If I Have to be Haunted by Miranda Sun

Your first love will always haunt you...

The most haunting, heartwarming debut of 2023. Perfect for fans of strong female leads and supernatural stakes in Buffy, with all the sweetness and romance of To All the Boys I've Loved Before.

Cara's just trying to stay on top of all her classes, excel at her extracurriculars, and prepare for college - which means not speaking to the dead, an ability she inherited from her grandmother. Ghosts are trouble, and Cara doesn't need to add their problems to her own.

But then she stumbles upon the body of Zach - the super popular but very newly dead high school golden boy - in the woods, and guess what? He wants her to resurrect him.

Cue trouble.

Miranda Sun's debut touches on the power and conflicts in a mother-daughter love, first romance - and finding your place in the world while honouring your culture. Full of heart, humour and thrills, If I Have to be Haunted will put a spell on you.

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I don't always rate covers from different markets, but the UK cover is clearly superior in this case, right? Look at the way those colours glow! The American cover makes Cara look like an insipid teen girl in love, and she's so much more than that in the novel, she's strong and clever and brave when she needs to be, and she knows how to lean on other people when she needs to, which is much rarer.

In a Mini Blogging Trend, this is one of two books I've read recently with this theme. This one is very heavily fantasy based, with Our Heroes traveling through different dimensions/lands and undergoing a Quest. The other dimensions are really imaginative and well thought out and I loved reading about them.

The family dynamics here are complex and interesting to follow and I love that they evolved during the story. It was so much fun to watch everyone grow and change during the adventure. I'm not sure if this is planned as a series, but I hope it is - I would love to read more about them and the history of Cara's family and how things may change now she has not only an ally but a distraction!

If you're into fantasy at all, definitely give this one a try.

If I Have to be Haunted publishes on the 14th of September, 2023 in the UK (top image) and on the 26th of September, 2023 in the US (lower image). I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.