The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo

Publisher: William Morrow
Publish Date: August 6, 2013
Pages: 354
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0062227324

Though ruled by British overlords, the Chinese of colonial Malaya still cling to ancient customs.  And in the sleepy port town of Malacca, ghosts and superstitions abound.

Li Lan, the daughter of a genteel but bankrupt family, has few prospects.  But fate intervenes when she receives an unusual proposal from the wealthy and powerful Lim family.  They want her to become a ghost bride for the family’s only son, who recently died under mysterious circumstances.  Rarely practiced, a traditional ghost marriage is used to placate a restless spirit.  Such a union would guarantee Li Lan a home for the rest of her days, but at a terrible price.

After an ominous visit to the opulent mansion, Li Lan finds herself haunted not only by her ghostly would-be suitor, but also by her desire for the Lim’s handsome her heir, Tian Bai.  Night after night, she is drawn into the shadowy parallel would of the Chinese afterlife, with its ghost cities, paper funeral offerings, vengeful spirits and monstrous bureaucracy – including the mysterious Er Lang, a charming but unpredictable guardian spirit.  Li Lan must uncover the Lim family’s darkest secrets – and the truth about her own family – before she is trapped in this ghostly would forever.

My Thoughts

So I haven't finished this one yet, I got it from the library and didn't have a chance to finish it before I had to take it back and renewal was unavailable due to (lots) of holds placed on it.  I got back on the list because I DO want to finish reading it, but I wanted to give you my thoughts on it so far while they are fresh on my mine.

Although I don't know much about Chinese culture/rituals/beliefs I have been thoroughly enjoying this read.  I'm half way through (Chapter 20) and so far I find it very haunting.  The novel is broken into 4 Parts and follows Li Lan on her spiritual journey.  I really enjoyed the first 3 parts of the story and currently am on part 3.  I'm finding myself getting a little bit lost with the story and I think it's mainly due to the references that are made to the Chinese culture and their beliefs in the afterlife.  I never like giving away the plot to a story line in my reviews, so I don't want to say too much about what is currently happening and why I am finding myself confused with the plot.

Stay tuned for a future update of the remainder of the book.  

My Rating: yet to finish

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.