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A review by shadow_cat94
She Is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This book is focused on the generational trauma and displacement caused from colonization in Vietnam shown through a single family and the house they're rebuilding over a summer.
The main character, Jade, is struggling with feelings of abandonment by her estranged father and coming out to her family as bisexual. These manifest in fights with her father and a new potential friend, Florence, at every opportunity. Her sister, Lily, is forced to be the peacekeeper as she wants to have her father back in not only her life, but everyone's life again.
I found the flash stories written from the house's POV endearing. The story overall felt like it fell flat in the ending for me. I didn't like the final interaction between Jade and Ba, it left a bad taste in my mouth. The way the sisters never talked it out or talked anything out, yet had this perfect relationship prior to going into that house seemed off to me as well. I loved the mom. She was written consistently enough and often enough that I was satisfied with her part in the ending,it didn'tfeel like a deus ex machina.
The main character, Jade, is struggling with feelings of abandonment by her estranged father and coming out to her family as bisexual. These manifest in fights with her father and a new potential friend, Florence, at every opportunity. Her sister, Lily, is forced to be the peacekeeper as she wants to have her father back in not only her life, but everyone's life again.
I found the flash stories written from the house's POV endearing. The story overall felt like it fell flat in the ending for me. I didn't like the final interaction between Jade and Ba, it left a bad taste in my mouth. The way the sisters never talked it out or talked anything out, yet had this perfect relationship prior to going into that house seemed off to me as well. I loved the mom. She was written consistently enough and often enough that I was satisfied with her part in the ending,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Suicide, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Physical abuse, Blood, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content, Car accident, Abandonment, and Alcohol
There is a death by burning in this story along with other types of deaths. They're not in graphic detail, but you are "present" with the MC when it happens for the most part.