The Ghost of You

From the author of If I Can Give You That comes an emotional novel that follows a transgender teen who must grapple with a friendship fracturing and a new romance blossoming, all while being haunted by a devastating loss. A must-read for fans of How It Feels to Float and The Ghosts We Keep.

Caleb’s world broke the day his brother died of a drug overdose. Now in the throes of grief, Caleb hardly ever sees his friends anymore, and school isn’t much better. He’s on the verge of failing his songwriting class, never mind that music used to be his greatest passion. Even Tanya, his best friend, is growing tired of trying to push him back into his life.

But perhaps most concerning of all: A black cat has been following Caleb around…a cat that only he can see. A cat that may just be a ghost.

Then Caleb is assigned a songwriting partner in class: Emmett, the nonbinary lead singer of a local punk band. The cat takes a liking to Emmett—and maybe Caleb does, too. As they write together, Caleb begins opening up about his grief, and the two realize they have more in common than expected. Now Caleb will have to decide if he is ready to heal with Emmett’s help—or recede in life and become as invisible as the ghostly cat at his heel.

Michael Gray Bulla is a recent graduate of Wells College. He was named the 2017 Nashville Youth Poet Laureate with Southern Word and is the author of the poetry collection Letters to the Home. He is also the cohost of the literary podcast Bookends. Gray's first book is If I Can Give You That, and his second is The Ghost of You. Originally from Nashville, Bulla currently resides in Ithaca, New York. Visit him online at michaelgraybulla.com or on Twitter or Instagram @graybulla.