Ghost Boys: The Graphic Novel by Jewell Parker Rhodes, illustrated by Setor Fiadzigbey
Little, Brown Ink (December 2, 2025)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage
Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes is the New York Times bestselling author of several books for youth, including Ghost Boys; Black Brother, Black Brother; Paradise on Fire; and Treasure Island: Runaway Gold. She is the recipient of many distinguished awards and honors, including the Coretta Scott King Author Honor, the Green Earth Book Award, an NAACP Image Award nomination, the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, and the Octavia E. Butler Award. Rhodes is the Founding Artistic Director of the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing and Virginia G. Piper Endowed Chair at Arizona State University. Her novel, Ghost Boys, is now a graphic novel.
Twelve-year-old Jerome is shot by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a real threat. As a ghost, he observes the devastation that is unleashed on his family and community in the wake of this unjust and brutal killing. Soon Jerome meets another ghost: Emmett Till, a boy from a very different time but similar circumstances. Emmett helps Jerome process what has happened, on a journey toward recognizing how historical racism may have led to the events that ended his life. Jerome also meets Sarah, the daughter of the police officer who shot him, as she grapples with her father’s actions.
This graphic novel version of the novel is developed with artwork from Black Panther illustrator Setor Fiadzigbey. Rhodes’s narrative explores the historical and sociopolitical layers involved in how children and families face the complexities of racist violence in today’s world. What makes this novel unique is that Rhodes uses the horror as a guide for building understanding. The ghosts that haunt this narrative, whether it be Jerome, Emmett Till, or other children, are used to build understanding for the living. There is a multicultural, multigenerational aspect to this healing, too, one that incorporates the entirety of the community. Fiadzigbey’s illustrations, especially the use of color, heighten this narrative and create an accessible entry point for some readers.
Ghost Boys: The Graphic Novel by Jewell Parker Rhodes is one of those tales that, unfortunately, should be mandatory reading for young adults. Youth who are privileged enough to not know violence like this in their community will find much to discuss, and youth familiar with these tragic tales might find a jumping off point to vent their own feelings and emotions. Older readers will find much in this tale to discuss with their children and with their community members, so this graphic novel is strongly recommended to anyone interested in horror graphic novels and social justice.
