Status
Available
Call number
Call number
F Chu
Genres
Collection
Publication
Sourcebooks Fire (2015), Edition: Reprint, 304 pages
Description
Okiku has wandered the world for centuries, freeing the innocent ghosts of the murdered-dead and taking the lives of killers with the vengeance they are due, but when she meets Tark she knows the moody teen with the series of intricate tattoos is not a monster and needs to be freed from the demonic malevolence that clings to him.
Media reviews
Nor was I altogether happy with some of the author’s stylistic choices or the repeated episodes of the over-the-top violence. At least Okiku undergoes character growth, which is rare in the case of spirits channeling homicidal rage.
This book wasn’t my thing, but it may be yours.
Original publication date
2014-08-05
User reviews
LibraryThing member MadameWho
I have to imagine that the pitch for this book was something along the lines of "What if The Ring was a love story?"
The result is a gory book narrated by a vengeful spirit. There's some cool Japanese folklore and culture, if you're into that sort of thing. The narrator is difficult to approach,
The result is a gory book narrated by a vengeful spirit. There's some cool Japanese folklore and culture, if you're into that sort of thing. The narrator is difficult to approach,
Show More
however, and the writing style often veers into something more like poetry. Not bad, but not really my cup of tea, either. Show Less
LibraryThing member The_Hibernator
Summary: Tarquin (Tark) Halloway has been haunted his entire life. With a mentally ill mother and a caring father who works too much, he feels he has no one to talk to about the strange lady that slinks through mirrors and makes Tark do terrible things. But when he meets a roaming spirit, Okiku,
My Thoughts: Let me tell you, if I had read this book when I was 14, I would have been sleeping with the lights on for weeks. The spookiness / imagery is reminiscent of Japanese horror films that The Grudge (Ju-On: The Grudge) and The Ring (Ringu) were based on. (Have you seen the originals? Not the American remakes. Watch the real thing. Darn spooky! That's what The Girl From the Well is like.) Same evil-ghost-child-with-long-creepy-hair-staring-at-you-in-crazy-fast-did-that-actually-just-happen-flashes feel to it.
Part of Rin Chupeco's spooky genius is her narration style. The story is narrated from the POV of the ghost, Okiku. Often, it reads like a 3rd person omniscient narrative, because Okiku mostly observes rather than acting. I often forgot I was reading a first person POV, and then suddenly Okiku would say something in the first person, and it was like she had just appeared out of nowhere. Like a ghost. Spooky. And then, sometimes Okiku would describe herself in the third person - a description of a ghost as Callie or Tark would have seen. This gave Okiku's character a sense of otherness. She felt inhuman. Ineffable.
Overall, I think this was an fantastic book, and I look forward to reading more of Chupeco's works. I miss the old days when ghosts were ghosts and monsters were monsters. I applaud Chupeco's work as one more for the #reclaimhorror team. (Ok, I just made that hashtag up, so technically she's the first on the team. But it's all good.)
Check out my blog Resistance is Futile! for more.
Show More
they both begin to remember what it is to be human. With the help from Tark's cousin Callie, Okiku and Tark must rid himself of his haunting. My Thoughts: Let me tell you, if I had read this book when I was 14, I would have been sleeping with the lights on for weeks. The spookiness / imagery is reminiscent of Japanese horror films that The Grudge (Ju-On: The Grudge) and The Ring (Ringu) were based on. (Have you seen the originals? Not the American remakes. Watch the real thing. Darn spooky! That's what The Girl From the Well is like.) Same evil-ghost-child-with-long-creepy-hair-staring-at-you-in-crazy-fast-did-that-actually-just-happen-flashes feel to it.
