I can’t exactly say this was captivating from start to finish—the beginning was a bit slow, and the author’s writing style is sometimes dry—but I was speeding through the pages once I hit the 25% mark. The contemporary Malaysia setting was a great choice, not only was it a central part of the plot(both the interpersonal and external conflicts), but its culture and atmosphere was expertly woven in.  I don’t know how much of that can be owed to Zen Cho’s lived experiences (she was born and raised in the country), and how much of it was owed to diligent research.

Goodness, sometimes being inside Jess’s head and life was claustrophobic as a reader, but it made her stress all the more believable. (Her banter with Ah Ma was entertaining, when I wasn’t seething or biting my nails on Jess’s behalf lol.) I was proud of her growth. 

While using hauntings as a way to write about trauma isn’t a new storytelling device, the expectations thrust upon Jess as an immigrant (and showing a lot of that through her relationship with Ah Ma) made the narrative more personal. I also appreciate that in some parts, Zen Cho writes with room for subtext, rather than talking down to her readers. 

Of course, there’s also the generations of feuding and drama that Jess has to figure out (much to her annoyance), and how that ties into gangsters and eventually gods, which was fun to read about. Ah Ma and even the Black Water Sister were badasses, when it came to some of the possession stuff. There was also a layer of mystery throughout that, while occasionally complicated to keep up with, kept adding onto the characters. As a result, the main cast themselves didn’t feel one-dimensional.

I’ll check out more of Zen Cho’s fantasy writing. This had been an anticipated read for a while, and I’m glad to have finally got around to it.