She Is a Haunting
Written by Trang Thanh Tran
Published by Bloomsbury YA
Chilling, evocative, and atmospheric, She Is a Haunting is a slow burn debut horror novel about the ghosts of the past and the ways in which they connect to our present. Tran’s vivid imagery makes this terrifying tale a true standout.
When Jade Nguyen arrives in Vietnam for a visit with her estranged father, she has one goal: survive five weeks pretending to be a happy family in the French colonial house Ba is restoring. She’s always lied to fit in, so if she’s straight enough, Vietnamese enough, American enough, she can get out with the college money he promised.
But the house has other plans. Night after night, Jade wakes up paralyzed. The walls exude a thrumming sound while bugs leave their legs and feelers in places they don’t belong. She finds curious traces of her ancestors in the gardens they once tended. And at night Jade can’t ignore the ghost of the beautiful bride who leaves cryptic warnings: Don’t eat.
Neither Ba nor her sweet sister Lily believe that there is anything strange happening. With help from a delinquent girl, Jade will prove this house—the home they have always wanted—will not rest until it destroys them. Maybe, this time, she can keep her family together. As she roots out the house’s rot, she must also face the truth of who she is and who she must become to save them all.
Primary ISBN: 9781547610815
Publication Date: February 2023
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook
Young Adult, Age 13 or older
Community Represented: Vietnamese/Vietnamese American
Themes: Accolades & Awards, Accolades & Awards: Starred Review, Accolades & Awards: Youth Media Awards, Coming of Age, Cultural Empowerment, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Family, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Storytelling, Discrimination: Gender and Sexual, Discrimination: Racial, Family Relationship: Parents, Family Relationship: Siblings, Generation: 1st, Genre: Historical, Genre: Horror, Identity: Exploration, LGBTQIA+, Mental Health, Own Voices/Lived Experience, Setting: Home Country, Trauma & Healing
Setting: United States (Philadelphia PA), Vietnam (Đà Lạt)
Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: 1st Generation
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
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Source: trangthanhtran.com