Part of Rin Chupeco's spooky genius is her narration style. The story is narrated from the POV of the ghost, Okiku. Often, it reads like a 3rd person omniscient narrative, because Okiku mostly observes rather than acting. I often forgot I was reading a first person POV, and then suddenly Okiku would say something in the first person, and it was like she had just appeared out of nowhere. Like a ghost. Spooky. And then, sometimes Okiku would describe herself in the third person - a description of a ghost as Callie or Tark would have seen. This gave Okiku's character a sense of otherness. She felt inhuman. Ineffable.
Overall, I think this was an fantastic book, and I look forward to reading more of Chupeco's works. I miss the old days when ghosts were ghosts and monsters were monsters. I applaud Chupeco's work as one more for the #reclaimhorror team. (Ok, I just made that hashtag up, so technically she's the first on the team. But it's all good.)
Check out my blog Resistance is Futile! for more.
Show Less
LibraryThing member myownwoman
It has been more than a month since I finished this book, and I'm still drawing a blank on what to say in my review. It wasn't that I didn't care for it; it isn't that it wasn't memorable - a month and ten books in between, I'm still remembering all the sharp details regardless of my
I was first attracted to this book because of its connection to that creeptastic Naomi Watt's film, The Ring. The same awful long, scraggily black-haired child of Japanese folklore makes an appearance; this time as an avenger of murdered children. As she is keeping tabs on one particular kiddy-diddler turned serial murderer, she runs across a boy, Tark, who peaks her interest, a typically annoying highschooler - with a demon sealed inside of him. Uh, yeah. See? That is part of my problem with the book. None of the characters, despite their potential for interest, actually WERE interesting. The second half of the book, which is centered around the exorcism of Tark in his mother's homeland, Japan, fell flat after the much more interesting first half of the book that centered around Okiko Dextering out on pervs that most definitely have it coming. Maybe if I didn't enjoy the first half so much, I would have been more forgiving with the second.
The book featured some unconventional narrative. Okiko's voice is halting, stumbling, sort-of stream-of-consciousness, and, from the reviews I've read, is either intriguing and artsy or stupid and annoying. There doesn't seem to be much in-between, but I'm squarely there in the middle, neither hating or loving it. I suppose that might explain my "meh" reaction to the whole book. It was supposed to be wildly scary and it just didn't arouse strong feelings in me as a reader. It wasn't as frightening as "The Ring" was to me, and I almost feel that if you are pulling a well-known character type and using it with an audience that is familar with it (her, Okiko, the girl in the well), that you HAVE to be greater than that which you borrowed.
Hey. NetGalley. Thanks for the read. I wish I could be a more ardent supporter of the book. Regardless, I'm sure I'll be recommending it to others more and more as we approach October and people are looking for something scary to read.
Show More
ever-increasing tendency to forget almost everything about a book shortly after reading it. That speaks to the author's ability to weave a good tale, a memorable story. Unfortunately, it wasn't all a love affair; I'm pretty sure my honeymoon with it left as the tale drifted away from Okiko's murderous rage and more into Tark's possession. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. I just feel that I need to give a book credit where credit is due - even if I didn't particularly fall head over heels about it. (For more my type of ghost story, try Lauren Oliver's Rooms due out in September. I just finished it - and was pretty much blown away). I was first attracted to this book because of its connection to that creeptastic Naomi Watt's film, The Ring. The same awful long, scraggily black-haired child of Japanese folklore makes an appearance; this time as an avenger of murdered children. As she is keeping tabs on one particular kiddy-diddler turned serial murderer, she runs across a boy, Tark, who peaks her interest, a typically annoying highschooler - with a demon sealed inside of him. Uh, yeah. See? That is part of my problem with the book. None of the characters, despite their potential for interest, actually WERE interesting. The second half of the book, which is centered around the exorcism of Tark in his mother's homeland, Japan, fell flat after the much more interesting first half of the book that centered around Okiko Dextering out on pervs that most definitely have it coming. Maybe if I didn't enjoy the first half so much, I would have been more forgiving with the second.
