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gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
The Details:
Narrated by Andi Arndt
Unabridged
This reminded me of Anna Dressed in Blood.
There's were scenes that generally terrified me, and it amplified from listening this at home, on my own, in the dark. I loved that.
I liked that the main perspective was from Okiku, the ghost, as she observed life around her. It particularly interesting when some touched with the sight interacted with her in some way.
I was fascinated by Okiku's habit of counting. I think this is usually used in myths and legends to distract some of the paranormal beings, but here it felt self soothing and we found out the reasoning for it later, which added to a compelling back story.
The dolls were really creepy!
I definitely zoned out during some scenes, but generally this was hooking and intriguing.
I immediately went and listened to the companion novel.
Narrated by Andi Arndt
Unabridged
This reminded me of Anna Dressed in Blood.
There's were scenes that generally terrified me, and it amplified from listening this at home, on my own, in the dark. I loved that.
I liked that the main perspective was from Okiku, the ghost, as she observed life around her. It particularly interesting when some touched with the sight interacted with her in some way.
I was fascinated by Okiku's habit of counting. I think this is usually used in myths and legends to distract some of the paranormal beings, but here it felt self soothing and we found out the reasoning for it later, which added to a compelling back story.
The dolls were really creepy!
I definitely zoned out during some scenes, but generally this was hooking and intriguing.
I immediately went and listened to the companion novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Medical content, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Body horror, Blood, Death, Murder, Torture, Confinement, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Gore, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Pedophilia, and Physical abuse
aryelee's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book flew by so quickly for me! The writing was very smooth and easy to follow and I enjoyed how the main POV we get is so detached from the living world that she steps back and the book reads like a 3rd person POV book until we get back to her. On a meta level, it's cool to see that separation and difficulty to connect between the living and the dead, where the living are always speaking, moving, being, and the dead are stuck to watch, unchanging.
The premise was interesting as well! A vengeful spirit who murderers others who kill children protecting them in her own way, then being able to protect a young boy and his cousin, wandering the world dedicated to taking revenge for innocent lives taken too soon. There is a lot of horror and gore, but it's along the lines of what you'd expect to see in a horror film. The mysticism of Japan and some of Japanese culture felt a little iffy to me, but that's a personal thing as I'm tired of seeing the place where I've lived and where my family lives be treated like that and constantly treated as something strange and other.
Other than that, I enjoyed this book! Perfect for anyone who enjoys ghost stories and possession.
The premise was interesting as well! A vengeful spirit who murderers others who kill children protecting them in her own way, then being able to protect a young boy and his cousin, wandering the world dedicated to taking revenge for innocent lives taken too soon. There is a lot of horror and gore, but it's along the lines of what you'd expect to see in a horror film. The mysticism of Japan and some of Japanese culture felt a little iffy to me, but that's a personal thing as I'm tired of seeing the place where I've lived and where my family lives be treated like that and constantly treated as something strange and other.
Other than that, I enjoyed this book! Perfect for anyone who enjoys ghost stories and possession.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Blood, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Torture
talonsontypewriters's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Murder, Body horror, Death, Blood, Kidnapping, and Violence
Moderate: Medical content, Misogyny, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Torture, Sexism, Child death, Grief, Mental illness, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death, Vomit, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Rape, Ableism, Bullying, and Homophobia
vidalovesspice's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Dementia, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Violence, Death of parent, Child death, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Kidnapping, and Mental illness
Moderate: Bullying and Torture
Minor: Animal death and Animal cruelty
roksyreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Dark, tense, and a little bit mysterious; this is a great ghost story inspired by Japanese legend that is satisfyingly creepy but also oddly sweet. It was a comfortable read, easy to finish in a couple of sessions, but balanced nicely by a steady pace. It won't be for everyone, but I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Body horror, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Rape, Child abuse, and Pedophilia
stephanieluxton's review
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I really wanted to like this book but it was unfortunately just boring for me. Everything happens exactly how you'd expect it to.
This book was strange because it feels like it would have been better as a movie. The way the author wrote many of the scenes included things that would be jump scares if it was on tv, but lacked the impact when reading the scene. Additionally I have no idea what genre this book is. There are horror elements but the book is largely from the perspective of a ghost so the lack of mystery around her character removes all the spookiness.
This book was strange because it feels like it would have been better as a movie. The way the author wrote many of the scenes included things that would be jump scares if it was on tv, but lacked the impact when reading the scene. Additionally I have no idea what genre this book is. There are horror elements but the book is largely from the perspective of a ghost so the lack of mystery around her character removes all the spookiness.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Stalking, Self harm, Gore, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Blood, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Bullying, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual violence, Child death, Misogyny, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Chronic illness
jayisreading's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.25
Every once in a while, I’m in the mood to read some kind of horror. I picked this book at random, not knowing much beyond a general summary. I should preface that I’m not easily scared, so, for those who get antsy with the horror genre, take what I say with a grain of salt. I honestly didn’t find this book scary at all. I can tell Chupeco was leaning more towards a haunting atmosphere than anything, but there are also a few gory moments that may make some queasy.
I thought the main point-of-view from a spirit named Okiku really interesting. She had a distinct voice that gave the story a strong direction for the most part, especially highlighting themes of healing as well as revenge. However, I think the development of the characters in this book suffered a little in favor of atmosphere, which, unfortunately, didn’t do much for me.
