A Hauntingly Sweet, Heartwarming Masterpiece!
How (Not) to Renovate a Haunted House by Jenny L. Howe was such a great read! I found myself smiling so many times while reading.
Amity’s cross-country move with her mom sets off a ghost-hunting journey alongside Theo, where a wonderful mix of old and new friends band together to uncover the truth about her new home. But beneath the playful ghost-busting premise lies an exceptionally rich, inclusive story. I loved that Amity wasn’t depicted as a typical size two—seeing realistic body representation made her personal journey of accepting and loving herself resonate on a much deeper level. The nonbinary representation in the book was also incredible and handled so seamlessly.
The whole character dynamic is pure magic. If I were 18 again, I would be swooning over Theo without hesitation—he is the gold standard, the kind of thoughtful, compassionate person you’d dream of raising a future son to be. The support system in this book is just as phenomenal: Arden completely stole my heart as a side character, Matt brought top-tier humor, and Taylor is the absolute gold-standard best friend we all wish we had. Plus, seeing Amity’s mom and Theo’s dad portrayed as real, imperfect parents genuinely doing their absolute best for their kids was so refreshing.
While the story is full of heart and humor, it naturally weaves in heavier real-life themes—like past bullying, grief, parental divorce, loss, self-consciousness, and anxiety. They are handled with so much care, but as always, listen to your heart and make sure you’re in the right headspace for those topics before diving in.
While this is my first of Jenny L. Howe’s works, I’m officially hooked. What makes this a 4.5 read is not only does it mention one of my favorite movies Dirty Dancing but OMG it mentions Supernatural more please just like this book I will take more I hope the cast of characters get books or we stay in this town!
