A review by ceallaighsbooks
The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark

adventurous dark funny inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective fast-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

5.0

“How do we stop it?” 
Madaam Mariam sipped her tea before answering. “You will need iron, to bind it. Something sharp, preferably. Even as small as a needle. Prick the spirit. Then, once that is done, bring it home and make it work for you.” 
Hamed squinted back at her. “That’s a bit strange.” 
“Most of these stories are,” she told him flatly.” 
 
TITLE—The Haunting of Tram Car 015 
AUTHOR—P. Djèlí Clark 
PUBLISHED—2019 
 
GENRE—historical fantasy; steampunk 
SETTING—a sort of alternate historical 1912 Cairo 
MAIN THEMES/SUBJECTS—djinn magic & mythology, Islamic history, women’s suffrage, artificial intelligence 
 
WRITING STYLE—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
CHARACTERS—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Onsi was my favorite. 🥰 
PLOT—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
BONUS ELEMENT/S—I loved the inclusion of womens suffrage as a theme in the story! also all of the folklore surrounding the al and other similar beings… 
PHILOSOPHY—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
 
I wanted this novella to be longer simply because I became completely absorbed by the worldbuilding and enamored with the characters and engrossed by the storytelling, but Clark’s story is a perfectly complete one that felt neither rushed nor left incomplete. 
 
Set in the same Cairo as the first novella and third book, this story focuses on the story of Hamed and his partner Onsi who are also agents with the Ministry, though both “Siti” and Fatma make their appearances. Hamed and Onsi’s mission to “exorcise” a haunted tram car turns into an exciting, funny, and philosophically beautiful story of folklore and the power of women. 
 
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
 
TW // violence, some gore, scary supernatural creatures 
 
Further Reading— 
  • everything by P. Djèlí Clark
  • folklore retellings, like Hag: Forgotten Folktales Retold, edited by Daisy Johnson

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