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readsforlove's review against another edition
3.5
Another delightful read from Chupeco. It was after I spent three and a half hours riveted and unmoving that I realized I just need to go read every book by this author. They are incredible.
The premise was dope AF. A ghost that takes vengeance on the murderers of children? Hell. Yeah. I ate that shit up. It was scary and sad and well written. I loved how it was told from Okiku's point of view, and thought that was a really interesting choice.
I would have given this a solid four stars, but I had to knock off another half star because of the lack of emotional depth in the story. I really feel like there was a lot of potential to make me sob with the weight of this story. And it was so heavy. Like. Wow. But due to the distance of Okiku's narration, a lot of that emotional weight just didn't happen. Sure, it can be inferred and implied, but the narrative should work to evoke that. (It would have helped if the narration was shared between Okiku and Tark.) I think this is an area that Chupeco has really grown in, having read their most recent books first, so I think the issue is just that this was an early novel from this author. I still really enjoyed it, and have already downloaded the audiobook for the sequel. (I think Tark is the narrator in this one, which is very exciting!)
The premise was dope AF. A ghost that takes vengeance on the murderers of children? Hell. Yeah. I ate that shit up. It was scary and sad and well written. I loved how it was told from Okiku's point of view, and thought that was a really interesting choice.
I would have given this a solid four stars, but I had to knock off another half star because of the lack of emotional depth in the story. I really feel like there was a lot of potential to make me sob with the weight of this story. And it was so heavy. Like. Wow. But due to the distance of Okiku's narration, a lot of that emotional weight just didn't happen. Sure, it can be inferred and implied, but the narrative should work to evoke that. (It would have helped if the narration was shared between Okiku and Tark.) I think this is an area that Chupeco has really grown in, having read their most recent books first, so I think the issue is just that this was an early novel from this author. I still really enjoyed it, and have already downloaded the audiobook for the sequel. (I think Tark is the narrator in this one, which is very exciting!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Stalking
beanbag's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I went into this book having never read anything by Rin Chupeco and just a suggestion from a friend. However I'm very happy I listened to the audiobook/read it. The author is phenomenal at making you care for the characters and their fates.
While I wouldn't classify this as horror there are many horror-adjacent elements. None are them are over-the-top or graphic. Chupeco is phenomenal at descriptions and gives just enough for it to be unnerving,however much of the violence is commited on horrible people like the Smiling man (literally cheered when Okiku killed him) and even then it's not grotesque, just enough to let your mind wander and create a horrible visage . The main focus is on the focal characters and the curses afflicted them (some literal, some metaphorical).
An amazing book and I will certainly check out more of Rin Chupeco's work.
While I wouldn't classify this as horror there are many horror-adjacent elements. None are them are over-the-top or graphic. Chupeco is phenomenal at descriptions and gives just enough for it to be unnerving,
An amazing book and I will certainly check out more of Rin Chupeco's work.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Suicide attempt
heather_harrison's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
The Girl from the Well follows the story of Okiku, a vindictive ghost that stalks predatory men as a result of the horrific death she experienced 300 years ago. She doles out not only karma against their transgressions, but also seeks to free the children they have harmed; who are bound to their killers so they can move on from their next life.
She meets Tarquin (Tark) - a young Japanese American teenage boy with strange tattoos, and something else which is stuff off about him. His mother has attempted to kill him twice now, and so with Tark and his cousin - we embark on this creepy tale. The relationships between these two and Okiku is amusing and heartfelt.
Okiku, the narrator of the book have a penchant for counting things, which really just kept pulling me out of the audiobook.
She meets Tarquin (Tark) - a young Japanese American teenage boy with strange tattoos, and something else which is stuff off about him. His mother has attempted to kill him twice now, and so with Tark and his cousin - we embark on this creepy tale. The relationships between these two and Okiku is amusing and heartfelt.
Okiku, the narrator of the book have a penchant for counting things, which really just kept pulling me out of the audiobook.
It feels like Chupeco did a good amount of research surrounding the Japanese aspects of the story. However, there was one seemingly throwaway line which really just threw me headfirst out of the story -
"2004. Gruesome discovery in Queensland, Australia. Fully clothed body found washed up on the beach in North Narrabeen in Sydney and soon identified as a Patrick Neville, 52. A local cars salesman... Sharks and other large fish are not known to inhabit this particular coast..."
To which I say - Sydney is not close to Queensland, another state which borders the state Sydney is located in. Likewise, there is no end of the sharks and other large fish that are found between these two locations. This careless oversight seems at odds with how well thought out the rest of the story and research would have been.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Murder
Minor: Child abuse
tspice24's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
makenna_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts
p0kefan24601's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Murder
Minor: Child abuse and Kidnapping
gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
The Details:
Narrated by Andi Arndt
Unabridged
This reminded me of Anna Dressed in Blood.
There's were scenes that generally terrified me, and it amplified from listening this at home, on my own, in the dark. I loved that.
I liked that the main perspective was from Okiku, the ghost, as she observed life around her. It particularly interesting when some touched with the sight interacted with her in some way.
I was fascinated by Okiku's habit of counting. I think this is usually used in myths and legends to distract some of the paranormal beings, but here it felt self soothing and we found out the reasoning for it later, which added to a compelling back story.
The dolls were really creepy!
I definitely zoned out during some scenes, but generally this was hooking and intriguing.
I immediately went and listened to the companion novel.
Narrated by Andi Arndt
Unabridged
This reminded me of Anna Dressed in Blood.
There's were scenes that generally terrified me, and it amplified from listening this at home, on my own, in the dark. I loved that.
I liked that the main perspective was from Okiku, the ghost, as she observed life around her. It particularly interesting when some touched with the sight interacted with her in some way.
I was fascinated by Okiku's habit of counting. I think this is usually used in myths and legends to distract some of the paranormal beings, but here it felt self soothing and we found out the reasoning for it later, which added to a compelling back story.
The dolls were really creepy!
I definitely zoned out during some scenes, but generally this was hooking and intriguing.
I immediately went and listened to the companion novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
aryelee's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book flew by so quickly for me! The writing was very smooth and easy to follow and I enjoyed how the main POV we get is so detached from the living world that she steps back and the book reads like a 3rd person POV book until we get back to her. On a meta level, it's cool to see that separation and difficulty to connect between the living and the dead, where the living are always speaking, moving, being, and the dead are stuck to watch, unchanging.
The premise was interesting as well! A vengeful spirit who murderers others who kill children protecting them in her own way, then being able to protect a young boy and his cousin, wandering the world dedicated to taking revenge for innocent lives taken too soon. There is a lot of horror and gore, but it's along the lines of what you'd expect to see in a horror film. The mysticism of Japan and some of Japanese culture felt a little iffy to me, but that's a personal thing as I'm tired of seeing the place where I've lived and where my family lives be treated like that and constantly treated as something strange and other.
Other than that, I enjoyed this book! Perfect for anyone who enjoys ghost stories and possession.
The premise was interesting as well! A vengeful spirit who murderers others who kill children protecting them in her own way, then being able to protect a young boy and his cousin, wandering the world dedicated to taking revenge for innocent lives taken too soon. There is a lot of horror and gore, but it's along the lines of what you'd expect to see in a horror film. The mysticism of Japan and some of Japanese culture felt a little iffy to me, but that's a personal thing as I'm tired of seeing the place where I've lived and where my family lives be treated like that and constantly treated as something strange and other.
Other than that, I enjoyed this book! Perfect for anyone who enjoys ghost stories and possession.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Torture
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Bullying, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Vomit
vidalovesspice's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying and Torture
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death