Okiku has been stranded in this world for centuries. She is a
spirit of vengeance, taking the lives of killers and freeing
the spirits of murdered children. But there is no peace for
her. She drifts through the world, always hunting.
Then she meets Tark, a young boy with a darkness inside, and
his cousin, Callie, who would do anything to protect him.
Okiku knows that Tark is innocent, another victim of evil who
needs to be freed, but destroying the demon trapped inside will
also kill the host.
There are many reasons THE GIRL FROM THE WELL by Rin Chupeco
makes my top ten favorite books of the year list. The
main reason is because the story is told through Okiku's point
of view. Okiku's rage and need for vengeance are truly to be
feared. She's horrifying to look at, she is without mercy for
those who have murdered, and there is an excitement in her tone
when she's stalking her prey. I won't call them victims because
Okiku is a yuurei, a dead spirit stranded in this world
and fueled by vengeance, one who is able to harm the living.
She's been here so long that her rage, while not less than it
was when she died, is controlled. She chooses who to hunt, who
to make pay for their crimes, and she always hunts people
who've murdered children.
Okiku's voice when stalking a murderer is disjointed, manic,
and methodical. She's scary and what she does to these people
is truly horror-movie worthy. But there's more to Okiku than
the rage. When she meets Tark and his cousin Callie, her role
in the world once again changes. She was a victim, then a
spirit of vengeance, and now...she's curious. The change in her
voice, how she sees the details of the world, how she describes
herself and what she does flows lyrically. I love the dichotomy
between her rage at the murderers and the emotionally distant
tone she uses when trying to figure out Tark and Callie.
THE GIRL FROM THE WELL is intense. While you will want to read
as fast as you can to find out what happens, slow down. The
ending can get confusing if you're not paying attention. There
is so much going on and so many emotions on the page that you
need to read carefully. I'll admit to staying up until 2 am
reading so I was a little bit tired and desperate to see what
was going to happen, so I did end up re-reading a few passages
because I got confused.
THE GIRL FROM THE WELL by Rin Chupeco makes my top-ten list for
the year. The legends of Okiku and her history are fascinating,
Rin Chupeco's writing is superb, and the plot is intense. I
highly recommend THE GIRL FROM THE WELL and can't wait to see
what other stories Rin Chupeco has in store.
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.
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