You’re Dead to Me, Reed Walker coming May 12th, 2026 from Roaring Brook Press; 352 pages
Content Warning: Death, murder, grief, violence, domestic violence, panic attacks
About the Author: “Gwenyth Reitz was born in Sri Lanka, and has since lived and worked in California, Washington, Alaska, Montana, Japan, and Mongolia. When not intrepidly exploring she writes genre-blending YA stories with swoony romance, mystery, humor, and heart. Gwenyth now lives with her husband and two kids in New York City, where she can often be found scribbling late into the night on her rooftop like the caffeine-obsessed night-owl she is. As a theater maker with an MFA in Interdisciplinary Art, Gwenyth works for Lincoln Center Theater teaching acting and directing teens” (Bio from author’s Goodreads profile).
Find Gwenyth Reitz on the following platforms:
Tessa Sinclair and Reed Walker have been competing for most of their lives, and Tessa is tired of coming second to Reed. She can never back down from his challenges, which is how she ends up attending a graduation party in an abandoned mansion—an abandoned mansion that she is now trapped in as a ghost, along with her arch-rival Reed. Despite being dead, he still manages to be smug and get on her nerves. However, when the cause of their deaths is called into question, Tessa and Reed must put aside their differences and find their murderer. As the two work together, Tessa discovers that Reed just might be the love of her afterlife.
You’re Dead to Me, Reed Walker had all of the mystery, angst, and love I was looking for in what was a fun twist on the ghost romance genre. In most cases, a ghost romance book will follow the budding relationship between a ghost and a living person. I was curious to see how the relationship would bloom between Tessa and Reed as two ghosts, and it only brought them closer. There are so many big, complicated feelings that come with being a ghost and facing what that means, both for yourself and also for your family and friends. Because of their circumstances, Tessa and Reed were vulnerable with each other in a way you don’t always see in normal rom-coms. While the living Tessa and Reed could never open up and reconcile their differences, the dead Tessa and Reed had no choice. My favorite part about ghost characters is often their growth and the road to acceptance. Reitz did an amazing job giving each character the space to process and learn on their own, while also allowing them to lean on each other. I think the best relationships, in any book but especially in the young adult genre, are built on an understanding that you can both be independent and lean on your partner. The two are not mutually exclusive, and it’s so important to represent that in literature geared towards teens and young adults. Overall, You’re Dead to Me, Reed Walker was a dazzling debut filled with mystery and romance, and I can’t wait to see what Gwenyth Reitz does next.
You’re Dead to Me, Reed Walker releases on May 12th, 2026.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Roaring Brook Press for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Sam Yanis, Pine Reads Review Lead Writer