Ghost Girl - Eva Benfield

Aug 2, 2026

Uploaded by Ivy

A young woman narrates how her father’s death—shocking, surreal, and relentlessly public—collides with grief, anxiety, and the pressure of being watched and judged. Through sharp dark humor, she explains why “dead dad jokes” become a coping mechanism, how media sensationalism isolates her, and how she rebuilds resilience after repeated loss. The story reframes pain as survivable, urges readers—especially girls—to speak openly, and emphasizes that vulnerability can be a source of strength.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages182

Reading Time4 h 40 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Dead Dad Jokes

Thank you for downloading this Simon & Schuster ebook. Join our mailing list to get updates on new releases, deals, recommended reads, and more from Simon & Schuster. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP Already a subscriber? Provide your email again so we can register this ebook and send you more of what you like to read. You will continue to receive exclusive offers in your inbox. [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) To my mom, who taught me that words matter, so choose them wisely. And to my dad, who taught me that everything comes right in the end. [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) INTRODUCTION DEAD DAD JOKES When I was nineteen, my dad was shot and killed by his swimsuit model/ballerina bride, who was thirty years his junior and the craziest psycho bitch in the microgreens aisle at Whole Foods. Fact. Soon, the bottom-feeders were everywhere. I was awash in tabloid gore. One minute, I was a normal freshman at the College of Charleston studying art, and the next minute, I was a circus freak. 20/20, 48 Hours, Access Hollywood, Court TV, TMZ, you name it—they were at my front door with a camera guy, and a boom guy, and some glowed-up producer in search of a fresh angle on the same old yarn. Everybody was like, What’s the punch line, Eva? What’s the lesson learned? How do you feel about your step mom shooting your dad? Are you doing okay now, honey? What comes nextfor you? Did you actually make a joke about your dad getting murdered on Tik Tok? Doyou really think that’s funny? I think dark humor is my way of coping. But some people get triggered. The serious adult world isn’t ready for my dead dad jokes. They don’t understand that it’s my way of coping with the inevitable PTSD after such things. Plus, what happened was so absurd, so banal and terrible, and so completely avoidable that you just have to laugh sometimes. That doesn’t mean it’s not painful. I make jokes because it is painful. Being inside an infamous true crime story isn’t like how you think it would be. These things don’t add up in forty-eight minutes minus commercial interruptions. It’s not like it looks on TV. They don’t show you the quiet parts that you can’t say out loud. Like, for one thing, it’s isolating. People can’t relate to you. They don’t know what to say. Not my friends or their parents or even my boyfriend. I had to break up with him after three and a half years because he kept telling me to get over myself. I can’t blame him, really. He’s right; I should get over myself. What I’m going through is almost too much, even for me, and I’m used to it. The whole thing can be so stupid and cringe. There is nothing anybody can say that will change anything anyway. It just is what it is sometimes, and people have a hard time with that, when they can’t say or do anything to alter the facts. Me? I look for the jokes. We all have a choice about how we respond to loss or injustice or just plain old garden-variety stupidity. Losing both my parents like I did was incredibly hard, but it’s all hard. Growing up is hard, going to work is hard, getting out of bed and getting ready for the day is particularly hard. I slept through jury duty last week. I think waking up in the morning is the worst time of the day for me, because my dad used to cook me breakfast. The Low Country has taught me that there’sno use pretending things are easier than they are. There will come a time when you have to crack the shell if you want to get to what’s inside. And that always takes some doing. Even the stuϦ you thought you could count on to be easy, like being a kid, is hard. Honestly, I think older people forget that, and they shouldn’t. It’s hard to be young, and it’s hard to stay young when there are so many adult problems to cope with. It’s hard to make mistakes, lose myself, then ϯnd myself again when everybody is watching and wondering if I’m going to crash and burn or crack up quietly in the corner. Only I don’t. Inste

FAQs

Why does Eva Benfield use dark humor in her grief?

She treats dark humor as a coping method after enduring painful, inevitable trauma. The jokes help her process what hurts, even though it can also trigger discomfort in others.

How does being part of a true-crime spectacle affect Eva?

It becomes isolating and frustrating because people question her feelings and look for a “punch line.” She also feels misunderstood by friends, family, and even partners who want her to “get over it.”

What message does Eva emphasize about surviving loss and anxiety?

She argues that people can’t die from a panic attack and that resilience is possible. She encourages readers to stay positive, talk about their experiences, and recognize that others feel the same things.

Aug 2, 2026

Uploaded by Ivy