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flower7052's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
haileycj's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
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
4.0
A refreshing supernatural story with POC characters. Occasionally cringey, but very relatable child of immigrant parents FMC. Was hit with some crazy plot twists close to the end but it was thoroughly enjoyable, had me on my toes. Also shared some history on Vietnam’s French Colonization which was very interesting! The only thing that threw me off was how she fell for a really old ghost kinda at some point?
brooke_the_shnook's review against another edition
4.0
This book is a perfect mix of Gothic haunted house, fungus and insect infestation, queer romance blossoming during fun pranks that turn to actual ghostly happenings, and more! It was a perf read for Halloween season. Also, fck colonization! "Come here, you colonizing bitch!" lol v fun :P
lyrafay12's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.5
always_reading_ashley's review
4.0
A creepy and atmospheric read. The cover is absolutely stunning! I loved the writing style and prose. The descriptive writing and gothic setting led to a very immersive read. It was very suspenseful and kept me intrigued. The plot felt solid, and the story was original. My main issue with this was the pacing. I thought some parts really dragged, while others did not.
misswinchester84's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
3.0
beccaperson's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Confinement
michaelbereading's review against another edition
slow-paced
3.0
When Jade Nguyen visits her estranged father in Vietnam, she plans to endure five weeks in his French colonial house to secure promised college money. However, the house proves haunting: Jade experiences paralysis, strange noises, and eerie traces of her ancestors. A ghost bride warns her not to eat. While her father and sister dismiss the occurrences, Jade, with the help of a delinquent girl, strives to uncover the house’s dark secrets and save her family.
I love a spooky house story, where the house is basically its own character. While these were some really fun parts of this book, I found most of it to be pretty slow and mostly confusing. I found the storytelling to be clunky and hard to follow, which contributed to how boring a lot of this was. Generally YA books are significantly easier to follow, but this didn't feel like a YA book at all. I didn't hate this experience but I certainly didn't love it. My favorite thing about this book is the cover.... So stunning!
I love a spooky house story, where the house is basically its own character. While these were some really fun parts of this book, I found most of it to be pretty slow and mostly confusing. I found the storytelling to be clunky and hard to follow, which contributed to how boring a lot of this was. Generally YA books are significantly easier to follow, but this didn't feel like a YA book at all. I didn't hate this experience but I certainly didn't love it. My favorite thing about this book is the cover.... So stunning!