The Bookish Ashley

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5)

What if your late mother’s ghost was stuck in your company’s Slack workspace? That’s the wonderfully bizarre premise behind Clare Osongco’s Unfinished Business, a charming debut that blends magical realism, workplace satire, romance, and heartfelt family drama into a story that’s as emotionally resonant as it is entertaining.

Ruby Ocampo is still grieving the loss of her mother, Adela, who unexpectedly died at her desk while working for a massive corporation. Hoping to understand the life her mother left behind, Ruby takes a job at the same company—only to discover that Adela’s ghost is somehow trapped inside the company’s Slack server. To help her mother finally move on, Ruby must work through a list of unfinished business that forces her to confront her career, relationships, and the expectations she’s carried her entire life.

Ruby is an easy protagonist to root for. She’s imperfect, often overwhelmed, and constantly questioning whether she’s living the life she actually wants or the one her mother envisioned for her. Watching her slowly separate her own dreams from inherited expectations gives the novel its emotional core.

The workplace setting is one of the book’s biggest strengths. Osongco perfectly captures the absurdity of corporate culture, from endless Slack messages to office politics, creating plenty of laugh-out-loud moments while also offering thoughtful commentary on how work can consume our identities. The supernatural element feels surprisingly natural within this environment, making the premise feel fresh rather than gimmicky.

The romance is sweet and adds just enough tension without taking over the story. While the love triangle creates intrigue, the novel never loses sight of its central themes of grief, family, and self-discovery. In many ways, Ruby’s relationship with her mother’s memory is far more compelling than deciding who wins her heart.

My biggest criticism is that the middle section occasionally loses momentum. Some of Ruby’s attempts to complete her mother’s “unfinished business” feel repetitive, and I found myself wanting a bit more exploration of the ghostly mechanics behind Adela’s digital afterlife. The emotional payoff is satisfying, but a few storylines could have been developed more deeply.

Even so, Unfinished Business is an imaginative and heartfelt novel that stands out thanks to its original premise and relatable emotional journey. Beneath the quirky supernatural setup is a thoughtful exploration of grief, generational expectations, and learning that honoring someone you love doesn’t mean sacrificing the life you’re meant to live.

If you enjoy contemporary fiction with magical realism, witty workplace humor, memorable characters, and a romance that complements rather than dominates the story, Unfinished Business deserves a spot on your reading list.

Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5)

Clare Osongco delivers a clever, funny, and heartfelt debut that proves sometimes the biggest unfinished business isn’t what’s left behind at work—it’s the emotional baggage we carry with us.