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A review by myriadreads
Black Water Sister by Zen Cho
4.0
Main character Jess is a first-generation American who moves to Malaysia with her parents after her father loses his job. She feels a bit lost—not really Malaysian or American. She has a degree from Harvard, but she’s having no luck finding a job. She has a girlfriend, but she’s afraid that she’ll hurt her parents if she tells them the truth about herself.
She’s a bit stressed, to say the least, so when she first hears a voice speaking in her head she thinks she’s going crazy. It turns out that she’s being contacted by her grandma, who died a year ago.
Jess learns that her Ah Ma was a spirit medium for a local god known as the Black Water Sister. A powerful local has offended the god, and grandma is unable to move on until the conflict is resolved. So, she’s tapped Jess to be her feet on the ground, pulling her into a secret family feud and revealing the spirits in the world all around them.
I loved the main character’s growth as she grappled with family loyalty, a longing for authenticity, and just figuring out what’s next in her life as she finds her strength and learns to trust her instincts. Pick this one up to escape to steamy, magical Malaysia for family mystery and supernatural adventure.