By Satu Sarkas Bosman
Megan is a teenager who belongs nowhere, Jia her mother is a woman who cannot stop running and the Huihuang Opera House is a place where many desires meet.
Jia takes Megan to Huihuang Opera House with reassurances that this time the future will be different with a promise of a fresh start. Megan, with a weary sense of apprehension, attempts to settle into yet another place. She finds an old book ‘The Monkey and the Bone Demon’ and is drawn into the world of this 16th century story. What are these dreams she is now having and who are those who seem to roam in the depths of the Opera House?
Kelsey Yu weaves a story where loss, violence, loneliness, hope, disappointment, lost dreams, desires and a wish to belong binds beautifully with the old Chinese folk story.
Opera House holds a terrifying secret and it falls upon Megan to unravel this mystery, which also draws parallels to her own experiences.
The author draws you in with her very human characters, especially Megan who is a sharply observed protagonist and you cannot but feel for the difficulties she has experienced. Her vulnerability of youth is combined with the weariness of those who have travelled far and ended up nowhere.
This is a book you will not want to put down, it perfectly combines universal human experiences with folklore and asks you the question ‘what would you sacrifice for peace and belonging’?
Bloody Flicks 