Ghost Paper Embossed Journal (A5)

"Ghost Paper," is described by its manufacturer as, "the freedom of a blank journal with the structure of a lined journal."  As a lover of stationary, I was intrigued by this product because innovation is hard to come by in the paper industry (especially since it has been around for centuries).

I've tended to shy away from blank notebooks in the past (and in particular blank Tomoe River notebooks) because they required me to carry a writing mat (i.e. a separate piece of plastic that goes underneath the page being written on).  With that said, I was hopeful Ghost Paper could give me the best of both worlds: lined pages when I wanted them, and a blank page when I didn't.  Did they succeed?  Read on to find out.

Basic Info:

• Cost: $25 / A5 notebook (on the manufacturer's website)
• I paid $40 for two notebooks via "drop.com"
• Size: 6'' x 8''
• Page Count: 96
• Numbered Pages?  No

Pros: 

• Ink drys incredibly fast on this paper.  Words didn't smear even if I touched them immediately after writing them (though, as a caveat, I did all of my writing with an EF or F nib).
• The notebook includes a built-in pen loop and page marker, which is always nice to have.
• The paper didn't disintegrate when exposed to a few drops of water.  I don't know that it'd stand up to mixed media or water colors, though. 
• Though there is show-through, bleed-through is minimal.  There is a touch of feathering present, but only if you really look for it.  
• The embossing / de-bossing feels interesting to touch, but is subtle enough that it does not affect the writing experience.  In other words, I only felt "valleys," while writing on the paper when I was really looking for them.

Cons:

• The embossing / de-bossing is neat, but it can be hard to see the lines on a given page without either writing with the notebook at an angle (i.e. not laying flat on a table) or deploying an external light source in close proximity, like a phone's flashlight.  Neither of these are ideal, as the former can be uncomfortable, and the latter takes away from the joyful simplicity writing in a notebook affords.  This issue persisted even in natural light.
• On this note, I think the embossing and debossing is much easier to see on the manufacturer's website (ghostpaper.com) than it is to see in person, which is disappointing.
• Though this is a matter of personal preference, the rubbery cover material used for this notebook feels weird to me.

Conclusion:
This notebook has some good things going for it: the paper seems to be of reasonably high quality, and I enjoy the novel thinking its manufacturer brings to market.  With that being said, novelty isn't always useful.  I couldn't see the lines as clearly or as often as I would have liked.  Since that is the main feature / selling point of this product, I can't justify giving it a high score.

This notebook is best suited for someone who wants a blank notebook with occasional lines much more than someone seeking a lined notebook that is occasionally blank.  I'm glad I did not pay full price, and while I wouldn't steer a friend away from the product, I wouldn't encourage a purchase either.  Ultimately, I am not in a rush to buy more, "Ghost Paper."

Final Score:
6/10