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A review by ladybugwrites
She Is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I knew this book would be young adult, and yet the very young adultness of the plot still surprised me. It was more young adult than expected, but it felt like an integral part of the plot, so I didn't mind too much. I just didn't expect it, and thought there would be more horror.
But that does not take away from the fact that the horror scenes of this are great. They're fantastically written with a maxed out creep factor and I absolutely loved those parts. The slow way we get to see how Jade (our MC) slowly breaks down what is happening and the psychological impact the house has on her and her family. The way it goes from pretty clear lines between whats real and fake to the point where those lines are so blurred you don't know what's real anymore. The argument about whether or not there's an unreliable narrator, and the interludes are great. I liked a great deal about this book.
It did, though, drag a lot. At the later stages, a lot of the scenes felt like they were too slow and that you got more description than really necessary, and whilst it was fine, it came to the point where I was wondering if it would be done soon and that's never really a positive. I'm also not entirely sure I liked the ending. It was fine, and definitely satisfying, I just think I wanted something else that I didn't get.
But, overall a great book. And I do recommend it just for the creepiness of those scenes that really show the horror element. They had me react with my own body and that shows how well described they were. I'll definitely be on the look out for Tran's next book.
But that does not take away from the fact that the horror scenes of this are great. They're fantastically written with a maxed out creep factor and I absolutely loved those parts. The slow way we get to see how Jade (our MC) slowly breaks down what is happening and the psychological impact the house has on her and her family. The way it goes from pretty clear lines between whats real and fake to the point where those lines are so blurred you don't know what's real anymore. The argument about whether or not there's an unreliable narrator, and the interludes are great. I liked a great deal about this book.
It did, though, drag a lot. At the later stages, a lot of the scenes felt like they were too slow and that you got more description than really necessary, and whilst it was fine, it came to the point where I was wondering if it would be done soon and that's never really a positive. I'm also not entirely sure I liked the ending. It was fine, and definitely satisfying, I just think I wanted something else that I didn't get.
But, overall a great book. And I do recommend it just for the creepiness of those scenes that really show the horror element. They had me react with my own body and that shows how well described they were. I'll definitely be on the look out for Tran's next book.