Rules for Ghosting

Praise

“A tender, heart-filled novel, Rules for Ghosting is a beautiful story about identity, family, faith, community, and first love. . . . A breathtaking debut.”—Ashley Herring Blake, author of Delilah Green Doesn’t Care

“Rules for Ghosting has everything: a family funeral home and a main character who can see ghosts, an adorable pit bull named Sappho, a mother coming out at seder dinner, a trans love story, a fiery climax that brings everything to a head, humor, heart, and so much more. It’s about finding your place in the world, in your family, in partnership and, finally, within yourself. It was a joy to read, and I can’t wait to see what’s next from Shelly Jay Shore.”—Celia Laskey, author of So Happy for You

“Fully immersive from the first page, Shore’s writing grabbed me by the throat and never let go. Part ghost story, part Jewish family epic, part romance, Rules for Ghosting is a meditation on life, death, and healing, told through a queer and trans lens that is at turns bitingly funny and deeply moving. Shore is an immense talent. Ezra’s world will live in my heart for a long time.”—Anita Kelly, author of Love & Other Disasters

“As unabashedly queer as it is loudly and beautifully Jewish, Rules for Ghosting is one of the most unique, poignant novels I’ve read in a long, long time. Ezra’s journey through self, complicated family dynamics, and opening up to new love was one I’ll never forget. Throw in a looming ghost or two and this book truly has it all.”—Carlyn Greenwald, author of Sizzle Reel

“A movingly wrought story about the ways queerness, Jewishness, grief, and joy intersect in messy, painful, and beautiful ways.”—Lev AC Rosen, author of Lavender House

“Rules for Ghosting is the kind of book you want to live in. This gorgeous debut marvels at new life and does not shy away from life lost. It cracks open the meaning of the word ‘haunting’—whether that be of discarded identity, hidden yearning, or literal ghosts. Best of all, Shelly Jay Shore has written the soft-Jewish-trans-boy-who-sees-dead-people of our literary dreams. I’d read a million pages about Ezra Friedman and still be left wanting more.”—Haley Jakobson, author of Old Enough

“Rules for Ghosting is fun as hell. It’s giving TJ Klune, but instead of supernatural children we’ve got dead people. Same sexy queer longing, though (and honestly, also some supernatural children). I’m sure you can even read it if you aren’t trans, but I don’t even care to think of the cis people right now. Because this is fun and it’s for me.”—A. E. Osworth, author of We Are Watching Eliza Bright