A small press or indie book that I discovered because it was nominated for the Shirley Jackson Award. It was a little rough in the writing and plotting (and needed some copyediting), but I enjoyed it overall. It is about a girl who can see ghosts (shadows) and gives an unusual twist to the ghost story trope. ( )

The fascinating thing about Beulah is how Nogle manages to make ghosts unremarkable--and I mean that in the best way possible.

In another author's hands, 18-year-old Georgie's ability to see ghosts would be the centerpiece of everything, the keystone on which the rest of the story hinged. Instead, Georgie's struggle to simply exist, while being part of her family and taking care of her little sister, are the focus, and the ghosts and hauntings which torment her just as much as they keep her going are, in their own way, simply a part of her reality (and thus the reader's). There's no mistaking this for a coming-of-age story or a family drama, however, because the paranormal aspects of the story live in the cracks of each memory, in Georgie's every hesitation, and in every corner of Beulah that means such different things for the various characters in this book.

From the moment I fell into Nogle's novel, I was stolen into her world and her voice. It's hypnotizing, powerful, and the carrier of a reality that feels deeper than the story she's built. It is, simply put, pretty wonderful, and I hope you'll look it up. Just be ready for the darkness of it, and prepared to lose some days to its pull.

Absolutely recommended. ( )