Anya's Ghost

My Synopsis:  

-    Anya and her family have moved to America from Russia, and Anya doesn't like being reminded that she's an immigrant.

-    Anya is a typical self conscious teen. She worries about her weight and where she fits in at school. Her only friend is an outcast and a loser. 

-    She also has a huge crush on a cute and popular boy, but he already has a beautiful girlfriend, of course.

-    While in a huff, Anya falls down an abandoned well, and meets a ghost. 

-    At first, this ghost is awesome, and she is really helping Anya in a lot of ways, but things aren't always what they seem.

My Thoughts:

-    I can see why someone like Neil Gaiman call this a masterpiece. It is pretty creeptastic, especially towards the end.

-    I can kinda relate to Anya. I feel self conscious and fat too.

-    I wish Anya had learned more of lesson. Yes, she learned from a mistake and made things better, but I really wanted there to be more about self worth. Anya thought she had to be thin to be cool. She also thought she needed to smoke to be cool. I wanted Anya to learn to like herself for who she was. 

-    The story is supposed to be all about Anya, but in a way the story shifts and it becomes all about Emily, the ghost. I liked Emily's story, and I wouldn't take it out of the book, but I wish the focus had stayed on Anya and her struggles. 

-    The illustrations were fun and cartoony. I liked the style.