The book featured some unconventional narrative. Okiko's voice is halting, stumbling, sort-of stream-of-consciousness, and, from the reviews I've read, is either intriguing and artsy or stupid and annoying. There doesn't seem to be much in-between, but I'm squarely there in the middle, neither hating or loving it. I suppose that might explain my "meh" reaction to the whole book. It was supposed to be wildly scary and it just didn't arouse strong feelings in me as a reader. It wasn't as frightening as "The Ring" was to me, and I almost feel that if you are pulling a well-known character type and using it with an audience that is familar with it (her, Okiko, the girl in the well), that you HAVE to be greater than that which you borrowed.
Hey. NetGalley. Thanks for the read. I wish I could be a more ardent supporter of the book. Regardless, I'm sure I'll be recommending it to others more and more as we approach October and people are looking for something scary to read.
Show Less
LibraryThing member TFS93
Rin Chupeco's writing style in this book was very unique. I actually think it helped add to the atmosphere of the book. It's not often that you get a ghost's point of view in a book. You do here. The scares are slow and creep up on you. There are also self contained scenes where the action is
Show More
non-stop, and gory, and frightening. This one would make a perfect movie. I really loved all the creepy elements, the upside down girl, the possessed dolls, the unknown lurker. I wish I had loved the story. There were parts that I thought were Awesome, while others were just too drawn out for me and I honestly got a little bored. I think many readers will find this one scary, but go into it knowing that the writing style is unique and the storyline moves slowly. Show Less
LibraryThing member Buttonholed
Okiku kicks! What an evilicious read. It is a story of a young girl that had died 300 years ago by a man who tossed her body down a well. Okiku has wandered the world for centuries, freeing the innocent ghosts of the murdered-dead and taking the lives of killers with the vengeance they are due. She
Show More
hunts murderers - child killers. When a young boy named Tark with very strange tattoos that carry an evil secret moves into a new neighborhood, he gets her eye. As the story moves along, they travel to a remote valley in Aomori, Japan where doll rituals and exorcisms claim.... Great YA thriller and I loved the Japanese myths/folklore that were added. Rin knows how to vividly portray the settings so the reader can actually taste the book and all of its gore. Excellent job Rin! Looking forward to the sequel. Thanks for your imagination! Show Less
LibraryThing member Jennifer35k
A girl from prior centuries takes her revenge on those who would hurt the innocent in the present. Finding no solace in rest she rips the throats out of those who would assault the innocent and strangle the speechless. She is Okiko, an onryuu, which has transferred all of her black rage and hate
This book was very interesting and had a lot of history scattered throughout the pages. I enjoyed the spiritual references the author provided and I liked the premises for the book. I thought it to be original and fascinating to read. I liked all of the characters and thought each was well developed. I was sad that there was not much about Okiko as their could have been. I thought she was a very interesting character and she could have used a little more back story. Overall there is not much more else to say. This book is just great overall and I am happy to have read it! I highly recommend it to anyone.
Show More
into avenging the lost souls of other dead children. While out on a nightly stroll she stumbles upon a person that confuses her. It is a boy that is neither good nor evil, but is the host to a powerful demon. Curious of how he came to be in this position, she chooses to follow him and quickly learns his story. His name is Tark and he is a son to a mother that is both insane and beautiful. For at one time she loved him, but now upon his glance she attempts to kill him. Sad and isolated from his peers, Tark spends most of his time hiding from the world and from himself. Concerned for his future Tark’s father decides to move him near his cousin. However, his mother is also close to his cousin in the mental hospital and Tark wants to see her. This book was very interesting and had a lot of history scattered throughout the pages. I enjoyed the spiritual references the author provided and I liked the premises for the book. I thought it to be original and fascinating to read. I liked all of the characters and thought each was well developed. I was sad that there was not much about Okiko as their could have been. I thought she was a very interesting character and she could have used a little more back story. Overall there is not much more else to say. This book is just great overall and I am happy to have read it! I highly recommend it to anyone.
