Ghostboy, Chameleon & the Duke of Graffiti

By: Olivia Wildenstein

Narrated by: Ryan Bergman

Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Some endings are inevitable, but so are some stories.

Cora, the principal’s gloomy goth daughter, is not exactly popular Duke Meyer’s type. Still, Duke finds himself inexplicably drawn to her dark eyes and mysterious manner. She makes it clear she doesn’t return his admiration, but when a burst appendix lands Duke in the hospital, he and Cora will be forced to come together by the most unlikely intermediary: her eight-year-old brother, Jaime.

So begins an epic tale - that of Ghostboy, Chameleon, and the Duke of Graffiti.

A tale of three normal kids who, against all odds, will become exceptional.

A tale of hopes and dreams, of indelible friendship, and first love.

Ghostboy, Chameleon & the Duke of Graffiti is a gorgeous debut novel that will resonate with the thoughtful fans of John Green’s blockbuster The Fault in Our Stars.

Foreword Reviews INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award Finalist!

©2015 Olivia Wildenstein (P)2016 Olivia Wildenstein

great engaging story

Honestly I never pick up these kinds of book because I read to escape into fantastical worlds. But I won this book and so I read it and I couldn't put it down. Maybe because it was from a teen boys perspective, maybe because the mood was right, but I'm positivley sure it's because the book was good! So good! I was lost the from the beginning. It made me laugh and snort and cry. And I love the friendship in this book. Ms. Olivia captures is so beautifully. Can't wit to read more from this author.

4 Stars

I alternately read a digital copy and listened (via audible) to this story. I have found that if I'm not crazy about the audio version, it negatively effects my reading experience, as well. Such is the case here. The actual reading and inflections by the single male narrator are fine, but I did not care for the voice changes for the additional characters (ie. females and children.) I'm inclined to say that this would probably have been a 5 star read, but I had a hard time connecting when just listening.

There are three main characters in Ghostboy, but it's truly Duke's coming-of-age story. Ghostboy tackles death, grief, teen male/female relationships, and parent/child relationships. Nothing feels too heavy-handed since all of the poignant moments share the spotlight nearly equally. POSSIBLE SPOILER: *Even the idea of death feels less overwhelming when viewed as almost inevitable. Sad? Of course, but not unexpected.* (End possible spoiler) I appreciate the lack of dramatic surprises for entertainment's sake and that more time was invested in character development. Ghostboy was a realistic account of a young man's teen life and the events that help him mature and develop empathy. Since my audio tastes are subjective, I won't deter anyone from also listening to the audio. What I will suggest is listen to an audio sample before you decide, but don't let that in itself stop you from reading this stor. (This is my voluntary and unbiased review of an advanced digital copy and complimentary audio)

Wow, touching and tender story.

What made the experience of listening to Ghostboy, Chameleon & the Duke of Graffiti the most enjoyable?

It's great that I can listen while doing other things. This is an awesome story.

Which character – as performed by Ryan Bergman – was your favorite?

Duke was my favorite character. The narrator did a great job of playing so many characters.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Some stories have an ending...Some stories never end.

Any additional comments?

Have your tissue box nearby.

Wow!!

It's hard to figure out what a book has in store with a title that doesn't make a lot of sense at first. But then letters become words, words become sentences and sentences become a beautiful book that draws you in to who or what Ghostboy, Chameleon and The Duke of Graffiti are. The characters grip you right away and make this tale one that's hard to put down or pause the audio. I actually bought the book first, being a fan of Olivia Wildensteins Boulder series. I couldn't believe it was an audiobook and instantly downloaded it. I am so glad I was able to listen to this one. The narrator did a good job. It could have been done a little better but after a couple chapters I didn't care he made most voices sound like an evil old witch. This book has great reviews and it should. This is one book I am glad I delved into and let it take a little piece of my heart.

Wow

I didn’t expect everything that we got from this book as a whole from the title. Just wow. It was so beautifully written. Duke, is the main character we follow. We really see many of his coming of age situations and it was sometimes funny to see watch how Duke overcame them. The story of Ghostboy is very sweet and endearing. Even though we know the outcome, the heartbreak is still there. I cried for Jamie.
I did struggle with the narration when the narrator portrayed Jamie and other female characters.
If you enjoy a good YA book, knowing the ending will be sad but beautiful then consider picking this book up.

Good story, not well executed

Any additional comments?

This book was a bit of a struggle for me, but I ultimately enjoyed it. I bought this book on Kindle for my phone, and then I ended up purchasing the Audible add on because I couldn’t make myself read the book.

The main character Duke is incredibly obnoxious. He’s just too “cool” and guy-ish. I had a hard time reading from his perspective. He develops a crush on the principal’s daughter, the goth girl, despite his better intentions. And then he finds himself involved with her younger brother, who is dying of brain cancer.

The story was right up my alley. I enjoy books with illnesses and even death, but this book wasn’t executed as well as some others. Duke grows some because of his experience with Jaime, but it reminded me too much of the sub-plot in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants with Tibby and Bailey, but I enjoyed that story so much more.

The romance was sweet, but it didn’t redeem the whole book for me.

Blog: Opinionated Book Lover