ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ ɪɴᴠɪꜱɪʙʟᴇ ʜᴇʀᴇ, ᴏʀ ɪꜱ ɪᴛ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ᴍᴇ?
-
Thank you to Poppy Stimpson at Pushkin Press and to NetGalley for approving me to read ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴜɴɢʀʏ ɢʜᴏꜱᴛ by H S Norup.
I LOVED this book. Although it is categorised as Pushkin Childrens, The Hungry Ghost can clearly can be appreciated and enjoyed by all ages, and it really piqued my interest in Singaporean Buddhist/Taoist culture.
-
ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴜɴɢʀʏ ɢʜᴏꜱᴛ ꜰᴇꜱᴛɪᴠᴀʟ. ᴡᴇ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴏꜰꜰᴇʀɪɴɢꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴏᴜʀ ᴀɴᴄᴇꜱᴛᴏʀꜱ - ꜰᴇᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴜʀɴ ᴍᴏɴᴇʏ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴏ ᴏɴ. ᴏᴛʜᴇʀᴡɪꜱᴇ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ɢʜᴏꜱᴛꜱ ᴡɪʟʟ ʜᴀᴜɴᴛ ᴜꜱ.
-
The story follows our protagonist Freja as she navigates a move across the world; from living with her Mother in Denmark to living with her Father and his new family in Singapore.
The changes Freja faces are depicted in an age appropriate way, which can obviously be beneficial for younger readers, but it allows us to empathise with her and bond with her.
I really felt myself rooting for her, and could appreciate her perspective both from her position, and from the position of the adults in her life.
-
ᴍᴜᴍ'ꜱ ꜰᴀʀ ᴀᴡᴀʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴀᴅ ɪꜱɴ'ᴛ ʜᴇʀᴇ. ᴄʟᴇᴍᴇɴᴛɪɴᴇ ɪꜱ. ꜰᴏʀ ᴀ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ, ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʜᴜɢ ʜᴇʀ. ɪꜰ ɪ'ᴍ ɴᴏᴛ ᴄᴀʀᴇꜰᴜʟ ɪ'ᴍ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴇɴᴅ ᴜᴘ ʟɪᴋɪɴɢ ᴄʟᴇᴍᴇɴᴛɪɴᴇ.
-
The characters that gravitate around Freja are well-rounded, and it was good to feel that I gained an insight into their lives. From her friends' backgrounds (like Jason who lives with his 'Ah Ma' instead of his parents) to Freja's parents and the particular struggles they've faced, and Clementine who has enough detachment to really recognise what support Freja needs, they all had their own worlds that overlapped with Freja's
-
"ᴀɴᴅ ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴏᴋᴀʏ, ʟɪᴠɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜʀ ɢʀᴀɴᴅᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ?"
"ɪᴛ'ꜱ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ. ᴍᴏꜱᴛʟʏ ɪᴛ'ꜱ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ. ꜱʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʀɪᴇꜱ ᴀ ʟᴏᴛ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴍʏ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛꜱ. ᴀɴᴅ ꜱʜᴇ ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛꜱ ᴍᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ɪ'ᴍ ꜱᴛɪʟʟ ꜰɪᴠᴇ ʏᴇᴀʀꜱ ᴏʟᴅ... ʙᴜᴛ ꜱʜᴇ'ꜱ ᴅᴏɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ ʙᴇꜱᴛ."
-
Norup's descriptions are unique and magical. They depict senses and feelings in a way that feel tangible, especially when relating to Freja's experiences at Bukit Brown.
-
ɪɴᴠɪꜱɪʙʟᴇ ꜱᴘɪᴅᴇʀ ʟᴇɢꜱ ᴛɪᴄᴋʟᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴏꜰ ᴍʏ ɴᴇᴄᴋ. ɢᴏᴏꜱᴇ ᴘɪᴍᴘʟᴇꜱ ʀᴀᴄᴇ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ᴍʏ ᴀʀᴍꜱ.
-
Freja's mission to understand Ling and to help satisfy her is a truly beautiful story, and without giving too much away, it shows how in helping others we usually help ourselves too.
-
ᴡᴇ ꜱᴀʏ ɢᴏᴏᴅʙʏᴇ, ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ɪɴ ᴄᴀꜱᴇ. ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀᴡᴀʀᴅꜱ, ᴡᴇ ʟɪᴇ ɪɴ ꜱɪʟᴇɴᴄᴇ, ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏᴡᴀʀᴅꜱ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ʙᴇᴅ, ʜᴇʀ ʜᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏᴠᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴍɪɴᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴄᴏᴏʟɪɴɢ ᴄʟᴏᴜᴅ.
-
Overall this was a joy to read, and there is so much more I could say, but I don't want to spoil this for anyone else by giving too much away.
The themes of culture, family, friendship, love, loss, and heritage were beautifully interwoven throughout, and I genuinely think readers will be intrigued by and want to learn more about the culture depicted through the story.
I've already bought a couple of books recommended by Helle (H S Norup) and definitely want to learn more myself. I've also ordered a copy of The Hungry Ghost to keep on my shelves, and would encourage everyone to do the same.
- Amazon Business : For business-exclusive pricing, quantity discounts and downloadable VAT invoices. Create a free account
- Also check our best rated Children’s Book reviews
- Buy this product and stream 90 days of Amazon Music Unlimited for free. E-mail after purchase. Conditions apply. Learn more