Show Less
LibraryThing member sparemethecensor
A solid effort, especially for a debut novel. I liked the strong Japanese folklore element. There were several scenes that would be terrifying in a film but weren't in the book; not sure if that was just me. Recommended for horror fans and those who like Japanese history.
LibraryThing member CinaChilders
The Girl from the Well is primarily about a spirit named Okiku who wanders the world to free the spirits of murdered children, while also killing those responsible for their deaths. She soon comes across Tark, a teen who has troubles of his own with a nasty spirit trapped within him. The scariest
Despite being really similar to many other horror movies and books related to Japanese ghosts, The Girl from the Well remains fun and quick to read for anyone who has a taste for this kind of horror and easy to read style. Some sentences in the book are written into separate lines (if I’m explaining it correctly). I found it to be a little off-putting at times, however it did grow on me towards the end.
An example of this is:
“I
cannot
follow.”
Overall, I liked The Girl from the Well enough to seek out the sequel The Suffering.
Show More
part of this book was the creepy, gut-wrenching feeling of dread when you see innocent, unsupervised children and know that someone out there could be watching and waiting to steal them away to satisfy their sick twistedness. There are a few other slightly creepy scenes involving the spirit Okiku and the malicious spirit within Tark, but for the most part the creep factor is hindered by its predictability.Despite being really similar to many other horror movies and books related to Japanese ghosts, The Girl from the Well remains fun and quick to read for anyone who has a taste for this kind of horror and easy to read style. Some sentences in the book are written into separate lines (if I’m explaining it correctly). I found it to be a little off-putting at times, however it did grow on me towards the end.
An example of this is:
“I
cannot
follow.”
Overall, I liked The Girl from the Well enough to seek out the sequel The Suffering.
Show Less
LibraryThing member EmpressReece
"I am where dead children go." ....3.5 stars
When I first started reading this, I didn't think I was going to like it at all. I think because the POV alternates from 1st to 3rd it was a little awkward reading at first, but once I got use to it, I started getting into the story more. There were times
The story itself is basically about possession and one of the main characters, Okiku, is based off of an old Japanese ghost story. The characters (and ghosts) also travel to Japan so I really did enjoy learning about some of the Japanese traditions and seeing the culture in play throughout the story. Was it very scary? No, not really. There were a few suspenseful parts but I didn't have to leave the lights on or anything. : ) If you like ghost stories or stories about possession, I would say give it a try. I am going to read the next book, The Suffering, because I did like the characters a lot too, especially Okiku, Tarquin and Callie and would like to see what happens with them.
When I first started reading this, I didn't think I was going to like it at all. I think because the POV alternates from 1st to 3rd it was a little awkward reading at first, but once I got use to it, I started getting into the story more. There were times
Show More
though even toward the end, that I wasn't sure who was speaking at first because there wasn't any break really to announce transition. The story itself is basically about possession and one of the main characters, Okiku, is based off of an old Japanese ghost story. The characters (and ghosts) also travel to Japan so I really did enjoy learning about some of the Japanese traditions and seeing the culture in play throughout the story. Was it very scary? No, not really. There were a few suspenseful parts but I didn't have to leave the lights on or anything. : ) If you like ghost stories or stories about possession, I would say give it a try. I am going to read the next book, The Suffering, because I did like the characters a lot too, especially Okiku, Tarquin and Callie and would like to see what happens with them.
Show Less
LibraryThing member KWadyko
I really liked this book...it was hard to put down. I liked the historical details the author included, as well. I am excited to begin "The Suffering"...right...now.
LibraryThing member Jadedog13
This book is fantastic. It was scary, bloody, and suspenseful. It is told from the point of view of Okiku and is a bit disjointed at times. It combines the troubles of teenage life with a Japanese ghost story. There is a lot of Japanese culture throughout the story, especially towards the end when
I liked Okiku and Tark and their relationship. Okiku really knows how to deal some bloody vengeance. It's cool that Tark and his cousin are some of the few people who can see Okiku and she is able to communicate with them. I liked hearing her backstory. And the ending was perfect.
