I liked Jess as a character and related to her sense of uncertainty after graduation and her struggle with balancing different parts of her identity. I also appreciated the way the spirit world was woven in, the elements of traditional culture, and Jess's struggle with her own identity. However, I felt like she often lacked agency and was simply dragged into the action. The book itself was very fast paced, which kept me engaged for the most part, but some of the action scenes came on so abruptly that they gave me virtual whiplash.

With a move back to Malaysia, a country she has not been too since she was a small child, no job prospects there, and a girlfriend she cannot tell her parents about, Jess Teoh expected that the voice in her head was a result of stress. Stress made sense. Her long estranged grandmother’s ghost did not. At least, her grandmother’s ghost did not make sense until her complaints and demands got oddly specific. About the shrine to a mysterious goddess, the Black Water Sister, that has to be protected from a businessman who wants to tear it all down to build condos. Ah Ma served as the Black Water Sister’s medium in life and sees no reason not to drag her grand daughter into a world of of gods and spirits, to use her body and secrets to force her into dangerous circumstances and, maybe, even her own servitude to the Black Water Sister. If Jess wants to keep her life her own she will have to balance finding retribution for her grandmother with fighting for control of her body and mind, lest the Black Water Sister take everything and leave Jess destroyed.

Zen Cho’s Black Water Sister is another one of those books that I enjoyed quite a bit, but find myself not entirely sure how to go about talking about it. For long spans it feels like the plot is pattering about not really doing much, but that does not feel like wasted page space. Black Water Sister feels as much like a story about being an outsider as it does a story about dealing with a pushy ghost and an angry goddess.

Jess is absolutely an outsider throughout the book. She was raised in the United States speaking mostly English, so she finds herself adrift amongst her family and with out much ability to connect with new people and with serious difficulties finding a job. Jess cannot talk to her family about the problems she is having for fear of seeming ungrateful, or to her parents about her problems for fear of adding to their stress. She cannot even begin to talk about her girlfriend, Sharanya, something that said girlfriend is continually frustrated by. And no one, except her erstwhile uncle, would understand if she tried to talk to them about Ah Ma’s voice in her head. It leaves the reader only slightly behind Jess in trying to figure out what was going on while also ensuring that the reader gets an explanation of how the spirits and gods work as Jess struggles to figure things out.

There are layers to Jess’ problems. So much of what happens to her is the result of Ah Ma or her uncle, Ah Ku, not telling her important details of what is happening to her or their plans for dealing with the developer who had angered the Black Water Sister. It is all very well done with a sort of looming sense of doom as Ah Ma’s plots land Jess in deeper and deeper trouble both with mortal humans and the goddess herself. There were points were it really felt like there was no possibility of a good ending for Jess and others where it felt like she would be lucky to survive as herself. It was brilliant and by turns something that I could not put down and something that I just had to step away from because of how well Cho built that atmosphere, that sense of inevitability.

A lot of the writing is like that. The side characters, Jess’ parents and her other living family members, felt well rounded and very human. The Black Water Sister was by turns a mass of anger at those who might threaten her shrine and possessive of and protective of Jess, but always in a way that left a clear through line to her as a character. She was more than human, but still bound to what she had been and her history despite that. The city feels unfamiliar but alive. Jess feels so very like some of the people I went to school or worked with, it is really easy to identify with her. The danger feels solid. Again, like Jess might not be able to make it out as herself. It all adds up to a book that I have a hard time talking about but also wish that I could read for the first time again.

That is, ultimately, the big thing with Black Water Sister. I have had a really hard time figuring out how to talk about it and rambled far more than I would have liked in doing so, but it is one of a hand full of books I wish I could read for the first time again. And that makes me really want to go back to Zen Cho’s earlier books and see what she writes next. For me, Black Water Sister more than earns a five out of five.

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As a final note, full spoiler alert, but this was one of the bits where I needed to put the book down and I figured that might mean that a trigger warning was warranted. There is an attempted rape scene late in the book that is fairly harrowing, the scene leading up to it starts when Jess is forced into a car after talking to the developer.

This was a very fun read! The story is very fast-paced and sucks you in immediately. I love the setting of modern-day Malaysia. My favorite aspect of the novel was the paranormal elements. I recommend this for fans of Melinda Lo!

