Taproot: A Story About a Gardener and a Ghost by Keezy Young. Lion Forge, 2017. 9781941302460
Format: Paperback
Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 4
Genre: Fantasy/romance
What did you like about the book? Hamal is a gardener whose best friend, Blue, is a ghost. Blue and a host of other ghosts are souls who have not moved on, and they are a melancholy but harmless group. When it becomes clear that Hamal is the only non-dead person who can see the ghosts, a creepy guy known as the reaper threatens to wreak havoc, and Blue must decide how much he will do to protect Hamal. Such a gentle story, despite the ghosts, with a sweet romance and happy outcome. The gorgeous green garden palette complements the organic feel of the story and is used to hypnotic effect in the dream-like fantasy scenes.
To whom would you recommend this book? Suggest this to teens looking for gentle, genre-bending romance, LGBTQ or otherwise.
Who should buy this book? High schools and public libraries
Where would you shelve it ? Teen graphic novels
Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Yes
Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City and State: Stephanie Tournas, Robbins Library, Arlington, MA
Date of review: May 31, 2018
Youth Services Book Review 
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