Goodbye and Everything After

Gr 8 Up–High school senior Nika Ilagan comes face-to-face with her grief and the ghost of her father after she ignores the Filipino superstition of pagpag, which says you should stop somewhere before returning home after a wake, so the spirits don’t follow you. Every year on the anniversary of Pa’s death, Nika and her family visit his grave. This year Nika’s dentist and soon-to-be stepdad, Dr. Derrick, shows up, and Nika flips her lid. She angrily breaks pagpag and goes straight home; the ghost of Pa shows up the next day. As she spends time with his ghost, Nika learns of her parent’s love story and Pa’s life. While reconnecting with him, her own love story is unfolding with Seph, a longtime friend and neighbor. Nika is an emotional and realistic character who is navigating the grief over her father while simultaneously fostering a budding romance. She desperately wants Pa’s ghost to stick around, but knows their time is limited. She has been so wrapped up in her sadness for so many years that she’s missed all the joy and good that has been going on around her. There are many words and phrases native to the Philippines, and a glossary appears at the end.