Hanna Alkaf

Retells a Malaysian folk tale in which a lonely girl, Suraya, inherits from her grandmother a pelesit, a ghostly demon, who proves to be a good companion, bringing both danger and hope.

The Girl and the Ghost

Sarah Sammis

The Girl and the Ghost by Hanna Alka is a middle grade fantasy that begins like a fairytale. An old witch dies and sends the pelesit she has enslaved to serve her grand-daughter. With a few drops of blood the little girl and the magical creature who spends most of his time in the form of a grasshopper are bonded.

But this fairytale is set in modern day Malaysia. It's also about Suraya growing up poor but doing well enough academically to get into a better school. It's about her being bullied and not wanting Pink (her name for the pelesit) to take revenge on her behalf. It's about her making friends with a new girl and the jealousy that arrises in Pink.

It's also about family secrets. It's about the witch and a well intentioned bad decision. It's about a mother's guilt and desire above all else to keep her daughter safe.

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2020/comm...

Outlier: CCCC33 - siblings uhoria blue highway

Qonita

Very charming, warm, and fun! Didn't expect this to be action but it delivers great suspense while still staying true to middle grade fiction genre, which i commend. I dropped a tear or 2 at the end. The closure's kinda bittersweet but it's just right. I'm especially delighted to know that young readers have this book in their market, but i'd recommend this to anyone of any ages!

sani

3.5★
god, suraya and jing and pink have all of my hearts. suraya awfully reminds me of my own childhood and jing? my bold adorable brave baby. and let's just not talk about how i love pink! my heart goes out for him

Stef

"Power is an addiction. A small taste is often enough for people to crave another, and then another, and then another, and those who have it will do anything to get more of it."


I suppose read it last year but just manage to read at the beginning of 2021. 

Suka dengan bagaimana cara mbak Hanna bercerita. Ngga bosenin dan buat pembaca beneran terseret ikut ke petualangan Suraya dan Pink. Suka banget sama unsur budaya yang dimasukan di dalam cerita, I read it with big smile whenever i found same reference with indonesian culture, and how i can identity some of the ghost that mention in the story. 

After all, Hanna can bring a good family story with cultural and myth and still giving heartwarming feeling. 

Kurangnya cuman dibagian akhir aku merasa agak terburu-buru dan plot twist as expected sama endingnya kinda turned down vibe nya. 

Rekomen buat yg mencari bacaan tentang grief, with myth and cultural aspect and supernatural things.

marie

4.5 ☆

this book is actually a page-turner for me. ;o

Renee Delcourt

I think this is such a great spooky paranormal book. The plot is so unique and brings you through so many emotions with Suraya. Its very fast paced and has a great ending. This will be a book I read aloud to my boys.

Laura Schmidt

"...Broken mothers raise broken daughters"

mikee ♡♡

A Malaysian folk tale comes to life in this emotionally layered, chilling middle grade debut, perfect for fans of The Book of Boy and The Jumbies. I am a dark spirit, the ghost announced grandly. I am your inheritance, your grandmother’s legacy. I am yours to command. Suraya is delighted when her witch grandmother gifts her a pelesit. She names her ghostly companion Pink, and the two quickly become inseparable. But Suraya doesn’t know that pelesits have a dark side—and when Pink’s shadows threaten to consume them both, they must find enough light to survive . . . before they are both lost to the darkness. Fans of Holly Black’s Doll Bones and Tahereh Mafi’s Furthermore series will love this ghostly middle grade debut that explores jealousy, love, and the extraordinary power of friendship.

The Girl and the Ghost

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