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A review by queer_bookwyrm
The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
4 ⭐ CW: violence, child death mentions, child sexual abuse mentions, death, death of a parent, self-harm
The Girl From the Well by Rin Chupeco is book one in the Girl from the Well duology. This was a YA horror book based on the Japanese ghost story of Okiku, the same story that The Ring is based on. This was incredibly creepy and the perfect spooky season read. If it were a movie, I'd be too much of a wimp to watch it lol.
We follow the ghost of Okiku, a vengeful spirit who preys on men who have harmed and killed children. The spirits of the children they killed are chained to their backs until the ghost frees them. This is her only goal until she encounters Tark, a 15 year old boy with seals tattooed on his skin and is haunted by another much more evil spirit. Tark and his cousin Callie travel to Japan to fulfill his mother's wish of returning to a temple to hopefully rid him of the evil spirit.
I really liked learning about some ancient Japanese rituals and ghost stories. Okiku is a compelling character with a sad backstory, and has a noble cause. Though the deaths she inflicts are gruesome, it is saved for those who have inflicted worse on other children. The entire point of view is from the ghost's perspective, which made for an interesting storytelling device.
Read this if you like The Ring, vengeful spirits, exorcisms, and creepy kids.
The Girl From the Well by Rin Chupeco is book one in the Girl from the Well duology. This was a YA horror book based on the Japanese ghost story of Okiku, the same story that The Ring is based on. This was incredibly creepy and the perfect spooky season read. If it were a movie, I'd be too much of a wimp to watch it lol.
We follow the ghost of Okiku, a vengeful spirit who preys on men who have harmed and killed children. The spirits of the children they killed are chained to their backs until the ghost frees them. This is her only goal until she encounters Tark, a 15 year old boy with seals tattooed on his skin and is haunted by another much more evil spirit. Tark and his cousin Callie travel to Japan to fulfill his mother's wish of returning to a temple to hopefully rid him of the evil spirit.
I really liked learning about some ancient Japanese rituals and ghost stories. Okiku is a compelling character with a sad backstory, and has a noble cause. Though the deaths she inflicts are gruesome, it is saved for those who have inflicted worse on other children. The entire point of view is from the ghost's perspective, which made for an interesting storytelling device.
Read this if you like The Ring, vengeful spirits, exorcisms, and creepy kids.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death of parent
Moderate: Death
Minor: Child death and Sexual violence