Raised by Ghosts

Raised by Ghosts is a young adult graphic novel about family and the untidy complications that come with it. It is written and drawn by Briana Loewinsohn, the author of Ephemera: A Memoir. The story draws on her own teenage years and follows a semi-autobiographical version of herself, also named Briana, beginning in 1991 when she is in middle school.

School is miserable for Briana, and lunchtime is the worst part, spent either alone or being teased. She has always been a good student, but her grades are slipping and she hides it from everyone. Her parents are divorced, in disarray and mostly absent, so she spends much of her time on her own. In high school she finds friends, and those connections become her main source of happiness as they help one another through adolescence. Life at home with each parent stays difficult.

When her friendships at school begin to falter, Briana has nobody to turn to. She is left to face questions about her self-worth, her need to belong and her wish for honest relationships. The story is told in the first person, moving between her class notes and her diary entries.

Loewinsohn tells it in a quiet, understated style. She avoids big confrontations and obvious sentiment, and shows instead how acceptance and love can come through small everyday moments and close family bonds.