The Girl From the Well by Rin Chupeco|Book Review

Title: The Girl From the Well
Author: Rin Chupeco
Publication Date: August 5, 2014
Genre(s): YA, Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal
Source: Library, buddy read with Destiny
Pages: 267
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Synopsis

You may think me biased, being murdered myself. But my state of being has nothing to do with the curiosity toward my own species, if we can be called such. We do not go gentle, as your poet encourages, into that good night.

A dead girl walks the streets.

She hunts murderers. Child killers, much like the man who threw her body down a well three hundred years ago.

And when a strange boy bearing stranger tattoos moves into the neighborhood so, she discovers, does something else. And soon both will be drawn into the world of eerie doll rituals and dark Shinto exorcisms that will take them from American suburbia to the remote valleys and shrines of Aomori, Japan.

Because the boy has a terrifying secret – one that would just kill to get out.

Review

This is one of those books I have a hard time rating. The first half of this book was eerie and dripping with atmosphere, but not much happened. Further, the third person narration from our nameless main character made it hard to connect with the characters.

However, as the story went on and our nameless narrator began to discuss our secondary main character, Turk, referred to as “The Boy with the Tattoos” or “The Tattooed Boy” for most of the story. When the book followed their points of view (or their story though the narrator’s point of view), the plot really picked up.

As the book went on, I found myself get more and more intrigued with what the tattoos meant, who this mysterious woman was and what was her end plan and was hooked until the end.

The climax in this book was a wonderful blend of J-Horror and Japanese mythology and resulted in a creepy, actioned packed ending. Without giving anything away, this book both ends how I thought it was going to, but through a few surprises in there for good measure.

With Halloween fever still strong, this a great book to read if you’re looking to experience the creepiness of a horror movie in book form.

Final Thoughts:

The Girl from the Well is a creepy story ripped straight from J-Horror and perfect for horror movie buffs and those looking for a creepy Halloween read. While I personally didn’t find myself scared or losing sleep from this book, there definitely will be some people that do. Though a little difficult to get into, this book is one I still think many people will enjoy.