Show More
the family returns to Japan.I liked Okiku and Tark and their relationship. Okiku really knows how to deal some bloody vengeance. It's cool that Tark and his cousin are some of the few people who can see Okiku and she is able to communicate with them. I liked hearing her backstory. And the ending was perfect.
Show Less
LibraryThing member krau0098
I got a copy of this book to review through NetGalley. I really enjoy ghost stories and thought this sounded like a wonderful one. This was such an engaging story, so well done, and so hard to put down. I loved it!
Okiku is a vengeful spirit who avenges murdered children. That is until she sees
Wow this was an incredibly gripping and engaging horror novel; I could not put this book down. Parts of this horror book are very graphic and gory, so just a heads up.
There is a lot of Japanese mythology and discussion of Japanese ghost stories in here that was fascinating. All the characters were incredibly complex and interesting. The plot was very well done and had some excellent twists and turns in it.
Okiku is a very interesting character and very much an anti-hero. She is a terribly vengeful ghost, but only to those who deserve it. In a twisted way she has her own set of noble morals.
Tark is a dark and brooding pre-teen, but he has reason to be. His mother has tried to kill him multiple times and he has a dark spirit that has loomed over him since he was very young.
Callie is a perfectly normal and well adjusted teacher’s aid, she loves teaching kids. She has been Tark’s sister more than his cousin, helping him through many dark times in his life. She gets drawn into this whole mess out of a simple need to help Tark.
The plot starts out creepy and ends creepier. There are two stories here. One is of a man who seems to be stalking Tark for unknown reasons. The second is the mystery behind Tark’s dark spirit. Woven in between these two plots is Okiku’s story. We see both into scenes from her past and the present.
The story starts from Okiku’s point of view but we also hear from Tark and Callie. The switch in points of view worked wonderfully for this book.
I absolutely loved hearing Okiku’s history and the legends surrounding her. I also really enjoyed all of the Japanese mythology throughout. The book ties everything up really nicely.
I really really loved this book. I am not a huge fan of horror books, I am too much of a wuss about being scared. However, this book had just the right amount of creepy couple with a lot of interesting Japanese mythology. The plot was absolutely engaging and made the book impossible to put down. The characters had a lot of depth and were incredibly interesting. I highly recommend this book to fans of creepy or horror-type mysteries with fantasy elements. Actually I recommend it to everyone, it was a great book.
Okiku is a vengeful spirit who avenges murdered children. That is until she sees
Show More
Tark, there is something about Tark that grabs her attention. Tark has some sort of dark spirit looming over him. Tark’s cousin Callie is concerned about Tark and can also sense the darkness around him. The three of them get involved in a dark quest to remove a Tark’s curse.Wow this was an incredibly gripping and engaging horror novel; I could not put this book down. Parts of this horror book are very graphic and gory, so just a heads up.
There is a lot of Japanese mythology and discussion of Japanese ghost stories in here that was fascinating. All the characters were incredibly complex and interesting. The plot was very well done and had some excellent twists and turns in it.
Okiku is a very interesting character and very much an anti-hero. She is a terribly vengeful ghost, but only to those who deserve it. In a twisted way she has her own set of noble morals.
Tark is a dark and brooding pre-teen, but he has reason to be. His mother has tried to kill him multiple times and he has a dark spirit that has loomed over him since he was very young.
Callie is a perfectly normal and well adjusted teacher’s aid, she loves teaching kids. She has been Tark’s sister more than his cousin, helping him through many dark times in his life. She gets drawn into this whole mess out of a simple need to help Tark.
The plot starts out creepy and ends creepier. There are two stories here. One is of a man who seems to be stalking Tark for unknown reasons. The second is the mystery behind Tark’s dark spirit. Woven in between these two plots is Okiku’s story. We see both into scenes from her past and the present.
