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In the fall of her sophomore year, Mafi breaks all her self-imposed rules—with unexpected consequences.

Sixteen-year-old Mafi Shahin moonlights as Ghost, the vigilante who metes out revenge on behalf of students of Santa Margarita North, a secretive affair that depends on her carefully following her guidelines for engagement, two of which include never revealing her identity and not getting emotionally involved. But as the year progresses and Mafi develops new friendships—including one with Jalen Thomas, her brother’s friend and her childhood crush—she comes to realize that her hidden identity and the secrets she is keeping go far beyond simply being the Ghost. They seep into her home life as the complex dynamics with her family—her Afghan dad, who is Hazara and Pashtun; White American mom; and siblings Rafi and Kate—as well as the history of their family left behind in Afghanistan come to a head. Riesen’s debut is a rich, multifaceted story that grows from the high concept and seemingly straightforward Ghost storyline to encompass a tale that interweaves racism and discrimination, immigration and injustice, sexism and double standards, family expectations and intergenerational trauma, and more, all written to great effect and with a broadly diverse supporting cast.

A smart, powerful, poignant tale of identity, freedom, and family.