The Girl from the Well
Description
"[A] Stephen Kinglike horror story...A chilling, bloody ghost story that resonates."— Kirkus
From the highly acclaimed author of the Bone Witch trilogy comes a chilling story of a Japanese ghost looking for vengeance and the boy who has no choice but to trust her, lauded as a "a fantastically creepy story sure to keep readers up at night" (RT Book Reviews)
I am where dead children go.
Okiku is a lonely soul. She has wandered the world for centuries, freeing the spirits of the murdered-dead. Once a victim herself, she now takes the lives of killers with the vengeance they're due. But releasing innocent ghosts from their ethereal tethers does not bring Okiku peace. Still she drifts on.
Such is her existence, until she meets Tark. Evil writhes beneath the moody teen's skin, trapped by a series of intricate tattoos. While his neighbors fear him, Okiku knows the boy is not a monster. Tark needs to be freed from the malevolence that clings to him. There's just one problem: if the demon dies, so does its host.
Suspenseful and creepy, The Girl from the Well is perfect for readers looking for
- Spooky books for young adults
- Japanese horror novels
- Ghost stories for teens
- East Asian folklore
Praise for The Girl from the Well
"There's a superior creep factor that is pervasive in every lyrical word of Chupeco's debut, and it's perfect for teens who enjoy traditional horror movies...the story is solidly scary and well worth the read." — Booklist
"Chupeco makes a powerful debut with this unsettling ghost story...told in a marvelously disjointed fashion from Okiku's numbers-obsessed point of view, this story unfolds with creepy imagery and an intimate appreciation for Japanese horror, myth, and legend." — Publishers Weekly STARRED review
"It hit all the right horror notes with me, and I absolutely recommend it to fans looking for a good scare. " — The Book Smugglers
Praise for The Girl from the Well
"[A] Stephen King–like horror story…A chilling, bloody ghost story that resonates." — Kirkus Reviews
"Chupeco makes a powerful debut with this unsettling ghost story…told in a marvelously disjointed fashion from Okiku’s numbers-obsessed point of view, this story unfolds with creepy imagery and an intimate appreciation for Japanese horror, myth, and legend. STARRED." — Publishers Weekly
"The most fascinating scenes contain darkly mesmerizing characters, such as a little girl named Sandra who can see ghosts, a psychopath called the Smiling Man, and the miko of the Chinsei shrine. Chupeco gives her best and most rhythmic passages to them and Okiku, who draws readers into the narrative with the depth of her broken soul and the majesty of her hard-won strength."" — The Boston Globe
"The Girl from the Well is part The Ring, part The Grudge and part The Exorcist…A fantastically creepy story sure to keep readers up at night… Okiku is one of the most interesting YA characters to date. 41/2 Stars-TOP PICK!" — RT Book Reviews
"A dark novel that will appeal to horror fans, lovers of Elizabeth Scott’s ‘Living Dead Girl.’" — School Library Journal
"The writing is beautiful. Descriptive in a poetic way, which just makes everything even creepier...I don't even know how to properly praise her [Chupeco], but she has to be one of the most talented writers to be published recently." — Paperback Wonderland
"There’s a superior creep factor that is pervasive in every lyrical word of Chupeco’s debut, and it’s perfect for teens
who enjoy traditional horror movies…the story is solidly scary and well worth the read." — Booklist
"This horror mystery has just the right blend of contemporary teenage life and the fantasy of a ghost story. It is well written and fast paced, and the characters both dead and alive are developed and engaging...well worth having in a teen collection that caters to fantasy and horror lovers." — VOYA Magazine
"Rin Chupeco does a fine job of integrating folklore and culture with J[apanese]-horror elements..It hit all the right horror notes with me, and I absolutely recommend it to fans looking for a good scare. " — The Book Smugglers
"This gorgeously written story reads like poetry--despite the demons." — Brazos Bookstore
"I never imagined I would love a horror novel for it's gorgeous prose and characters, but that's exactly how I feel about Rin Chupeco's The Girl from the Well. " — The Hiding Spot