A gorgeous, moving, queer coming-of-age love story. It's hard to believe that this is a debut - it's written so beautifully and tenderly, but is also dark. Even from the first page, as readers we know that this is a story that will be marked with tragedy, and this lingers over the rest of the novel.

Rooted in music, drugs and nostalgia, Thompson's novel unfolds over two decades - starting in the early 2000s. I paused occasionally to revisit or listen to some of the bands referenced, music felt so integral.


4 stars only because I wanted more character depth and development but it will stay with me nonetheless - as I think about Theron's grief, loneliness, and yearning. Very grateful to Pan Macmillan for the proof via NetGalley - this one is definitely worth reading now it's out.

Fantastic debut, a coming of age story full of tenderness and longing while at the same time real and raw. A love story.

This was a moving read that traced the young angst filled teenage years and the obsession that we have all had on a first crush

Beautifully written and achingly melancholic.
You know from the get go how it’s going to end, adding a somber blue tint to all of Theron and Jake’s interactions, counting down their fleeting time together.

My one critique was that Theron was such a frustratingly passive character who did a lot of waiting around and Jake was so elusive I never felt he really got to have much of a personality, except being so sad.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher 3.5/5 ⭐️

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

After reading the first few pages of this story, I almost gave up with it, thinking it wasn't for me; never could I have been so wrong! As soon as Davey/Theron went to work at the hardware store and met Jake, I was hooked. I think if we are lucky or possibly unlucky, almost everyone meets a Jake once in their lives. He is someone who on the surface is self assured, daring and exciting, whereas by the end of the book, we see him in a very different light.
I would agree with some of the reviews that this story and it's writing style are not perfect, but for me, that only serves to reinforce the imperfect lives that are being portrayed. I became entranced by the almost ethereal nature of the relationship between Theron and Jake and the passages where Theron describes being in close proximity to Jake were achingly real in their longing and worry about rejection.
I don't read love stories usually, so I'm still not sure why I requested this book, however I will say that it is definitely the rawest, most tangible story that I have read in a long time. And it will stay with me for a long time, the best accolade that a story can have.

This is an extraordinary love story that spans a decade. Theron feels trapped in rural New Hampshire until he meets Jake: the enigmatic older boy who introduces him to drinking, drugs, and driving. They tool around and Theron struggles to understand if Jake is queer, or just the friend he's never known. Years later, Jake visits an older, cooler Theron in New York, where they spend a blackout together and Theron grapples with the same questions. And finally, Theron reflects on Jake as he comes to terms with how the other man changed him.

This story is stunning, so gripping for something that's entirely character-based. Theron really annoyed me at times, but that's because he was a teenage boy and then a pretentious city hipster - two variations of himself who act in entirely explicable ways. The other characters were glorious too. A love story to being in love.

Thank you to NetGalley for this review copy!

1 star

While eloquently written at times and trying to tell a beautifully sad queer story, the endless enabling and stream of drugs—especially in the first third—was just not for me. I tried my best to connect with the book, but none of it managed to elicit any sort of genuine emotion from me. Though I would still tell you to give it a try because I think this has just not been the right topic and time for me, but the vibes are definitely there!

Theron David Alden's friend Jake has died after his third car crash, prompting Theron to tell their story in flashback. Both lonely, they meet when Theron is 15 and Jake is 17 at their summer job at a New Hampshire hardware store. They get high, listen to music, survive a nasty car crash, and then drift apart. A few years later they meet again in New York, both in a relationship with women (at varying degrees of seriousness), survive another car crash together, and have their own will-they-won't-they moment. Sadly they drift apart again, never to reunite in person, and Jake has his third and fatal car crash, this time alone.

This is a modern love story told by Theron in the first person. This is also a story of discovering sexuality and trying to find self-acceptance. Although Theron and Jake spend a relatively short amount of their lives in each other's company, Jake is Theron's one who got away. He also never quite knows how Jake feels, when for Theron we know that he both wants to be with Jake and also wants to be him. They share similar interests with their music, as well as both being lonely and reckless, and although there is love there, they tend to drag each other down.

This was a really accomplished debut, however be warned: there's a lot of drinking, drug taking, graphic sex, and mentions of suicide. Now that you've been warned, I would say that this is well worth a read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the advance reader copy.

This book follows Theron from teen to adult and his relationship/friendship with Jake.

I dont know if I would say this was a romance as it feels like a self reflection on wasting time and waiting.
Theron spends a lot of his time waiting and imagining rather than doing.

I found that once I passed 50% of the book I enjoyed it a bit more but I wasn’t overly keen on the continual dashes littered throughout the book.

This is a 2.5 star reviews rounded up to 3.

3,5 stars.

The story of Theron and Jake spanning many years. Their meeting and the teenage years is told in an authentic and gripping way.
Then, the ending is palpable.
In-between - well, I did not like Jake much.
I felt like it lacked a few layers for the themes it was exploring.
In that case, perhaps if the story structure were different and the main characters later years were an illusion told by Theron, and some aspects of Jake’s persona were hinted at, this would have been a 5 star read for me.

I highly recommend it despite my remarks above. It is a strong book and tells an important story with important themes.