The story starts from Okiku’s point of view but we also hear from Tark and Callie. The switch in points of view worked wonderfully for this book.
I absolutely loved hearing Okiku’s history and the legends surrounding her. I also really enjoyed all of the Japanese mythology throughout. The book ties everything up really nicely.
I really really loved this book. I am not a huge fan of horror books, I am too much of a wuss about being scared. However, this book had just the right amount of creepy couple with a lot of interesting Japanese mythology. The plot was absolutely engaging and made the book impossible to put down. The characters had a lot of depth and were incredibly interesting. I highly recommend this book to fans of creepy or horror-type mysteries with fantasy elements. Actually I recommend it to everyone, it was a great book.
Show Less
LibraryThing member roses7184
The Girl From The Well started out phenomenally. As promised, Okiku's story was dark, full of vengeance, and yet oddly beautiful. I was caught up in the afterlife of a spirit who wasn't able to move on. One who filled her ceaseless existence with revenge, blood, and the small spark of warmth that
In all fairness, I was too enamored with the cover of this book to really pay attention to the synopsis. I had no idea that Tark's story was actually the main focus of this book. Or that Okiku's dark existence would soon be set on the back burner. At first, I didn't mind so much. Tark, a boy with mysterious tattoos that writhed on his body, was an interesting character. I felt like his story was somehow connected to Okiku's. That he'd soon be caught up in the blackness that surrounded her. Alas, this wasn't to be. While I loved the first third of the book with all my twisted little heart, it started to go downhill from there.
I think one of the biggest issues I had with The Girl From the Well was the writing style. The flowery, descriptive, writing held up well against the backdrop of Okiku's story. She was an old ghost, and I felt like it complimented her character. Once Tark's story line came into play, that same writing style started to feel disjointed. See, one of things that sets Okiku apart is the way that she counts things. Cars, buses, people, plants. It ties in well to her story, which I won't spoil for you. She also has a habit of interjecting violent outbursts in between thoughts. While I was following only her, I didn't mind these quirks. Once there were multiple points of view? It just felt jumbled, and messy.
I should stop here to let you know that I desperately hope someone fixed this narrative for the finished version of the book. I was under the impression that, despite being ARCs, most early copies are still somewhat edited. Sure, I've seen a few misspelled words before. Maybe even a small amount of issues with tense. This ARC had so many instances of incorrect tense that I was horribly distracted. Towards the end, I was more involved in fixing the problems, while reading, than actually enjoying the story.
Which brings me to the ending, which I still won't spoil, and how unfulfilled I felt. As I mentioned before, I loved Okiku's story. I loved her character, her motivations, and the gory endings her victims met. I didn't mind Tark, or his story, but it never really felt fleshed out. Once he took center stage, nothing ever felt complete. I had no strong feelings for any characters. No deep need to keep reading on. I was disappointed, and sad. For the enjoyment that I was originally given, and for the Japanese mythology I fell in love with, I'll offer up three stars to this book. I wanted more from The Girl From The Well. I really did.
Show More
came from delivering a violent, yet fitting death. Had this book been simply about Okiku, I could have read for ages. I understood this troubled girl. I took pleasure in watching her captors squirm. She and I? We were connected. Then Tark entered the picture.In all fairness, I was too enamored with the cover of this book to really pay attention to the synopsis. I had no idea that Tark's story was actually the main focus of this book. Or that Okiku's dark existence would soon be set on the back burner. At first, I didn't mind so much. Tark, a boy with mysterious tattoos that writhed on his body, was an interesting character. I felt like his story was somehow connected to Okiku's. That he'd soon be caught up in the blackness that surrounded her. Alas, this wasn't to be. While I loved the first third of the book with all my twisted little heart, it started to go downhill from there.
