I'm excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for Island Witch by Amanda Jayatissa! I received a free electronic copy for a honest review from the publisher. Thanks so much to Berkley and Amanda Jayatissa for letting me be a part of the tour!
Author: Amanda Jayatissa
Published by: Berkley
Released: February 20, 2024
Source: Electronic Review Copy Provided by the Publisher
Synopsis: 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-priest—relentlessly bullied by peers and accused of witchcraft herself—tries 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 father’s craft have turned on the family. Yet, they all still seem to call on him whenever supernatural disturbances arise.
Now someone—or something —is viciously seizing upon men in the jungle. But instead of enlisting Amara’s father’s help, the villages have accused him of carrying out the attacks himself.
As she tries to clear her father’s name, Amara finds herself haunted by dreams that eerily predict the dark forces on her island. And she can’t shake the feeling that it’s all connected to the night she was recovering from a strange illness, and woke up, scared and confused, to hear her mother’s frantic 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. (Synopsis from Goodreads)
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 father’s craft have turned on the family. Yet, they all still seem to call on him whenever supernatural disturbances arise.
Now someone—or something —is viciously seizing upon men in the jungle. But instead of enlisting Amara’s father’s help, the villages have accused him of carrying out the attacks himself.
As she tries to clear her father’s name, Amara finds herself haunted by dreams that eerily predict the dark forces on her island. And she can’t shake the feeling that it’s all connected to the night she was recovering from a strange illness, and woke up, scared and confused, to hear her mother’s frantic 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. (Synopsis from Goodreads)
My Thoughts: I knew I wanted to read this one as soon as I saw the cover and read that synopsis. I had a good feeling that it was going to be my kind of book!
This was exactly the creepy, gothic tale that I wanted it to be. It's a historical leaning towards horror story. I really loved the vibe of it. I had to keep reading to see what was going to happen next.
I really enjoyed the main character Amara. I'm glad I got to follow her through the story.
There is a lot of violence in this story. Not only are men being killed, but there is also a lot of violence against women. It's not a happy book, but sometimes life is not happy.
I can see a lot of people really enjoying this one. I'd definitely recommend it and I'm glad I got to read it.
When she isn’t recovering from a self induced book hangover, Amanda runs corporate trainings on Communication Skills Development, and works tirelessly as the Chief Taste Tester at the cookie shop she co-owns. She grew up in Sri Lanka and has lived in the California bay area and British countryside, before relocating back to her sunny island, where she lives with her husband and two Tasmanian-devil-reincarnate huskies.
Thanks so much for checking out my Blog Tour Stop for Island Witch by Amanda Jayatissa! Thank you to Berkley and Amanda Jayatissa for letting me be a part of the tour. This beautiful book should definitely be added to your TBR!
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