This really was a unique book in both it's themes, execution, and the emotions it evoked in me. While the descriptive writing was beautiful and beautifully set the scene, there were some flaws in this book that were hard to look past. The pacing was very lopsided, with the majority of the book limping along and then picking up to breakneck speed in the last sixth of the book. There were three concurrent plot lines of this book: the paranormal plot line, the mystery plot line, and the relationship/friendship plot line. And each of these had varying levels of success.

The paranormal plot I felt was left intentionally ambiguous, and that worked in the book's favor. The lack of clarity on what exactly was happening with the spirits/haunts made the story feel ominous and unpredictable. This unpredictability felt very natural to the story which was generally clouded in uncertainty.

The mystery plot line was messy and I don't think it worked in the book's favor. I felt that clues and evidence were haphazardly introduced and dropped without enough plot tying the together. Andrew moved between "leads" seemingly at random that would often pay off in some small way, but didn't contribute to a cohesive mystery narrative. I was not personally invested in the mystery aspect at all until it picked up at the end of the book.

By far the best part of this book was the characterization and relationship development. While there were some characters that felt a bit flat and didn't have a satisfying arc, the characters that we did spend time with felt dynamic, complex, and authentic. Not all of the characters were completely likable, but they weren't completely awful either, much like actual people. The way the relationships developed also felt authentic to the way that one might make friends in the midst of unbearable grief. More subjectively, I found some of the characters (and romance) to be personally relatable, which evoked a lot of nostalgia in me for my college years.

Ultimately, it was my emotions that won me over with this one, but I acknowledge that people who didn't personally relate to the characters might feel the flaws more heavily than I did. I found this to be very enjoyable and a stand-out in the genre of paranormal/mystery. Particularly if you're looking for more self-exploration queer representation in genres that aren't just contemporary fiction.