Review by Kirkus Book Review
The return of a long-lost sister disrupts the peace of a quiet town. Melur, a Malaysian girl at a U.S. summer camp, wanders into the woods on a dare in order to find the Witch of Cabin 23. The Witch tells her a terrifying tale about a 12-year-old Malaysian girl named Alia who's moved with her family from Kuala Lumpur back to Negeri Sembilan, where she grew up. Alia struggles to fit in; she also hears eerie noises and feels as though someone's watching her. Things start to look up when her older sister, Ayu, now 21, returns after mysteriously leaving home years ago. But strange things keep happening, and her classmates report seeing a floating head in the night sky. Could it be a penanggalan, a vampiric monster that, according to Malaysian lore, preys upon children and can remove its head? Alia's parents are thrilled at Ayu's return, but Alia suspects that Ayu is connected to the odd occurrences, and she devises a plan to uncover the truth. The reality she confronts is far more complex than she could have ever imagined. The latest in this anthology series--each of which is written by a different author--beautifully weaves Malaysian folklore into a gripping, deeply moving thriller that grapples with the devastating toll that secrets can take upon a family. Both Melur and Alia are Muslim; Melur wears hijab, while Alia often repeats Quranic verses to herself. A nail-biting, heart-pounding--and heartbreaking--adventure.(Horror. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
