The Girl from the Well Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Girl from the Well! Today I have my review to share with you - and don't forget to enter to win your own copy below!

The Girl from the Well

Author: Rin Chupeco

Genre: YA Paranormal/Horror

Release Date: August 5, 2014

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Description:

You may think me biased, being murdered myself. But my state of being has nothing to do with the curiosity toward my own species, if we can be called such. We do not go gentle, as your poet encourages, into that good night.

A dead girl walks the streets.

She hunts murderers. Child killers, much like the man who threw her body down a well three hundred years ago.

And when a strange boy bearing stranger tattoos moves into the neighborhood so, she discovers, does something else. And soon both will be drawn into the world of eerie doll rituals and dark Shinto exorcisms that will take them from American suburbia to the remote valleys and shrines of Aomori, Japan.

Because the boy has a terrifying secret - one that would just kill to get out.

The Girl from the Well is A YA Horror novel pitched as "Dexter" meets "The Grudge", based on a well-loved Japanese ghost story. 

Praise:

“[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.” –Publishers Weekly, STARRED

“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.” RT Book Reviews,  4 ½ STARS-TOP PICK!

“A dark novel that will appeal to horror fans, lovers of Elizabeth Scott’s ‘Living Dead Girl.’” –School Library Journal

 

The Girl from the Well is an incredibly creepy and chilling paranormal/horror novel that weaves both ghost story and Japanese legend. The story is told by Okiku - a dead girl that roams the world with one purpose - to kill murderers, especially ones who kill children. It's her specialty, since she's been doing it for hundreds of years. She never really takes interest in the living - especially not those she kills. After completing her task, she is able to free the souls of the children that were murdered. This gives her a moment of comfort and peace in her lonely existence. While stalking a new killer in a small town, she comes across a teenage boy who is covered with tattoos. These aren't normal tattoos - they seem to move and glow - and something about them attracts her. She begins to follow the boy around - learning about him, his life, his interests - and even protecting him from the evil that wishes him dead. For the first time in her afterlife, Okiku finds that protecting children from evil instead of just avenging them can be much more interesting and comforting than she knew.

I absolutely love horror novels - including ones that are filled with ghosts and all that weird stuff. I knew that the book was being marketed as a mix of "Dexter" and "The Grudge" - so I  thought I was sufficiently prepared for what to expect. I was not. For those of you who have seen the films "The Grudge" and "The Ring" - you know what the ghost girl characters look like. They scare the living bejeezus out of me. I can literally just think about them and get so freaked out that I can't sleep. How lovely that our narrator just happens to be almost identical to these characters. So after learning a bit about our main character - her appearance and purpose - I was already creeped out in the extreme. I tried to tell myself that the girl in the story was avenging children who were murdered and all that - but it really didn't help. I'm still freaking out over this book - and I read it over a week ago. I just wanted to describe the character to you in detail and to let you know how incredibly spooked I was/am. Don't forget to take into account that this is the author's debut novel. Seriously? I honestly never would have guessed it was her first book. How in the world did you get me to peek over my shoulder every two minutes and freak me out so bad? That fact alone was enough to cement the author as one with incredible skill and talent - and that she's going to be an author to watch for sure.

The story itself is a very intricate tale - it's a great mix of legend and folklore with modern day society. I thought the author did a phenomenal job of weaving the Japanese legend into the main story line - even bringing the characters to a remote part of Japan. Once I got over (or used to) the main character's history and appearance  - I was sucked deep into the story. There are so many vivid descriptions and details used that it felt like I was there alongside the characters. Even though the main character is a ghost - she is a wonderful choice for the book. I liked that she only went after people who killed kids - and then she was able to set them free. That made her a teeny bit less frightening. Her history and backstory - along with inner dialogue and thoughts - were fascinating and strangely realistic. The other major characters in the book were well written too - especially Tark. He was very realistic with problems at home and school, other typical teen issues, along with seeing things that others didn't and thinking he was crazy. The Japanese lore that was described in the book had me totally fascinated and I loved learning every little bit I could about it. The amount of detail that the author put into every part of this book shows - and it made it a mesmerizing read for me. I couldn't put it down and ended up reading it all in one sitting in a matter of hours. I could go on praising this book forever and I still wouldn't be able to do it justice. Very highly recommended for fans of ghost stories, paranormal, and horror novels - as well as those looking for a captivating and horrifying unique book.

Despite uncanny resemblances to Japanese revenants, Rin Chupeco has always maintained her sense of humor. Raised in Manila, Philippines, she keeps four pets: a dog, two birds, and a husband. She’s been a technical writer and travel blogger, but now makes things up for a living. The Girl from the Well is her debut novel. Connect with Rin at www.rinchupeco.com.

Giveaway: The awesome people at Egmont are allowing me to give way (1) finished copy of the book to a lucky winner! Open to US/CAN only!!

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