Vintage: A Ghost Story (review)

A seventeen-year-old goth teen kicked out of his home for being gay certainly knows loneliness. Even he is surprised, however, by the depths of isolation and despair that he sees in a hunky ghost, Josh, whom he finds wandering the highway. The unnamed protagonist feels an immediate physical attraction to the ghost, and he is at first willing to ignore several disturbing signs about his relationship with Josh, not least of which is the fact that the ghost tries to steal his life force while they are making out. Once the narrator sees Josh, he becomes aware that he's surrounded by ghosts, many of whom need him to help them find peace. Luckily for his spectral and earthly friends, the loyal protagonist is willing to take risks to save those he loves. The book's humor and irony balances the mostly grisly discoveries made about the unresolved deaths of the ghosts. Unfortunately, even the witty narration and steamy spectral sensuality cannot quite compensate for an overambitious plot: in addition to dealing with his family's problems with his coming out, the protagonist also has innumerable ghost dramas, a crush on his best friend's little brother, and an almost fifty-year-old murder mystery that, if not solved quickly, could result in his own death. Several intriguing subplots languish unresolved, and the idyllic ending feels a bit forced, though readers will certainly be relieved that the protagonist finally finds a home and true love. Readers may well forgive the contrivances and lack of spookiness, since Berman has succeeded admirably in writing a powerful and poignant coming-out story.