After her acclaimed graphic memoir, Ephemera, Briana Loewinsohn explores a fictional account of her adolescent years in the graphic novel, Raised By Ghosts. Set in the 90’s, through her years in middle and high school, the story follows Briana traveling between the houses of her divorced parents as she finds friends, music, and art.
Loewinsohn has a distinct style to her writing and illustrations that lends itself well to remembered stories. The text is primarily in journal entries, juxtaposed against comic panels illustrating her daily life. The words are filled with emotion and metaphor, and the watercolor illustrations are toned down in shades of brown. Just as in Ephemera, her book in memory of a lost mom, Raised by Ghosts, feels like a delicate remembrance of Loewinsohn’s past.
Briana’s journal entries are written on top of illustrated torn journal pages. Through these journals we see the inner world of a young girl struggling to find a place at home and school. In the illustrations she is taking the bus to school and struggling through class. At home it is quiet and the houses are lonely with parents who are only just glimpsed through overheard comments, half-hearted replies, or shouted demands from off the page. In high school the illustrations show her with new found friends and smiles on her face, but home is still lonely and quiet, with little more than traces of either parent to grace the panel illustrations.
“Maybe years later all these hours will blend together into one eternal day. Long days on a bus that goes nowhere and will never end.” Lowinsohn’s attention to her writing and illustrations, elevates the beauty of this graphic novel. The words themselves are beautiful. I found myself collecting quote after beautiful quote. The journal pages are all handwritten. It is not a handwritten font, but rather handwriting, that evolves as Briana the character ages. There is little dialogue until her older years, as her friendships deepen and those conversations grow in importance, so the bulk of the story is told through the journal.
There are other characters in the book other than Briana, parents who are never physically seen on the page, except for the hand of her mother. Siblings are mentioned once but never seen or heard. Her friends are on the page though, such as Clera, Emily, and Jacob. However, the story is at its very core Briana’s. The others have no arcs or growth. Briana’s sense of self, existence, is defined by the absence of her parents and the presence of her friends, and that is how they are included in the story.
Briana truly finds herself when she finds art. The illustrations transform, as she slips into the pages, embraced in a way that no one else could. The surreal illustrations seep with emotion and capture more truth for Briana than the realism throughout the rest of the book.
Just as with Ephemera, this book is stunning, from top to bottom. It is a beautiful exploration of the inner life of a girl discovering herself and the world around her. It is highly recommended for anyone who loves beautiful emotional stories.
Raised by Ghosts is written for the young adult market. It may not fly off the shelf since it is not a typical graphic novel, and may not find its people among those readers. However, those who are looking for books that revolve around emotion more than plot will adore this read. When imagining who I will hand this book to, it is my poetry readers who I think will most cherish the book. Buy it, read it for yourself. It is beautiful and you won’t regret it.
Raised by Ghosts
By Briana Loewinsohn
Fantagraphics, 2025
ISBN: 9798875000508
Company Age Rating: 14-18
NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16)