Won't be posting a review for this book. Sadly, this book was a bit too slow and boring and ultimately we couldn't finish reading it. Since that's the case, we can't review it.

What a ride, wow it has a little bit of everything. Ghosts, gods, family secrets and mediums are some of them!It was entertaining mostly, it has great characters and I find it unique!

"If you overhear everything I hear, said Jess, "why would you need me to tell you what Kor Kor’s friends were saying about Ng Chee Hin?”

“Sometimes I don’t pay attention lah. You think your life is so interesting meh?”

This was so different from anything I’ve ever read before, I was captivated from the beginning .Jess was a great and relatable character , I loved her!

This novel has two strengths: the worldbuilding and the family relationships. I loved this look into Malaysia; it was like I was there myself! Language, religion, history and future—the setting was so so refreshing and felt very homey. I’m not Malaysian, but as a Southeast Asian there were enough similarities that it was comforting.

And yes, this is very much a family-driven story. The romance is minor, more of another ~problem our MC Jess has to overcome, something that adds to her characterization rather than something to root for. It was very metaphorical in that sense.

The highlight of this novel is Jess and Ah Ma’s relationship—their banter and the love-hate that results from haunting your granddaughter. But I also loved Jess and her mom, and Jess’ dynamic with her nosy aunties was annoyingly familiar lol.

This is very much a story about a young woman in her early twenties finding her way through the world. An adult coming-of-age tale. Jess was very relatable in those aspects: her job hunting woes, her filial piety, simultaneously being too young and too grown-up, her closeted sexuality, feeling lost and unmoored. However, I do wish she had more of a personality outside of being an American Zillennial. She very much feels like an audience stand-in. She says it herself near the end; she doesn’t have a solid identity, she’s neither here nor there.

The reason why I can’t rate this 4 stars is because I kept zoning out as I listened to the audiobook. The plot and pacing are kind of a mess, which you wouldn’t expect considering SO MUCH is happening in this book. But thus I felt like the story was stretched thin in too many directions. There were so many issues that Cho tried to tackle here: tradition vs modernity, religion, corrupt businessmen, immigrants, generational trauma, female oppression, homophobia... But perhaps due to our young, immature heroine, certain themes came off as too surface-level. Like, the gangster and corrupt businessman part felt pretty cartoonish.

The atmosphere reads more like contemporary fiction than a fantasy.

So there. Mixed feelings. I think this will strongly appeal to other readers, so I still recommend it even if it fell flat for me.

[3.5/5 stars]

The premise had my attention and some points worked for me, while others fell flat.

I loved learning more about Malaysia and its culture (which has some similarities with my Chinese culture). Jess being the host of her grandmother's (Ah ma) spirit was very unique and gave me a paranormal reading experience. Asian culture values in a decent degree the connection with ghost/spirit and our ancestors with all the superstition behind; it was satisfying to feel this connection through the pages.

The story started strong however the middle of the book quite dragged. The last 20% of the story, full of revelations and family secrets, gives back all the excitement and improved my overall opinion of the book. Lastly, I thought that the ending met my expectations.

I appreciated the queer representation and BLACK WATER SISTER is an original urban fantasy.

Zen Cho's Black Water Sister is not a novel for readers to miss out on, especially not if they enjoy fantasy, LGBT, and paranormal themes!

Jessamyn Teoh has not been having the best time lately. She's flat broke, deep in the closet, and to make it worse: she's moving back home to Malaysia. Naturally, she assumed the voices she was hearing were a sign of stress and tried to move in with her life.

Only, the voices didn't go away. Or rather, voice. As in, singular. The voice of her grandmother has been very insistent, trying to teach her how to follow the path of becoming a Medium and doing so safely.

“Their approach to religion was to leave the gods alone, in the hope the gods would return the favour.”

There are a lot of reasons why I've been looking forward to reading Black Water Sister. The cover, the description, all that promise! Plus, Zen Cho's tweet: "A stressed zillennial lesbian fights gods, ghosts, gangsters & grandmas in 21st century Penang."

I mean, seriously! Who could read that tweet and not want to rush out immediately and grab the book? I know I couldn't resist, as evidenced by my review here (duh). Was it worth that rush? Yes. A million times, yes.

