Masha

Honestly, I consider this one of my favorite fantasy/cozy fantasy book. The plot is straightforward and simple but very well thought and fleshed out. The characters show growth and development throughout the book, showing that through hurdles and conflicts people can change for the better and accept themselves. You are rooting for all of them. Honestly, I felt good after finishing the book, it's a hopecore book.

Oof, okay, first I apologize for my English, I will try my best to deliver my thoughts and opinions on this book. To start, I like the premise, I'm a sucker for haunted house, Southeast Asian vibe that makes me feel nostalgic in a way and being a bisexual Southeast Asian, this book personally feels relatable. The only difference though I was raised on my homeland first then migrated for work, I can speak my language and have supportive parents. But Jade's case is not a rarity and I've met people with similar situations. Asian family dynamic is really... eh sometimes.

The first thing I notice is the house itself, it kinda representative of Jade. The house is full of anger, sadness, secrets and regret. The dad trying to fix the house no matter what is similar on how he tried to force Jade to accept him and repair their relationship. Colonialism is a relevant topic especially about historical houses. As for the colonialism part, in a way it's also related to both Jade and his dad. They both immigrated to USA and despite being Vietnamese by blood, the land, the people, their own family sees them as outsider, not Vietnamese enough and try to claim ownership of the land.

Now, sadly, I feel like the book has too many problems presented that the book starts to lose direction toward the end. Some parts feel unresolved and fall off. Though I see it as Jade's state of mind being a confused teenager in a search of her identities (sexual, ethnicity and cultural) and an immigrant. The colonialism is being pushed too much it starts to lose impact.

But, I look forward for more books from this author and I wish to see more Southeast Asian books, especially if they dealt with colonialism, folklore, family dynamics, and identities. It's nice that the author choose an underrated area of Vietnam instead of Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh.

(copied and rewritten from my Fable review)

The least terrifying thing of this book is the creature. My God, this brand of traditional wives always make me feel unsettled. This book makes me feel like a cat in the corner high on alert.