and generally thinks her life is boring and friendless. But that all changes when she falls down a well and meets a ghost, who comes with her when she's rescued. Anya's life gets much better. After all, who wouldn't want a ghost to sneak around the classroom to help find the right answers for a test or to feed you lines when you're talking to your crush? Things are good until it becomes clear that the ghost has more on her mind that being Anya's sidekick. And, at the same time, Anya realizes that the changes the ghost has helped her with might not be so great after all.
Brosgol's simple and evocative art is the perfect accompaniment to the strong story, and she uses silent panels to move the story forward incredibly well. This is a great book for reluctant readers (though there's some content that makes it more suitable for teens), as a lot of the action can be understood without any words at all. But all will like this book's lively combination of everyday gym humiliation and ghostly manipulation. --Stephanie Anderson, manager, WORD Brooklyn