Book Review: Phantom Hearts by Rosie Talbot & Sarah Maxwell
- Courtney
- Mar 12
- 2 min read
A sapphic teen romance with a ghostly twist.
Dates read: 12/01/25 to 14/01/25
Word to describe: Ethereal
Star rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Graphic Novel, Young Adult
Trigger Warnings: this graphic novel depicts violence, death, suicidal thoughts, mental health representation, depression and anxiety.
My introduction to graphic novels has been a mixed feelings kind of situation. My first graphic novel was a three-part series following on from Nickelodeon's Avatar: Legend of Korra and my last graphic novel was a rather disappointing fan-service book made by Halestorm which fell quite far from my expectations. Yet - I am not done searching for graphic novels that will ignite my love for picture books once more (because in reality we all start learning to read with picture books and I think they offer a sense of nostalgia for an easier time).
Phantom Hearts appeared in my life after an impromptu visit to, what I would call a Nerd Store - as in the little shops that sell a variety of board games and anime books with collectors edition ornamental figures. I had went in with a friend looking to waste away and extra half an hour before heading back home. Within that shop I found Phantom Hearts a purple and pink cover displaying beautiful artwork of two girls holding hands. I had walked around the shop twice and kept coming back to this one book. I suppose it was fate since I absolutely loved it.
From the awe-worthy illustrations painted in black and white (jarring from such a colourful cover but what I believe to be a well thought out approach to not distract from the storyline) to a story of grief, mental health representation, loneliness and typical teenage angst. The novel follows a16-year-old Malia, already dealing with depression and anxiety and hiding it well from her friends, who's life is upturned when her school bus driver father is in an awful accident which leaves four students dead and himself in critical care.
Blamed for deaths and rumours circling that her father had deliberately crashed the vehicle leaves Malia sets herself on a mission to prove the local media wrong and figure out the truth behind the bus crash. Nothing is as it seems though - when Malia starts having visions of her deceased classmates and enlists them as help to fight her fathers case. Joined with three spirits and an unlikely acquaintance in the local teen mechanic Keezy, Malia finds herself surrounded by new and old friends and maybe a budding romance.
I really enjoyed the mystery aspect of this graphic novel and the social interactions between each of the characters. The ghostly friendships bring to life characters with hidden background stories and neatly wraps up their afterlife when the mystery of the bus crash is solved. Keezy and Malia offer readers a cute teenage romance filled with longing glances and blushing moments. And, of course, a plot twist hard enough to leaves hearts broken.
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