Ghosted: A Northanger Abbey Novel by Amanda Quain ~ 384 pages ~ to be published on July 25, 2023 by Wednesday Books
Goodreads Synopsis:
Hattie Tilney isn’t a believer. Yes, she’s a senior at America’s most (allegedly) haunted high school, Northanger Abbey. But ever since her paranormal-loving dad passed away, she’s hung up her Ghostbusters suit, put away the EMF detectors and thermal cameras, and moved on. She has enough to worry about in the land of the living–like taking care of her younger brother, Liam, while their older sister spirals out and their mother, Northanger’s formidable headmistress, buries herself in her work. If Hattie just works hard enough and keeps that overachiever mask on tight through graduation, maybe her mom will finally notice her.
But the mask starts slipping when Hattie’s assigned to be an ambassador to Kit Morland, a golden retriever of a boy who’s transferred to Northanger on—what else—a ghost-hunting scholarship. The two are partnered up for an investigative project on the school’s paranormal activity, and Hattie quickly strikes a deal: Kit will present whatever ghostly evidence he can find to prove that campus is haunted, and Hattie will prove that it’s not. But as they explore the abandoned tunnels and foggy graveyards of Northanger, Hattie starts to realize that Kit might be the kind of person that makes her want to believe in something—and someone—for the first time.
What I Thought:
*I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC!*
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Of all of Jane Austen’s novels, Northanger Abbey is not one of my favorites. That being said, I was excited when I saw this book was coming out because it is the Austen novel that is retold the least, and I was anxious to see what Amanda Quain would come up with. I really liked how deep she dove into the feelings of the main character, Hattie, to show why she feels the way she feels about “ghosts”.
The decision to make this a gender-bent retelling was a bit inspired, in my opinion. It helped to make this story truly its own, but it also allowed for some more hard-hitting internal and external struggle. Hattie Tilney is cast in the non-believer role, who is trying so hard to be someone she is not in order to run from her past. Kit Morland is a dreamer and a paranormal believer. I loved his open, cuddly self, and how he was able to peel back the layers of Hattie’s self-protective shell.
I liked the decision to make Northanger Abbey a school – it brought some fun life to the story. The shenanigans that the students were able to get up to made sense within the confines of the setting, and still paid homage to the original story.
I enjoyed the family dynamics in this book. The parent was present in body, but not in spirit. This is something that lots of teens have to deal with, so I was glad to see it represented here. I also liked that the siblings had some struggles to work through together too. It gave the story some realistic tension that had nothing to do with the paranormal investigation side of the story.
Speaking of the paranormal investigation, I loved that take on the ghost story from the original novel! It was such a fun way to incorporate a real phenomenon from our modern culture to make this story feel present in our current time. I am actually a big fan of YouTube channels like Watcher, Sam and Colby, and CelinaSpookyBoo who do paranormal investigations in real life. Such a fun way to bring Northanger Abbey into the 21st century!
All in all, I thought this was a fun retelling of an Austen novel that doesn’t get as much attention as her others. I am excited to see what Amanda Quain comes up with next!
My Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I gave Ghosted 4 Stars!
Are you interested in learning more about this book? Check out the links below!
Are you a fan of retellings? Which Austen novel is your favorite? Have you read any of Amanda Quain’s novels? (Check out my review of Accomplished here!) Let’s chat in the comments!
Love and happy reading,
Whitney
Whit Reads Lit 
I do enjoy retellings a lot. I feel it’s so fun for authors to put their own spin on something that’s been told already. I find it very enjoyable. I’ve actually never read anything by Austen. I do really want to read Emma because Clueless is one of my favorite movies and I know it’s based on that. I keep telling myself I’ll pick it up one day. This sounds like it’s an enjoyable retelling. I’ll have to check it out.
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