Did you read Ace paperbacks as a kid? They were one of the escape mechanisms of my late primary and secondary years. Ace is now part of Penguin and Random House.

A review of this 2021 Ace book interested me. My public library supplied a brand new paperback. It is a "ghost story" set in Penang, Malaysia, told by a Millennial woman who grew up in the US but returned when her father's health devastated the family's economic viability. Sometimes it is laughing-out-loud hilarious, but is full of the complexities of contemporary multicultural Malaysia.

"You can bargain with anybody, spirit or human. All you need to know is what do they want and what are they scared of. That's all." p. 224 ( )

This was the first book I read by Zen Cho, but I'm pretty sure it won't be my last! Black Water Sister was a blast to read and easily earned its spot as one of my favourite reads in June this year.

Black Water Sister is a perfect blend of original storyline, engaging prose, fascinating lore, and of course "ghosts, gangsters and grandmas" (as the author defined it on Twitter). Now, who can resist a premise like this? Definitely not me... And I'm super glad the book not only met, but really surpassed my expectations.

I loved the characters, especially Ah Ma. This snarky, nagging ghost grandma really stole my heart! I particularly enjoyed Ah Ma's banter with Jess: they're both quick and witty and work so well together, definitely pushing each others' buttons but ultimately pushing one another to be a better version of and true to themselves (you know, as much as ghosts can get better). Jess's multiple struggles, having to deal with a ghost while coping with "normal" young people's struggles such as unemployment, family issues and being closeted in a society that's not really gay-friendly, made her feel incredibly real and were quite touching at times.

The whole cast was really memorable though, and I loved how deliciously complex and morally grey some of them were. From the gangsters to the gods to Jess' family members, each character brought their own unique personality and history to the game, as well as the painful memories and the past that were haunting them. Of course, some characters were haunted more literally than others, but even so...

A special mention goes to the setting. I can't recall having read any other books set in Malaysia (at least, not recently), so I was immediately intrigued by that. And the author does an amazing job of bringing the setting to life. I swear at times I almost felt like I could have been there myself the descriptions were so vivid. I also had a lot of fun googling pictures of places and foods mentioned in the book, which is something I often do to help me feel more involved in the setting - plus I get to learn something new! I really liked being thrown in Malaysian culture with Jess as she returns from the US and trying to pick things up and come to grips with local customs.

The author published a really interesting blog article on the challenges of writing about non-Western culture and explaining why she chose to adopt this approach. I really recommend reading this in general if you have the time. I, a white, European reader, personally found it very helpful to help me reflect on existing disparities in expectations when reading books by non-Western writers / set outside of Western countries, something which I've probably been guilty of in the past and that I'll try to keep in mind in the future as well.

The only, minor issue I had with this book was I personally found the pacing to be slightly off at times, with some sections I flew through being really packed and others feeling like they were very slow and dragging a bit by comparison. This is entirely a personal feeling though and may have had something to do with my own tiredness levels rather than the book!

Black Water Sister was a fantastic read, with charming, unforgettable characters, an engaging plot and a vivid setting like I hadn't seen in a while. Definitely one that will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommended!

For this and more reviews, visit Book for Thought.

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way. ( )

This is the story of Jess, a young Malaysian American woman who has just moved back to Malaysia with her parents. They have been taken in by her father's family, but Jess knows almost nothing about her mother's -- something that becomes even more clear when Jess meets her mother's recently deceased mother. (Yes, you read that right. She meets her grandmother AFTER her grandmother has died.) Drawn into a conflict over a shrine scheduled to be demolished, Jess has to decide who she is more worried about pissing off: the ghost of her dead grandmother, an obscenely rich CEO with gang ties, or a god.

The pace is a little slow sometimes, but I was rooting for Jess from the beginning and invested in her figuring out a way of her mess. ( )

This book grabbed me from the first page, with the unique situation the protagonist finds herself in. I appreciated getting a glimpse of a city and culture I know basically nothing about. Jess and the various people haunting her are great characters, and I'm happy with the eventual ending. Definitely going to look for more books by this author! ( )

https://tamaranth.blogspot.com/2023/05/2023052-black-water-sister-zen-cho.html ( )