Black Water Sister

[psocoptera]

Black Water Sister, Zen Cho. I've been a fan of Zen Cho since I was blown away by the Malaysian vampire story a decade or so ago ("House of Aunts"), so it's not surprising I liked this, but, look, it's so good. Hooked me immediately and never lost me. I really enjoyed her Regency duology but this is a more serious book, with more emotional weight. A bit like "House of Aunts" in being contemporary with supernatural elements, but with a protagonist who is discovering the situation along with the reader. I liked the vivid sense of place (it's set in Penang, Malaysia) and the nuanced, rounded characters, and the various turns of the plot. I don't want to say too much else, I enjoyed reading it without knowing anything about it, but I think it's not too spoilery to say that it's about family and family history and legacy, and it's queer.