History ComicBook / GhostsRainaTelgemeier

''Ghosts'' is an award-winning 2016 graphic novel written by Creator/RainaTelgemeier. Catrina "Cat" Allende-Delmar and her family are moving from sunny southern California to Bahia de la Luna, a northern California town by the sea where the sun shines only sixty-two days a year. The family is hoping that the sea air will benefit her younger sister Maya, who has cystic fibrosis, but their neighbor Carlos tells them what the town is really known for: ghosts. Maya is eager about the ghosts and wants to meet them but Cat is terrified of them and it only gets worse when Maya's health is in jeopardy after an encounter with the ghosts goes wrong. With Dia de los Muertos approaching, Cat must put aside her fears for not only her sister's sake but also her own. Can the spirits of the dead ease her worries about her sister's mortality and answer Maya's questions about ghosts?

-->'''Maya''' I saw that! ''Cat's in love!''

-->'''Maya''' I saw that! ''Cat's' in love!''

-->'''Maya''' Maya: I saw that! ''Cat's' in love!''

* ShipperOnDeck: Maya loves to tease Cat about her budding crush on Carlos. [[spoiler: She's positively ''giddy'' when she sees Cat [[RelationshipUpgrade kiss Carlos on the cheek.]]

* YouExclamation: Cat has this reaction to Carlos the second time she sees him.

* IllGirl: Maya.

Catrina "Cat" Allende-Delmar and her family are moving from sunny southern California to Bahia de la Luna, a northern California town by the sea where the sun shines only sixty-two days a year. The family is hoping that the sea air will benefit her younger sister Maya, who has cystic fibrosis, but their neighbor Carlos tells them what the town is really known for: ghosts. Maya is eager about the ghosts and wants to meet them but Cat is terrified of them and it only gets worse when Maya's health is in jeopardy after an encounter with the ghosts goes wrong. With Dia de los Muertos approaching, Cat must put aside her fears for not only her sister's sake but also her own. Can the spirits of the dead ease her worries about her sister's mortality and answer Maya's questions about ghosts?

!! Ghosts provides examples of:

* AdultFear: Not only are there no punches being pulled with how serious Maya's illness is and how Cystic Fibrosis only causes her lungs to get worse as she gets older but Cat's anxiety over her sister's health can really hit hard for anyone who has a sibling that has been sick or has long term health problems.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: On the bitter side, Maya's Cystic Fibrosis will eventually grow worse, and it's left ambiguous if her breathing tube is [[NothingIsTheSameAnymore permanent]] or [[StatusQuoIsGod not]]. On the sweet side, however, Cat has overcome her fear of ghosts and Maya befriends one. Cat and Carlos are on [[ShipTease much better]] terms now. Also, while they didn't get to meet their Abuela's ghost this year, the girls are surprised to find a mysterious feast of traditional Mexican food waiting for them in the dining room.]]

* RealityEnsues: The book does not shy away from the fact that Cystic Fibrosis has no cure, and Maya's lungs will grow worse as she grows older.

* WouldRatherSuffer: Played [[RealityEnsues realistically]]. When Cat exclaims she'd rather die than move to the nearly sunless Bahia de la Luna, her parents [[DeathGlare glare]] at her, and Maya looks worried that her sister would say this.

* NiceGuy: Carlos genuinely cares about both Cat and Maya, feeling especially guilty when the encounter on the ghost tour goes wrong and Maya gets sick.

** There's also Cat denying the existence of Maya or that she even has a sister to her new friends. And Maya winds up finding out about it the hard way...

* MeaningfulName: Cat's name, Catrina, and Carlos's surname, Calaveras, is derived from La Calavera Catrina which is a notable figure in Dia de los Muertos.

* NoAntagonist

** There's also Cat denying that Maya is her sister which is devastating for the poor girl. Sure, Cat might have wanted to have friends of her own but the fact that she more or less denied the existence of her sister for it is going a little too far.

* YankTheDogsChain: [[spoiler: Maya's breathing attack while with the ghosts does '''not''' give Kat a good first impression of ghosts and even exacerbates her fear of them.]]

