This Is Not a Ghost Story by Amerie: Review

Welcome to my review of This Is Not a Ghost Story by Amerie! The title definitely drew me in, but keep reading to see my thoughts.

Cover of This Is Not a Ghost Story by Amerie

Title: This Is Not a Ghost Story: A Novel
Author: Amerie
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publisher: William Morrow
Pub Date: 06/10/25

Description

Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Amerie’s dazzling, satirical adult debut tells the story of a Black man who walks into the light…to find himself in Los Angeles, where he becomes an instant celebrity for being the first visible and verifiable ghost.

John’s House provides all he needs. Surrounded by a vast, beautiful ocean under a void of sky, the House is John’s haven. He is alone, but never lonely; he is here now, but neither remembers nor longs for a before. In his House, John is safe and untroubled.

But then a terrible shadow creature breaks in—and it wants him out. Pushed from the House, John falls into the light…

And finds himself in modern-day Los Angeles, the first person to ever come back from the other side. Though he has no memory of his past life, or even how he died, everyone wants to know more about the Black man who has returned from the dead—is he the second coming? A hoax? Or something beyond explanation? Soon he has brand deals, TV interviews, and politicians aiming to use him for their agendas, yet all John wants is to go home.

But going home will require, most unfortunately, help. In search of a way back, John grudgingly joins forces with a mystic holding dubious qualifications, a hard-edged publicist bent on making him famous, and an aspiring actress who is unsettlingly familiar. With this ragtag band of allies, John begins a journey to find his House on the ocean—but getting there will prove more complicated than he imagined, for it will require not only trusting in someone other than himself, but will mean uncovering painful truths about who John was in life and, perhaps most difficult, who he must become.

A gorgeous, tender story of hope, sacrifice, and what it means to be human, This Is Not a Ghost Story introduces an astonishing new voice in literary fiction.

Mini-Review

“I hope it makes you happy,” he says. It sounds so simple but he thinks, Isn’t this the best one can hope for someone else, when it comes down to it: I hope you are happy.

I’m back with another literary fiction review this month. This one’s going to be short because even though I sat with my thoughts for a few days after finishing, I truly don’t know if I got this book.

It was about race, but it wasn’t. It was about the afterlife, but it wasn’t. It was about reckoning with the consequences of your actions, but it wasn’t. It was a ghost story, but it wasn’t.

It’s hard to clearly define the message, which also made it hard for me to feel strongly about it one way or another. So, it was a very neutral read. I did like the writing style. I did like the multiple perspectives and connections. I did love Ruben’s earnestness. But I think it tried to be so many things, that it kind of became nothing.

If you like a ragtag team or conversation around influencer and celebrity culture, I would give this one a try.

*Thank you to William Morrow for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.*

Author

Amerie is a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, producer, and writer. The daughter of a Korean artist and an African-American military officer, Amerie was born in Massachusetts, raised all over the world, and graduated from Georgetown University with a bachelor’s in English. She is the editor of New York Times bestseller Because You Love to Hate Me (a Junior Library Guild Selection), author of the children’s book You Will Do Great Things, and recently founded Amerie’s Book Club, a book club that highlights diverse and unique perspectives and voices.