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A review by nickthebooktoker
She Is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran
dark
mysterious
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
If you're after a brilliantly written YA gothic horror that you're absolutely gonna devour then look no further. Trang Thanh Tran's writing is vivid and lyrical and, whilst first-person YA can come across as simplistic and lacking depth, this wasn't the case with Tran's writing at all.
She Is a Haunting follows Jade, a Vietnamese-American girl who reluctantly agrees to stay with her estranged father in a spooky old house that he hopes to renovate into a bed-and-breakfast. Soon enough, Jade is convinced that the house is haunted—and for good reason—for it comes with a lot of history that slowly unravels, creating a palpable sense of dread.
Along the way, Tran weaves themes of colonialism, generational trauma, and coming to terms with one's identities that may be at odds with each other. As a first generation immigrant, Jade struggles with not feeling "Vietnamese enough", for example when unable to communicate in her mother tongue, whilst not quite passing as a typical American teenage girl either. She's also bisexual and unsure how to come out to her mother, who she also has a complicated relationship with.
One of my favourite aspects of the novel was the inclusion of a slow-burn sapphic subplot which I was excited to see develop. Whilst this isn't a full-blown romance, I was thankful for its inclusion as it provides some wholesome moments amidst the darkness of the plot—and it can get quite dark.
There are a couple of instances where the writing almost verges into body horror territory, with some pretty visceral imagery that is sure to repulse. But this is still a YA novel, so the horrific is more often articulated through dread and suspense rather than outright gore.
After abandoning the book I tried to read before this one, partly due to its unremarkable writing, She Is a Haunting proved to be a breath of fresh air. The plot kept me hooked, the characters were interesting, and what could have been a typical haunted house story revealed itself to be a complex exploration of some very important themes. YA writing is often underestimated yet this debut novel serves as a prime example of how effective and rewarding YA fiction can be.
Many thanks to Bloomsbury Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for my honest feedback.
She Is a Haunting follows Jade, a Vietnamese-American girl who reluctantly agrees to stay with her estranged father in a spooky old house that he hopes to renovate into a bed-and-breakfast. Soon enough, Jade is convinced that the house is haunted—and for good reason—for it comes with a lot of history that slowly unravels, creating a palpable sense of dread.
Along the way, Tran weaves themes of colonialism, generational trauma, and coming to terms with one's identities that may be at odds with each other. As a first generation immigrant, Jade struggles with not feeling "Vietnamese enough", for example when unable to communicate in her mother tongue, whilst not quite passing as a typical American teenage girl either. She's also bisexual and unsure how to come out to her mother, who she also has a complicated relationship with.
One of my favourite aspects of the novel was the inclusion of a slow-burn sapphic subplot which I was excited to see develop. Whilst this isn't a full-blown romance, I was thankful for its inclusion as it provides some wholesome moments amidst the darkness of the plot—and it can get quite dark.
There are a couple of instances where the writing almost verges into body horror territory, with some pretty visceral imagery that is sure to repulse. But this is still a YA novel, so the horrific is more often articulated through dread and suspense rather than outright gore.
After abandoning the book I tried to read before this one, partly due to its unremarkable writing, She Is a Haunting proved to be a breath of fresh air. The plot kept me hooked, the characters were interesting, and what could have been a typical haunted house story revealed itself to be a complex exploration of some very important themes. YA writing is often underestimated yet this debut novel serves as a prime example of how effective and rewarding YA fiction can be.
Many thanks to Bloomsbury Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for my honest feedback.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, and Colonisation
Minor: Violence, Gore, Car accident, and Blood