----

Catrina "Cat" Allende-Delmar and her family are moving from sunny southern California to Bahia de la Luna, a northern California town by the sea where the sun shines only sixty-two days a year. The family is hoping that the sea air will benefit her younger sister Maya, who has cystic fibrosis, but their neighbor Carlos tells them what the town is really known for: ghosts. Maya is eager about the ghosts and wants to meet them but Cat is terrified of them and it only gets worse when Maya's health is in jeopardy after an encounter with the ghosts goes wrong. With Dia de los Muertos approaching, Cat must put aside her fears for not only her sister's sake but also her own. Can the spirits of the dead ease her worries about her sister's morality and answer Maya's questions about ghosts?

* AdultFear: Maya's illness and Cat's anxiety are played very seriously with the fear of mortality and not being able to know just how to keep your children safe when they're scared or sick.

* WouldRatherSuffer: Played [[RealityEnsues realistically]]. When Cat exclaims she'd rather die than move to the nearly sunless Bahia de la Lune, her parents [[DeathGlare glare]] at her, and Maya looks worried that her sister would say this.

'''COMING SOON'''

* BaitAndSwitch: [[spoiler: Upon returning home from the Festival, Kat finds Maya passed out, seemingly dead! ...until she comes to, revealing she was simply in a candy coma from eating all of Kat's candy.]]
* [[BigBrotherInstinct Big Sister Instinct]]: Kat is very protective of Maya. It's partly deconstructed when not only does it border on overprotective, but she associates [[spoiler: Maya's breathing attack with Carlos and the ghosts and wrongfully alienates both.]]
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: On the bitter side, Maya's Cystic Fibrosis will eventually grow worse, and it's left ambiguous if her breathing tube is [[NothingIsTheSameAnymore permanent]] or [[StatusQuoIsGod not]]. On the sweet side, however, Kat has overcome her fear of ghosts and Maya befriends one. Kat and Carlos are on [[ShipTease much better]] terms now. Also, while they didn't get to meet their Abuela's ghost this year, the girls are surprised to find a mysterious feast of traditional Mexican food waiting for them in the dining room.]]
* CharacterDevelopment: Kat goes from being anxious and afraid of ghosts to coming to terms with them.

* RuleOfSymbolism: [[WordOfGod Raina Telgemeier]] points out that part of the book's theme is about breathing. Although Kat can breath normally when compared to Maya or the Ghosts, her anxiety makes it hard for her to embrace life as is.

* WhatTheHellHero: Maya calls out Kat on letting her fears get the better of her. For context, Maya wants to go back to the Mission and visit the ghost, but her Cystic Fibrosis keeps her from doing so. Kat is healthy and more than capable of returning there, but is letting her fear in ghosts stop her from going, even when it's clear that [[spoiler: the ghosts didn't mean to cause Maya's breathing attack]].

* WouldRatherSuffer: Played [[RealityEnsues realistically]]. When Kat exclaims she'd rather die than move to the nearly sunless Bahia de la Lune, her parents [[DeathGlare glare]] at her, and Maya looks worried that her sister would say this.

* YouExclamation: Kat has this reaction to Carlos the second time she sees him.

* WhatTheHellHero: Maya calls out Kat on letting her fears get the better of her.
* WouldRatherSuffer: Played realistically. When Kat exclaims she'd rather die than move to the nearly sunless Bahia de la Lune, her parents [[DeathGlare glare]] at her, and Maya looks worried that her sister would say this.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: On the bitter side, Maya's Cystic Fibrosis will eventually grow worse, and it's left ambiguous if her breathing tube is [[NothingIsTheSameAnymore permanent]] or [[StatusQuoIsGod not]]. On the sweet side, however, Kat has overcome her fear of ghosts and Maya befriends one. Kat and Carlos are on [[ShipTease much better]] terms now. Also, while they didn't get to meet their Abuela's ghost, the girls are surprised to find a mysterious feast of traditional Mexican food waiting for them in the dining room.]]

* MoodWhiplash: One minute, Maya is having the time of her life surrounded by the friendly ghost. [[spoiler: But then she drops her soda, and the breaking glass causes a panic among them that leads to her breathing attack.]]

* BittersweetEnding:
* CharacterDevelopment: Maya goes from being anxious and afraid of ghosts to coming to terms with them.

* MoodWhiplash:

* RealityEnsues:

'''COMING SOON'''

[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/9780545540629_mres.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:175:''[[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 HAPPY HALLOWEEN MODE!]]''']]