Author: Hanna Alkaf
Genre: horror
Similar books: The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste
Brick Dust and Bones by M.R. Fournet
Rating:
Summary (provided by publisher): Twelve-year-old Alia has always had the worst luck. Whether it’s her parents moving her all the way from Kuala Lumpur to a tiny village or her shoes constantly coming untied, Alia can’t help but feel as if the universe has it out for her.
To top it all off, her estranged older sister, Ayu, has just reappeared in their lives after years away. Alia’s parents are delighted, but Alia is not so sure. She remembers the fights, the tears, the pain her sister caused and knows this is just another case of bad luck following her around.
Then Alia’s school fills with rumors of a horrifying creature spotted flying in the night sky. And Alia realizes that perhaps it’s not just her bad luck this time—but something more sinister is lying just under the surface of her town…and it’s up to Alia to put an end to it for once and for all.
My opinion: There are plenty of scary stories in English language books about familiar monsters - vampires, werewolves, goblins, etc. So it's fascinating to get stries about monsters from other cultures. This book handles it well. We are told that Alia isn't very well-versed in the folk traditions of her culture. Thus, when she encounters a traditional monster she needs to learn about the lore and the reader shares in her research. The result is a story that is just the right level of spooky. It's a touch gross, so be forewarned of that, but overall this is exactly the sort of book I would have loved in my early middle grade years when I was deeply in my Goosebumps phase.
More information: Night of the Living Head is part of the Tales From Cabin 23 series, a collection of linked novels by assorted authors.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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