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Island Witch
Island Witch | Amanda Jayatissa
5 posts | 6 read | 10 to read
Inspired by Sri Lankan folklore, award-winning author Amanda Jayatissa turns her feverish, Gothic-tinged talents to late 19th century Sri Lanka where the daughter of a traditional demon-priestrelentlessly bullied by peers and accused of witchcraft herselftries to solve the mysterious attacks that have been terrorizing her coastal village. Being the daughter of the village Capuwa, or demon-priest, Amara is used to keeping mostly to herself. Influenced by the new religious practices brought in by the British Colonizers, the villagers who once respected her fathers craft have turned on the family. Yet, they all still seem to call on him whenever supernatural disturbances arise. Now someoneor somethingis viciously seizing upon men in the jungle. But instead of enlisting Amaras fathers help, the villages have accused him of carrying out the attacks himself. As she tries to clear her fathers name, Amara finds herself haunted by dreams that eerily predict the dark forces on her island. And she cant shake the feeling that its all connected to the night she was recovering from a strange illness, and woke up, scared and confused, to hear her mothers frantic cries: No one can find out what happened. Lush, otherworldly, and recalling horror classics like Carrie and The Exorcist, Island Witch is a deliciously creepy and darkly feminist tale about the horrors of moral panic, the violent space between girlhood and adulthood, and what happens when female rage is finally unleashed.
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review
Laughterhp
Island Witch | Amanda Jayatissa
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Mehso-so

I finished this book just to finish it. I didn‘t really enjoy this book, but I think it was more me than the book. It‘s set in the 19th century and inspired by Sri Lankan folklore. Amara is the daughter of a demon priest and seen as a witch. The British are colonizing the island and most of the residents are switching religion and no longer believe in the old ways. Men are being attacked by a demon and they can‘t figure out who. Very gruesome.

46 likes4 comments
blurb
Clare-Dragonfly
Island Witch | Amanda Jayatissa
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#libraryhaul… plus a movie… in addition to the three other books I have out, only one of which I‘ve started. I‘ve got to get reading 😬

review
batsy
Island Witch | Amanda Jayatissa
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Pickpick

A feminist gothic horror set in the sweltering island of Sri Lanka in the late 19th-century, during British colonialism. The writing was a tad purple prose-y at times, but the story conjured a spell, & the dark, ominous mood worked well. The clash of ancient religious & spiritual beliefs with modernising "Western" religions made for a tense read. I was fascinated in seeing how Sinhala folk beliefs share similarities with South(East) Asian ones.

batsy What was especially cool was encountering the cross-cultural female ghost commonly referred to as Mohini. She's "popular" in Malaysia too (lol)--here, a feminist reclamation of the (partly misogynist) fascination with the alluring woman who enchants men only to terrify them later by revealing her true self. I liked how the author combined the ghostly elements with the religious element of folk Hinduism; it's a rich & creative mix. 7mo
CarolynM Great review. 7mo
batsy @CarolynM Thank you 🙂 7mo
See All 6 Comments
RohitSawant This sounds fantastic. Awesome review! 7mo
BiblioLitten Interesting! 7mo
batsy @RohitSawant Thank you! Not particularly good prose but something about the dark, oppressive atmosphere of it has stuck with me @BiblioLitten 6mo
80 likes6 stack adds6 comments
review
candc320
Island Witch | Amanda Jayatissa
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Mehso-so

I really, really wanted to love this book. It‘s got a unique premise, it‘s horror, and it‘s got that gorgeous cover. Unfortunately I found much of it kind of boring and it was really hard to follow as an audiobook. The ending really picked up and I loved that, but all in all I just didn‘t find it that scary or intriguing. 🌟🌟🌟

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BookishTrish
Island Witch | Amanda Jayatissa
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Pickpick

Sri Lankan slow burning supernatural horror featuring a good dose of feminine rage. Pairs well with Easter treats.

Ruthiella Tasty bookmarker! 😋 (edited) 8mo
45 likes2 stack adds1 comment