Taproot A story about a gardener and a ghost

In this sweet paranormal romance, a gardener haunted by friendly ghosts finds himself taking on more than he signed up for. Hamal happily works at the garden store and considers his ghostly companions friends. When they start randomly disappearing to a shadowy, lifeless forest, Hamal and his best ghost friend, Blue, realize Hamal's green thumb is a supernatural gift, and it's wreaking havoc on the spirit world. Young's verdant, manga-inspired artwork makes fantastic use of color: in Hamal's world, the compositions are dense with foliage in warm shades of green and blue, with flashes of bright tones, while the spooky forest is rendered in black, gray, and creeping threads of bone white. The shifts are dramatic, but the tone stays light. Even the intimidating reaper, who eventually tasks Hamal with solving some minor paranormal disturbances, is more of a good-natured grouch than a villain. There's enough gentle spookiness to give this some edge, but at its heart, it's a beautifully illustrated love story between two brown young men, and that's a refreshing change of pace.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2017 Booklist