I think this is one of those hit-or-miss books. Chupeco is a great writer, though, so I don’t think you’ll be too disappointed with this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Child death, Murder, and Body horror
Moderate: Torture, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Pedophilia and Rape
the_books_music_life's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
If you like audiobooks you HAVE to listen to the audio version of this book. The narrator is fantastic, the breaks and skips she does the she's reading reflect perfectly with what Okiku is feeling/thinking/experiencing. It adds a whole other level to the reading experience. Do not read this book at night. This is coming from someone who lives for horror movies and scary stuff, this book freaked me out. It was like watching The Grudge for the first time when I was a kid. Ron Chupeco is a master of horror, the book verges on the side of gross, but it’s done in a way where it’s still considered YA.
The way the story is narrated by a spirit is so fascinating and different. Okiku as a narrator makes the story feel as if you’re watching a movie. I was not expecting the book to be so fast paced I was on chapter 7 and a major thing happened. Even though the plot moves kinda fast it’s done in a way that you’re not left behind or lost.
You follow, see and experience everything the way Okiku does and that lends a different lens to the story itself. We only get Okiku’s point of view and the writing jumps and skips to follows Okiku’s moods and what she is experiencing. It honestly felt like I was watching a movie instead of listening to an audiobook, the only time the spell broke-so to speak- was when Okiku started counting things.
I kept getting/seeing similarities between this book and two of my all time favorite Japanese horror movies, The Ring and The Grudge. When I got that validation from the book itself I was so excited because I’ve never seen those movies done in a book like this before.
You can’t help but feel so badly for Okiku. The more you learn about who she was and what happened to her, the more you feel for her and understand her. I want to wrap her in a blanket and just cuddle her. Which, you might find weird since she’s a murdered vengeful ghost.
The big climax was a little juvenile in my opinion, I think it could have been done better but that small thing doesn’t take away how much I enjoyed this book. This is now on my all time favorite book list. There was something that happened near the end of the book that had me so worried.
Overall I would definitely recommend this book, any lover of scary books and horror movies will love this book. I wouldn’t recommend it as a starter into horror cause this book had some scenes that freaked even me out.
The way the story is narrated by a spirit is so fascinating and different. Okiku as a narrator makes the story feel as if you’re watching a movie. I was not expecting the book to be so fast paced I was on chapter 7 and a major thing happened. Even though the plot moves kinda fast it’s done in a way that you’re not left behind or lost.
You follow, see and experience everything the way Okiku does and that lends a different lens to the story itself. We only get Okiku’s point of view and the writing jumps and skips to follows Okiku’s moods and what she is experiencing. It honestly felt like I was watching a movie instead of listening to an audiobook, the only time the spell broke-so to speak- was when Okiku started counting things.
I kept getting/seeing similarities between this book and two of my all time favorite Japanese horror movies, The Ring and The Grudge. When I got that validation from the book itself I was so excited because I’ve never seen those movies done in a book like this before.
You can’t help but feel so badly for Okiku. The more you learn about who she was and what happened to her, the more you feel for her and understand her. I want to wrap her in a blanket and just cuddle her. Which, you might find weird since she’s a murdered vengeful ghost.
The big climax was a little juvenile in my opinion, I think it could have been done better but that small thing doesn’t take away how much I enjoyed this book. This is now on my all time favorite book list. There was something that happened near the end of the book that had me so worried.
Overall I would definitely recommend this book, any lover of scary books and horror movies will love this book. I wouldn’t recommend it as a starter into horror cause this book had some scenes that freaked even me out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Sexual violence, Blood, Child death, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Stalking and Death of parent
booksthatburn's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
THE GIRL FROM THE WELL is a ghost story from the perspective of the haunter, helping a boy get free from the spirit under his skin, punishing the murderers of children along the way.
I love Okiku as a narrator, the way the text occasionally stutters and jumps to convey her mood helps to build tension. The way Okiku feels like a strange mix between deeply invested narrator and impartial observer meant that I would often forget that this was from her perspective, only to have that illusion broken when she counted things or the text caught and jumped because something interesting or stressful happened. The lulls where I briefly forgot it was her helped to build tension, though I think it would be differently good form of tension if someone were very aware of her ghostly status.
One of my favorite things is how she keeps doing the avenging ghost thing she's been doing for hundreds of years. Like, she'll be doing things in furtherance of the main plot, and then go away from the human secondary characters and take care of some vengeance and then come back. It helps to make her history feel real instead of having her immediately halt everything for this one person. The story is about how knowing him changes her, but it happens gradually without erasing who she is. The aftercare is good, conveying the characters moving on and healing afterwards.
I liked this a lot and I'll definitely read the sequel, the way the status quo changes is intriguing and I want to know what happens next.
I love Okiku as a narrator, the way the text occasionally stutters and jumps to convey her mood helps to build tension. The way Okiku feels like a strange mix between deeply invested narrator and impartial observer meant that I would often forget that this was from her perspective, only to have that illusion broken when she counted things or the text caught and jumped because something interesting or stressful happened. The lulls where I briefly forgot it was her helped to build tension, though I think it would be differently good form of tension if someone were very aware of her ghostly status.
One of my favorite things is how she keeps doing the avenging ghost thing she's been doing for hundreds of years. Like, she'll be doing things in furtherance of the main plot, and then go away from the human secondary characters and take care of some vengeance and then come back. It helps to make her history feel real instead of having her immediately halt everything for this one person. The story is about how knowing him changes her, but it happens gradually without erasing who she is. The aftercare is good, conveying the characters moving on and healing afterwards.
I liked this a lot and I'll definitely read the sequel, the way the status quo changes is intriguing and I want to know what happens next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Body horror, and Death
Moderate: Kidnapping, Mental illness, Excrement, Vomit, Self harm, Torture, Murder, and Child death
Minor: Ableism, Misogyny, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Cursing, and Animal death
CW for exorcism.nuka_lola's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Torture, and Murder
Minor: Child abuse and Child death