I was a teenager in the 80's (I graduated high school in 1989), and to be completely honest much of the recent '80s Nostalgia wave has left me feeling a little cold. Too shallow, too hung up on visuals, etc. "80s Ghosts" by V.S. Lawrence, however, gets it right. From the crispy poofs of hair (along with the scent of the Aquanet that caused it to happen), to the memories of forgotten mall chain stores, to the social structures that seem so barbaric, Lawrence's prose captures the era in vivid detail. I was there. I remember. Far beyond the '80s flashbacks, this book is simply stunning! I have not run across this level of Storytelling in quite some time. The story is inventive without being pretentious, the dialogue is completely believable, and the characters are fully formed and instantly sympathetic and relatable. Be pacing is absolutely perfect, and at no point did I feel like the story was crawling or speeding. in fact, Reading each page of this book was a total pleasure! I've read ___ books so far this year. 80s Ghosts is one of the best!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Allow me to also give props to the cover. it was obvious that the designer was going for an '80s VHS slip-cover Style with the cover art, and they nailed the aesthetic perfectly. I read this book as an immersive read, where I read the text of the novel while also listening to the audiobook. the audiobook for this novel is simply superb! Narrator Bianca Bryan is a skilled storyteller, and brought the story to life in a way that transcends the written text. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!