Ghostboy, Chameleon & the Duke of Graffiti by Olivia Wildenstein

Author : Olivia Wildenstein
Title : Ghostboy, Chameleon & the Duke of Graffiti
Published : 2015
Publisher : CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Pages : 318
Genre : Young Adult

     Some endings are inevitable, but so are some stories. Cora, the principal’s goth daughter, is not exactly popular Duke Meyer’s type. Still, Duke finds himself inexplicably drawn to her dark eyes and mysterious manner. She makes it clear she doesn’t return his admiration, but when a burst appendix lands Duke in the hospital, he and Cora will be forced to come together by the most unlikely intermediary: her eight-year-old brother, Jaime. So begins an epic tale—that of Ghostboy, Chameleon and the Duke of Graffiti. A tale of three normal kids who, against all odds, will become exceptional.A tale of hopes and dreams, of indelible friendship and first love.

     It's been quite some time since I picked up a young adult title, I went through a phase where it was pretty much all I read and to be honest I think I O.D on them. I had just finished my previous read and was thralling through my TBR pile and came across Ghostboy, Chameleon & the Duke of Graffiti. I had forgotten it was in there, but something felt right about jumping back into this genre. There is something different about Ghostboy, an outcome that is made clear from the very first. This is a book that is far more about the journey that its inevitable outcome. It is a story of three kids that you can't help but get swept up in. 

     Cora, Duke, and Jamie are three people that under any normal circumstances would not be hanging out. While Cora and Jamie are brothers and sisters at that age they are starting to live in different worlds. It is only a natural occurrence we drift apart from our siblings only to find them again later on in life if we are lucky. As for Duke and Cora that inhabit a different place in the school hierarchy. But there is a pull that binds them together and it's Jamie. These three are the misfits of friendships. The author does a great job of not only bringing them together but making me as the reader come to care deeply for them. Whilst they each have there problems and turmoils they are relatable. For me, there is something truly heartfelt about them. As we are told this story through the eyes of Duke you get a good deal of teenage boy thrown at you. By which I mean at times he can be an idiot. He tends to act first and think later. But this does lighten the underlying themes of the book without overwhelming you. 

     As you would imagine this book tackles some very heavy subject. The tale of a boy who is dying is never going to be an easy one. A box of tissues may be required for the moments when reality bulldozes its way into there adventures. It will rip your heart out even knowing what is to come. It is a book about teenagers and children having to deal with very adult problems. The author does this with a careful touch. She has a great knack of bringing us to the heart of the matter all the while trying to give the reader hope. I think it would take a lot from someone to try and give a young child a whole lifetime of experiences in such a short while. But it is through the actions of Duke and Cora We get to see what life can be when all our worries and doubt are stripped back. Jamie is how we all wish we could live our lives. He does not question what things can't be simple he knows how he wants to spend what remains of his life he just needs a little help in doing some of them. 

     Despite all, it's sadness this is a beautiful book about all the things we probably should be doing. Jamie teaches not only his two companions but us that we get to hung up on the silly things and what really matters is being grateful for what we have. There is a pureness that comes from people like Jamie and it is up to us to take life for everything it has to offer and bring joy to the world in what seems like the darkest of times.