Characterisation 3/5
Prose 3.5/5
Plot 3/5
Themes, setting, mood 5/5
Execution 3.5/5

Not for me. Teens and drugs? No thanks. And the formatting made reading uncomfortable. Hyphens all over the place.

"Anyone's Ghost" by August Thompson is a beautifully crafted coming-of-age story that follows the main character, Theron/Davey, through three significant phases of his life: his mid-teens, early twenties, and late twenties. Each part delicately portrays the profound impact that one person's influence can have on another's life.

The pivotal figure in Theron's journey is Jake, an older, cooler, and more carefree individual whom Theron greatly admires. The evolution of their relationship—from one rooted in admiration to something physical and ultimately heartbreaking—is compellingly depicted throughout the story.

Despite the ending being revealed at the beginning of the book, the narrative maintains an irresistible pull, making it hard to put down. The emotional rollercoaster that unfolds is both raw and relatable, engaging readers deeply.

Potential triggers include drug use and suicide.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing an ARC of this amazing book.

‘It took three car crashes to kill Jake’
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GET THIS BOOK ON YOUR RADAR NOW! Such a captivating, wonderful, heartfelt story of love and loss, of life and how powerful a connection can be even after so many years
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Theron David Alden is there for the first two crashes: the summer they meet in rural New Hampshire, when he’s fifteen and anxious, and Jake’s seventeen and a natural; then six years later in New York City, those too-short, ecstatic, painful nights that change both their lives forever—the end of the dream and the longing for the dream and the dream itself, all at once.
Theron is not there for the third crash.
And yet, their story contains so much joy and self-discovery: the glorious, stupid simplicity of a boyhood joke; the devastation of insecurity; the way a great song can distill a universe; the limits of what we can know about each other; the mysterious, porous, ungraspable fault line between yourself and the person you love better than yourself; the beautiful, toxic elixir of need and hope and want.
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Such a beautiful love story, following along from Theron’s POV as he navigates life through the many years and the many reappearances of Jake in his life. This book had me absolute lost in its pages and I can’t thank @ksangh94 & @picadorbooks more for this early proof copy! Pre-Order or grab your copy 11th July 2024

Thompson provides an unfettered portrayal of adolescence tinged by love and loss. Emotional growing pains and the hardships of queer experience are deftly conveyed throughout this novel. There were many sad points but I personally felt as though this novel was melancholic rather than gut wrenching. The representation of bisexuality is incredibly potent especially from the perspective of a male protagonist who grapples with toxic masculinity and internalised homophobia amidst his rocky upbringing. As Theron is enamoured by another boy, the text explores both limerence and romance, for both female and male love interests. Crossing states in America and spanning over different periods in Theron's life, this bildungsroman novel is captivating in its depiction of drugs, sexuality, interpersonal relationships, and mental health. Overall, this book is definitely worth reading and has a similar aura to a Dennis Cooper novel, bold and gritty but also notably vulnerable.

Anyone's Ghost had me engrossed within the first few pages through August Thompson's witty writing and short chapters that made it difficult to put down.

The novel follows the character Davey "Theron" from the age of 15 to 28 and his journey of obsessive young love with his once older and cooler co-worker Jake. Their relationship cuts off when Theron moves to New York for college but after an out of the blue email from Jake they are reunited, sparking a fiery romance fuelled by drugs and the invincible rush of youth.

This novel tackles mental health, drugs and the rawness of growing up queer in modern America that leaves you on the edge of your seat.

Although the ending is fast-paced, you will still be left crying and wanting to read more. I definitely recommend this book for the perfect summer read.

I'll admit, I requested this mainly because the title references a song by The National... But I was pleasantly surprised by what I read. I was hooked - the prose was sensual, intense and nostalgic. An excellent evocation of teenage infatuation and heartache. A powerful exploration of loss.

Having gone in not knowing much about it, I really enjoyed this novel, which in three parts tells the story of the very intense but also very intermittent relationship between Theron and Jake, a slightly older boy he meets during a teenage summer working in a hardware store. I loved the teenage sections the most, which felt fully inhabited, but it’s a gripping and enjoyable read throughout. Recommended and thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

"This will always be the summer I met Theron."

Theron David Alden is a lonely fifteen year old, who is forced to spend his summer with his father and to take on a summer job where he meets Jake. Older, cooler and fearless. Instantly the summer is saved and full of hanging out, smoking weed, listening to music. Theron isn't sure if he is in love with Jake or just wants to be him, be his friend, his brother. This is the story about a summer that creates a bond till death does them part.
I cannot even point to what exactly it was that had me enthralled, but Anyone's Ghost had me reading till way after midnight. It reminded me of the types of books that I used to love as a young adult. Lovely prose, some nice quotes, not too pretentious. Rollercoaster of emotions even with knowing how the story will end from the first page. I have to admit that the second half and all the drug abuse was less interesting to me but still this was unputdownable.

Thoughts: This is very much a coming-of-age story at heart, navigating the highs and lows of transitioning into adulthood, self-discovery and how relationships change along the way. The prose in this book was beautiful, poignant in parts and deeply nostalgic.
There are many descriptions of alcohol consumption and drug use so keep that in mind if you are thinking of picking this one up. I found the story to be an unflinching, tender and raw exploration of loneliness, love and loss.