Scan barcode
questingnotcoasting's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This was much darker than I was anticipating but once I adjusted my expectations there were a lot of elements I enjoyed. I thought the setting was really vivid and found the gods and spirits very interesting. I felt it was a bit slow in the first half but then it became compulsively readable towards the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, and Rape
ode_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Sexual violence
Moderate: Rape and Domestic abuse
Minor: Cancer
_forestofpages's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
4.5
I immediately found myself relating to Jessamyn; she uses humor as a defense, hides her true emotions and compartmentalizes. She seems to be depressed and anxious as well, not to mention in the closet and surrounded by judgmental and religious people who would not approve of who she is because she's gay. I loved her character development, which I won't spoil, but it's gradual and realistic and I truly appreciated how much time the author took with developing her.
I absolutely loved her family. Some of them weren't so great (though I related to that too), but her parents are amazing. It's refreshing seeing a teenager in a book with decent parents for once. Her Ah Ma reminded me so much of my own grandmother, and she was truly a complex character.
There is a crime and mystery element to this along with the supernatural/mythology aspects all through the lens of interesting and vivid Malaysian culture. The blend of the modern and ancient was something I haven't read in some time and this book reminded me how much I missed it. This was also a great representation of a closeted character with a traditional family dating long-distance an "out" person. The relationship, though not a main focus, was still handled very well and realistically. I appreciated that it wasn't all the character thought about, but was still a big part of her life.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys magical realism, mythology and well done LGBT rep, with a side of dysfunctional but well intentioned family drama.
I absolutely loved her family. Some of them weren't so great (though I related to that too), but her parents are amazing. It's refreshing seeing a teenager in a book with decent parents for once. Her Ah Ma reminded me so much of my own grandmother, and she was truly a complex character.
There is a crime and mystery element to this along with the supernatural/mythology aspects all through the lens of interesting and vivid Malaysian culture. The blend of the modern and ancient was something I haven't read in some time and this book reminded me how much I missed it. This was also a great representation of a closeted character with a traditional family dating long-distance an "out" person. The relationship, though not a main focus, was still handled very well and realistically. I appreciated that it wasn't all the character thought about, but was still a big part of her life.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys magical realism, mythology and well done LGBT rep, with a side of dysfunctional but well intentioned family drama.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Violence, Cursing, Drug use, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Racism, Classism, Gun violence, and Domestic abuse
theromanticace's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
simon_toast's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Cancer, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Drug use and Torture
luckykosmos's review against another edition
emotional
tense
slow-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
4.0
I've been a sucker lately for stories about finding one's place in family legacy as a member of diaspora, and this is a very specific take - Jessamyn is literally haunted by her grandmother as an aspect of their legacy, with her autonomy at risk. The opening line is a threat to out Jessamyn, which sets a tense tone for Jess's place in this narrative, always trying to maintain herself but unable to find that compromise. There are answers I would have liked to had, but it feels right to not have them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Cancer and Homophobia
bookreadingelf's review against another edition
adventurous
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
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Lesbophobia and Violence
Moderate: Cancer and Homophobia
Minor: Death of parent
anxiousnachos's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I recently did a video on TikTok about messed up 20 somethings who have no idea what they’re doing. Well this is that, but make it ✨fantasy✨
This is a fast-paced, deep dive into Malaysian culture and family history when Jess starts being haunted by her grandma. The family dynamics in this were so complex. Jess is both a closeted lesbian and a member of the diaspora, having grown up in the US, and this colours her relationships with the ghost of her grandmother and her living family.
We also get ghosts beating up shitty men, a controlling ghostly grandmother, and a chance to explore the world of Malaysian gods. A wonderful read!
Content warnings: possession, ghosts, emotional abuse, domestic abuse, assault, violence, strangulation, homophobia, racism, graphic attempted rape scene (page 322-324), rape (past, mentions)
This is a fast-paced, deep dive into Malaysian culture and family history when Jess starts being haunted by her grandma. The family dynamics in this were so complex. Jess is both a closeted lesbian and a member of the diaspora, having grown up in the US, and this colours her relationships with the ghost of her grandmother and her living family.
We also get ghosts beating up shitty men, a controlling ghostly grandmother, and a chance to explore the world of Malaysian gods. A wonderful read!
Content warnings: possession, ghosts, emotional abuse, domestic abuse, assault, violence, strangulation, homophobia, racism, graphic attempted rape scene (page 322-324), rape (past, mentions)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Rape, Homophobia, Racism, and Domestic abuse
funkylitchick's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault and Homophobia
soupstix's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
slow-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
4.5
i went into this book with zero expectations aside from the fact that it would be a fantasy novel set in modern-day malaysia—and i was totally blown away.
“black water sister” by zen cho already has all the elements of stories i would typically be drawn to. a contemporary family drama featuring a closeted asian-american lesbian who moves back to malaysia with her parents would’ve been enough to sell me on this novel alone. but coupled with the fantasy plotline of gods and gangsters, this book was everything i could’ve wanted and more.
being set in malaysia, there were a lot of cultural references i missed. this, i didn’t mind because now i have the basis to go on a google search deep-dive, which is going to be a lot of fun for me. these references as well as the author’s decision to use “manglish” and pidgin dialects for the characters that did not have american english as a first language—rather than unrealistically polished english—made the entire world feel really immersive. there was no handholding and dictionary-level definitions/explanations, and as a reader i appreciated not being coddled.
as a fellow asian diaspora lesbian, jess’ story was extremely relatable to me. as i’m younger than her and our family situations are markedly different, i can’t say she felt like any sort of representation of my life, but the beats of her story in her “past life” are familiar—which made her character journey deeply satisfying.
overall, this book has it all. family drama, plot twists, #representation. whenever i had to step away from this book to do other things i felt myself itching to come back for more. i desperately want this to have a sequel—i NEED resolution for whatever sharanya and jess have going on. and i will definitely be checking out zen cho’s other works after this!
“black water sister” by zen cho already has all the elements of stories i would typically be drawn to. a contemporary family drama featuring a closeted asian-american lesbian who moves back to malaysia with her parents would’ve been enough to sell me on this novel alone. but coupled with the fantasy plotline of gods and gangsters, this book was everything i could’ve wanted and more.
being set in malaysia, there were a lot of cultural references i missed. this, i didn’t mind because now i have the basis to go on a google search deep-dive, which is going to be a lot of fun for me. these references as well as the author’s decision to use “manglish” and pidgin dialects for the characters that did not have american english as a first language—rather than unrealistically polished english—made the entire world feel really immersive. there was no handholding and dictionary-level definitions/explanations, and as a reader i appreciated not being coddled.
as a fellow asian diaspora lesbian, jess’ story was extremely relatable to me. as i’m younger than her and our family situations are markedly different, i can’t say she felt like any sort of representation of my life, but the beats of her story in her “past life” are familiar—which made her character journey deeply satisfying.
overall, this book has it all. family drama, plot twists, #representation. whenever i had to step away from this book to do other things i felt myself itching to come back for more. i desperately want this to have a sequel—i NEED resolution for whatever sharanya and jess have going on. and i will definitely be checking out zen cho’s other works after this!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Racism