I think one of the biggest issues I had with The Girl From the Well was the writing style. The flowery, descriptive, writing held up well against the backdrop of Okiku's story. She was an old ghost, and I felt like it complimented her character. Once Tark's story line came into play, that same writing style started to feel disjointed. See, one of things that sets Okiku apart is the way that she counts things. Cars, buses, people, plants. It ties in well to her story, which I won't spoil for you. She also has a habit of interjecting violent outbursts in between thoughts. While I was following only her, I didn't mind these quirks. Once there were multiple points of view? It just felt jumbled, and messy.
I should stop here to let you know that I desperately hope someone fixed this narrative for the finished version of the book. I was under the impression that, despite being ARCs, most early copies are still somewhat edited. Sure, I've seen a few misspelled words before. Maybe even a small amount of issues with tense. This ARC had so many instances of incorrect tense that I was horribly distracted. Towards the end, I was more involved in fixing the problems, while reading, than actually enjoying the story.
Which brings me to the ending, which I still won't spoil, and how unfulfilled I felt. As I mentioned before, I loved Okiku's story. I loved her character, her motivations, and the gory endings her victims met. I didn't mind Tark, or his story, but it never really felt fleshed out. Once he took center stage, nothing ever felt complete. I had no strong feelings for any characters. No deep need to keep reading on. I was disappointed, and sad. For the enjoyment that I was originally given, and for the Japanese mythology I fell in love with, I'll offer up three stars to this book. I wanted more from The Girl From The Well. I really did.
Show Less
LibraryThing member KatieHeflin
I received this book from the publishers on Netgalley for review.
I read this novel in less than a day. It was absolutely perfect. Everything that I hoped for and more.
It follows a ghost girl who is vicious and violent but only to those who deserve it. The worst of killers, child murderers, meet
The story takes us to a young boy, Tark, who is troubled. His mother is in an insane asylum for trying to kill him and he is covered in tattoos that she allegedly gave him. He is moved to a new town for his father's job and it is there that he reunites with his older cousin, Callie, who is teacher's assistant at his new school. She is troubled by him, his disassociation with people and takes it upon herself to help him.
The narrative is the ghost girl, Okiku and she is the "girl from the Ring" in a sense.The legend of Where a king 300 years earlier had her, his loyal servant killed and she has since become a monster, someone who kills . But she doesn't kill just anyone, she kills the bad guys which I enjoyed very much. It was very gory but I loved it.
Okiku can sense from the beginning that the young boy, Tark is being possessed and haunted by a demon, Chiyo and it is Okiku's job to protect the children. Together as unlikely allies, Calllie, Tark and Okiku travel to Japan to find a way to banish the demon who is compromising Tark and trying to kill him or take him over for good.
This book is a must-read. I love Okiku and the fact that she was a selfless ghost, protecting the children and taking down the evil child killers. It was a very fun ride and I recommend it to every one!
I read this novel in less than a day. It was absolutely perfect. Everything that I hoped for and more.
It follows a ghost girl who is vicious and violent but only to those who deserve it. The worst of killers, child murderers, meet
Show More
their fate at the hands of this ghost girl and it is a savage death. The story takes us to a young boy, Tark, who is troubled. His mother is in an insane asylum for trying to kill him and he is covered in tattoos that she allegedly gave him. He is moved to a new town for his father's job and it is there that he reunites with his older cousin, Callie, who is teacher's assistant at his new school. She is troubled by him, his disassociation with people and takes it upon herself to help him.
The narrative is the ghost girl, Okiku and she is the "girl from the Ring" in a sense.The legend of Where a king 300 years earlier had her, his loyal servant killed and she has since become a monster, someone who kills . But she doesn't kill just anyone, she kills the bad guys which I enjoyed very much. It was very gory but I loved it.
Okiku can sense from the beginning that the young boy, Tark is being possessed and haunted by a demon, Chiyo and it is Okiku's job to protect the children. Together as unlikely allies, Calllie, Tark and Okiku travel to Japan to find a way to banish the demon who is compromising Tark and trying to kill him or take him over for good.
