Title: The Girl and the Ghost
Author: Hanna Alkaf
Genre: Middle-grade, Paranormal/Fantasy, Asian Literature, Malaysian Fiction
Rating: 5 stars
Trigger Warning: Bullying
Synopis:
I am a dark spirit, the ghost announced grandly. I am your inheritance, your grandmother’s legacy. I am yours to command.
Suraya is delighted when her witch grandmother gifts her a pelesit. She names her ghostly companion Pink, and the two quickly become inseparable.
But Suraya doesn’t know that pelesits have a dark side—and when Pink’s shadows threaten to consume them both, they must find enough light to survive . . . before they are both lost to the darkness.
Source: Goodreads
This book deserves all the stars in the world! I'm actually really scared to write this review because I'm not sure I'll get to properly convey my thoughts and emotions about it, but I'll try my best. But let me start by saying that this book now holds a special place in my heart, and it's one of my all-time favourites that I'll be telling EVERYONE to read.
The first thing that captivated me into the story was Hanna Alkaf's gorgeous, lyrical style of writing. I absolutely love it. I'll read anything and everything she writes (even the acknowledgements made me shed a tear), please please write more books, Hanna! Other than the beautiful metaphors and similes she uses in her writing, I also love how MALAYSIAN it is. Sure, the characters and setting are already Malaysian which can be expected from the synopsis, but to also get to see Malay words like jambu tree, jubah, songkok, baju kurung and all the Malaysian food (nasi lemak, roti canai, bahulu, murukku, etc.) and ghost types (pelesit, pawang, langsuir, toyol, etc.) being referred to in the Malay language, the way Malaysians would say them, and without being italicised, made me so happy. I also enjoyed seeing some of the characters (particularly Jing Wei) speak in Malaysian English.
The main characters– Pink and Suraya– are just brilliant. I adore them both so much, and what I love even more than their individual characteristics is their unique relationship. We have Pink, the pelesit (ghost) who's been bounded to Suraya ever since she was a young girl. As a pelesit, he's supposed to be creating chaos and do evil onto others, but seeing as Suraya never tells him to do any of this, he takes it upon himself to protect her at all cost. I clutched my chest every single time Pink said something along the lines of feeling [happy/proud/sad] for Suraya, despite "not having a heart," because he's a ghost. I won't get into it too much to avoid spoilers, but I just think Pink is so wholesome and ironically, so human. Hands down my favourite character.
Suraya's also such a wonderful MC. She's so compassionate and kind, but also brave and sometimes stubborn. I love seeing the way she shows affection towards Pink, and just like Pink, my heart soared when she finally finds a friend who accepts her. Jing Wei is funny and witty and her obsession for Star Wars and Lord of the Rings was hilarious and fun to read about. And actually, I really like the way the author weaves Star Wars into the story, where at one point it actually influences the characters' decision about something. Very clever.
As for the main story, I never would have thought I would love it as much as I do. I'm personally not a fan of ghost stories, ESPECIALLY the Malaysian ones because they give me goosebumps and anxiety. Like, I'll never watch Malaysian horror movies even if you paid me. So it was such a delightful surprise that I really enjoyed the author's take on Malaysian ghost folklore (or is folktale the more accurate word?). Instead of the awfully scary version that you see in Malaysian horror films or hear about from stories, the ones in The Girl and the Ghost are a lot lighter and friendlier. And even funny. Don't get me wrong, I still found them rather spooky, but it's so refreshing to explore a more human side to them. Because ultimately, most if not all of them were once people themselves after all. So that was really interesting. In addition to this, I did NOT see that plot twist coming!
All in all, I really loved The Girl and the Ghost by Hanna Alkaf. I love everything you could love in a book; the writing, the story, and the characters. So it's an automatic 5 stars from me. The only thing I wish was different would be that I wish there was a longer ending, just because I was NOT ready to say goodbye to the characters.
If you're Malaysian, please please don't hesitate to pick up this book. Although it's considered middle-grade, since the characters are 14-years-old if I'm not mistaken, it reads very much like a Young Adult novel (it actually gets quite dark too) and is suitable for people of all ages to read. There'll definitely be SOMETHING in it that you like, if not the ghosts and the plot, then definitely the Malaysian references, and knowing that there's Malaysian representation in fiction that's available worldwide.
If you're not Malaysian, PLEASE READ THIS BOOK. Read about us, please!
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