GN Review: Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel
Ghostopolis
by Doug TenNapel
267 pages
Graphic Novel
2010
Book Jacket Summary
A page-turning adventure of a boy’s journey
to the land of ghosts and back.Imagine Garth Hale’s surprise when he’s
accidentally zapped to the spirit world by Frank Gallows, a washed-out ghost
wrangler. Suddenly Garth finds he has powers the ghosts don’t have, and he’s
stuck in a world run by the evil ruler of Ghostopolis, who would use Garth’s
new found abilities to rule the ghostly kingdom. When Garth meets Cecil, his
grandfather’s ghost, the two search for a way to get Garth back home, and nearly
lose hope until Frank Gallows shows up to fix his mistake.
to the land of ghosts and back.Imagine Garth Hale’s surprise when he’s
accidentally zapped to the spirit world by Frank Gallows, a washed-out ghost
wrangler. Suddenly Garth finds he has powers the ghosts don’t have, and he’s
stuck in a world run by the evil ruler of Ghostopolis, who would use Garth’s
new found abilities to rule the ghostly kingdom. When Garth meets Cecil, his
grandfather’s ghost, the two search for a way to get Garth back home, and nearly
lose hope until Frank Gallows shows up to fix his mistake.
My Thoughts
Garth is dying of an incurable disease and his mother has dragged him to another specialist but there is nothing the doctors can do at this point. Frank Gallows works for the Supernatural Immigration Task Force as a ghost hunter. He is lazy about his job and accidentally sends Garth to the afterlife while chasing a rouge Night Mare. Garth must now navigate Ghostopolis with his grandfather’s ghost and the Night Mare he names Skinny. Frank tries to make up for his mistake by getting Garth back to the real world with his ex, Claire. They all converge after having adventures and must fight the evil Vaugner for the control of Ghostopolis.
I liked this graphic novel because it deals with a lot of issues, like abandonment, death, and believing in oneself. It reminded me of the movie Iron Giant (which I love) in the character features and slightly in tone. I would recommend this one to the guys and anyone who likes action/adventure graphic novels. Characters are well formed and grow, figuratively and literally. Enjoy!
Book Pairings
Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke
Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi
By TLT Blogger Karen D
Filed under: Book Reviews, Graphic Novels
About Karen Jensen, MLS
Karen Jensen has been a Teen Services Librarian for almost 30 years. She created TLT in 2011 and is the co-editor of The Whole Library Handbook: Teen Services with Heather Booth (ALA Editions, 2014).
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