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caidyn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This is definitely a book with creeping horror. It builds and builds on itself. And it also has generational trauma with the colonization of Vietnam. A very strong debut.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, and Homophobia
displacedcactus's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This book was almost impossible to put down. I tore through it, even though I rarely read horror and there was some disturbing stuff on the page. I really found Jade an instantly relatable character. While I, as a white woman, cannot directly relate to her experience as a Vietnamese-American teen who doesn't feel wholly at home in the US or in the country of her parents' birth, I can definitely remember being on the cusp of 18 and angry and at odds with my family. Jade's emotions feel so real and well-portrayed, giving me a lot of empathy for what it must be like to be in diaspora and have to deal with the legacy of issues like colonization and being the child of refugees.
This very complex human character serves to anchor a story that can otherwise feel a bit like a fever dream.
If you're not a big horror reader, make sure to check the content warnings to decide if this is a good book for dipping your toes into the genre!
This very complex human character serves to anchor a story that can otherwise feel a bit like a fever dream.
If you're not a big horror reader, make sure to check the content warnings to decide if this is a good book for dipping your toes into the genre!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, and Colonisation
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Vomit, Racism, Homophobia, and Biphobia
In addition to general spooky ghost vibes, a lot of the horror in this book revolves around food and insects. Some of the reaction to food horror could read similar to disordered eating. Keep this in mind if you have a special ick around food or bugs, or if you are concerned about ED.utopiastateofmind's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
She is Haunting was thrilling from the start. With a distinct ominous sense, this book allows the creepiness, the supernatural, to slowly rise. Beginning with the deal Jade makes to unlock her dreams, we already know her family is complex. Having traveled to Vietnam to secure the finances she needs, we can already sense that there are secrets. Destructive ones that just might tear the house down.
I was immediately drawn to Jade. How she's so protective of her sister, afraid of coming out to her father, and forced to confront the past settling in the walls. Her feelings as a diaspora child - coming back to Vietnam and feeling this disconnect - were an instant reason I empathized with her. This feeling where things are supposed to feel familiar, languages fluid on our tongue, but the reality is vastly more difficult.
She is Haunting was thrilling from the start. With a distinct ominous sense, this book allows the creepiness, the supernatural, to slowly rise. Beginning with the deal Jade makes to unlock her dreams, we already know her family is complex. Having traveled to Vietnam to secure the finances she needs, we can already sense that there are secrets. Destructive ones that just might tear the house down.
I was immediately drawn to Jade. How she's so protective of her sister, afraid of coming out to her father, and forced to confront the past settling in the walls. Her feelings as a diaspora child - coming back to Vietnam and feeling this disconnect - were an instant reason I empathized with her. This feeling where things are supposed to feel familiar, languages fluid on our tongue, but the reality is vastly more difficult.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Jade’s first visit to her ancestral homeland in Vietnam is not exactly how she’d envisioned spending her last summer before college. Having agreed to stay with her sister in the historic house her estranged father is obsessed with restoring, Jade expected to face family drama, but what she finds is much more sinister. Death and decay creep around every corner, and the unease of day and night are only partially countered by time spent with a rebellious and magnetizing local girl. Woven with body horror, ghosts, and the violence of colonialism, I’d definitely recommend this YA crossover to fans of Mexican Gothic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, and Body horror
Moderate: Alcohol, Violence, Car accident, Genocide, Blood, Death of parent, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit and Suicide
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