This book is a must-read. I love Okiku and the fact that she was a selfless ghost, protecting the children and taking down the evil child killers. It was a very fun ride and I recommend it to every one!
Show Less
LibraryThing member Mrs.Soule
I'd love to see this movie! I enjoyed seeing everything from the perspective of the ghost instead of the people being haunted.
LibraryThing member Elizabeth_Foster
This horror story was more character driven than most, which slowed the pace but made for a more memorable read. I loved the way the author played with language to heighten the suspense. A ‘dead girl’ narrator and Japanese mythology were the perfect mix and the ending was great - truly
Show More
terrifying! Show Less
LibraryThing member vickimarie2002
I loved this book! It was unlike any others that I have read before. It is narrated by Okiku, who is dead! I mean, what more could you want in a book? She has an incredible narration style and it kept me wanting to read more and more. It's a good story with a lot of folklore from Japan and I found
Show More
that incredibly interesting. It's not really scary, but there are lots of creepy/suspenseful parts. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheYodamom
4.5 Japanese ancient myths & horror blend vey well in this modern tale. I am so happy to have found tis author and this series. The characters fit their rolls, they had believable reactions, it was easy to care about them and nobody was TSTL. Ding Ding winner. I already ordered box 2 in the
Show More
series. Show Less
LibraryThing member out-and-about
The best kind of creepy. 3.5 rounded up. Read on a long road trip and had to download to finish in the dark, a very nice accident. Read for the bookriot read harder challenge, a retelling of a classic fairytale by an author of color, and it probably also counts as a horror book from an indie press.
Show More
The characters could have been better rounded, I didn’t care as much about the human characters as I’d have liked. But I was captivated by the main character, a soul trapped on earth to seek revenge on deserving criminals. Nice explanation of the original myth intertwined throughout the narrative so you didn’t feel like she was just telling you the history. Show Less
LibraryThing member Tip44
More horror than fantasy.
LibraryThing member bibliovermis
I really enjoyed the Japanese folklore and history references, and the explorations of how stories change depending on who tells them. The horror elements were, in fact, pretty horrific, and I loved our terrifying point-of-view ghost. Whenever the American teen(s) showed up though I thought the
Show More
dialogue was very stilted and awkward, with people speaking in a very confusing, old-fashioned sort of vernacular, while apparently having cell phones. Show Less
LibraryThing member PardaMustang
The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco is an atmospheric horror novel that will leave readers with a sense of unease. The story follows Okiku, a vengeful spirit who haunts those who harm children. The author’s writing style is hauntingly beautiful, with vivid descriptions that bring the story to
The author's use of sensory language is particularly impressive. The characters are complex and well-depicted, each with their own quirks and motivations. Okiku is a particularly intriguing character, as she is both frightening and sympathetic. The author balances horror with emotional depth, exploring themes of revenge, grief, and redemption.
Overall, The Girl from the Well is a well-crafted and engaging horror novel that will appeal to fans of the genre. Highly recommended!
***Purchased and read for my own enjoyment
Show More
life. The novel is told from Okiku’s perspective, giving readers a unique and fascinating look at the world of Japanese folklore.The author's use of sensory language is particularly impressive. The characters are complex and well-depicted, each with their own quirks and motivations. Okiku is a particularly intriguing character, as she is both frightening and sympathetic. The author balances horror with emotional depth, exploring themes of revenge, grief, and redemption.
Overall, The Girl from the Well is a well-crafted and engaging horror novel that will appeal to fans of the genre. Highly recommended!
***Purchased and read for my own enjoyment
Show Less
LibraryThing member LynnMPK
I don’t know why but this book just didn’t grab me the way that I thought it would. I love books about myths and legends so I should’ve loved this book. I liked all the characters and the plot was interesting, but it just felt like an OK book to me.
LibraryThing member Shahnareads
It’s okay. Not the best, not the worst.
LibraryThing member quantum.alex
A more effective third rather than first objective would've created a more emotionally satisfying story.
Pages
304