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Book Review of Giving Up the Ghost: A Story About Friendship, 80s Rock, a Lost Scrap of Paper, and What It Means to Be Haunted

RockStarGirl avatar reviewed on + 329 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1


I don't read a lot of memoirs, and when I first requested this book I wasn't even aware that it WAS a memoir. It doesn't take long to realize that the author struggled from various mental health issues, but what draws you into the book is the loneliness and longing he feels for his friend Laura, a friend who died long ago but he can't let go of. The author goes on a journey to prove to himself once and for all that ghosts, the spectral kind, don't actually exist. Unfortunately he can't let go of the ghosts of his confusing past. Laura was his one true friend, his anchor, and while he has since recovered from many of his past demons, he has never been able to get past her loss. You can feel the sadness and regret, but what really comes through is the appreciation he has for his friend and this book is almost his thank-you gift to her. A quick and interesting read that I think a lot of people will appreciate.