Black Water Sister, by Zen Cho (fantasy novel, 2021)

[lb_lee]

"For the first time since she'd arrived in Malaysia, Jess was alone in her head."

Blurb: When Jessamyn Teoh starts hearing a voice in her head, it isn't even hers, but the ghost of her estranged grandmother, a deceased spirit medium for the god called Black Water Sister. As Jess gets sucked into a complicated world of lies, attempted murder, spirits, and fights for territory, she'll need to regain control of her body and destiny, before the weight of family secrets kills her.

Why is it worth your time?: It's good! It starts a little slow, but the ending is so deeply satisfying, as is Zen Cho's depiction of spirit mediumship, which is transactional, amoral, and deeply inconvenient. Themes of the book include the complexity of relationships to family, home, history, and self, the cages we make ourselves, and dealing with the past so as to better deal with the present. It's been nominated for multiple awards for good reason. Recommended!

Plural Tags: abuse intermediate content, cofronting, temporary fusion, the dead, enmity and family relationships, community, teamwork, spiritual, visions, voices, possession

Content Warnings: contain spoilers; see comments

Access Notes: Available in ebook, paper, and audiobook forms.