Black Water Sister is a thrilling read, one that twists a pretty common trope (finding out one is a medium) and turning it into something completely new. I loved reading about Jessamyn's adventure and would happily have read another thousand pages of it.

I am so glad I picked this book up! It is engaging, exciting and quite spooky and thrilling as well. I really loved the setting and cultural backdrop. I don't think I've read anything set in Malaysia before and I will now be seeking out more. I also really loved the complicated family dynamics and how they are intertwined with the fantastical and supernatural elements. I don't typically do ghost books but this really worked for me. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Black Water Sister by Zen Cho is a contemporary fantasy. When Jessamyn Teoh starts hearing a voice in her head, she chalks it up to stress. Closeted, broke and jobless, she’s moving back to Malaysia with her parents – a country she last saw when she was a toddler. She soon learns the new voice isn’t even hers, it’s the ghost of her estranged grandmother. In life, Ah Ma was a spirit medium, avatar of a mysterious deity called the Black Water Sister. Now she’s determined to settle a score against a business magnate who has offended the god—and she's decided Jess is going to help her do it, whether Jess wants to or not. Drawn into a world of gods, ghosts, and family secrets, Jess finds that making deals with capricious spirits is a dangerous business, but dealing with her grandmother is just as complicated. Especially when Ah Ma tries to spy on her personal life, threatens to spill her secrets to her family and uses her body to commit felonies. As Jess fights for retribution for Ah Ma, she’ll also need to regain control of her body and destiny or the Black Water Sister may finish her off for good.

Black Water Sister is extremely well written and engaging. But, lets get a content/trigger warning out of the way. There are some scenes of abuse and assault in various degrees. They are important to the story, and not gratuitous, but if these are triggers for you please make sure you are prepared or wait until you are in a place to handle them.

Life after college can be hard, more so when you move overseas with your parents while being haunted by your grandmother and trying to handle family pressures, relationship stress, and deciding on her next steps in life. There are many twists and turns, some of which I saw coming and many of which took me by surprise. Some still have me reeling even after having finished the read. I liked getting a better understanding of a country I honestly do not know much about, and the way different cultures mingle and collide there. Seeing the way beliefs and cultures combine, and how universal certain types of injustice and greed can be reminds readers that somethings have always been there and we still need to fight them and find a way forward. The characters are extremely dynamic, with the capacity for good and evil in almost every action and word. I still have questions about what happens to certain characters next, what paths they follow, but I was very satisfied with the conclusion to the immediate conflicts and the choices Jess made.

Black Water Sister is a fascinating and engaging read. It is a roller coaster ride that stays with the readers.

Our bodies can often seem possessed. To most people, that possession occurs in a metaphorical sense. Dogma possesses us, as it’s hammered down from society until it sticks, nailed down to our core whether we like it or not. And that dogma can deviate from what we want deep down, like how family values dictate who we can and can’t love. Black Water Sister explores that possession, and with clever skill, it combines it with literal possession. A family spirit inhabits the protagonist, while they’re dealing with family interference from all sides. It’s a compelling story that’s quality is heightened by witty dialogue, a pacey second half, and vibrant characters.
Jess is a college grad, moving from America to Malaysia—where she once lived until toddlerhood. But a new location isn’t even one of the top five things nagging her. She has a girlfriend that she’s frightened to disclose to her parents, fearing homophobia. And most prominent is that the spirit of her maternal grandmother – Ah Ma – has inhabited her mind. Ah Ma wants something from Jess, which sparks a journey full of betrayals, gods, gangsters, and a slew of other obstacles.

We’re introduced to Jess at an active time of her life, where she’s juggling closeted sexuality, family spirits, and a change of location. But despite the interweaving of several high-stake plot threads, the story takes its time getting going. There’s always some momentum – the story never wades – but there were times in its early goings when I wanted to speed through the proceedings a little quicker. Just before the halfway mark, however, the story comes together, as all the aforementioned threads are fully realized, bouncing off each other in frenetic but readable thrills.

A great asset that encompasses every section of Black Water Sister is its impeccable dialogue and voice. Zen Cho fires off clever one-liners with such rapid fire and skillful consistency that it seems easy. The characters come alive from it, too. Even side characters who have minimal roles have brief, concise lines that exude a distinct personality with verve, getting at least a couple memorable scenes. To top it off, the prose never meanders into over-description or lack of focus. Every sentence is fluid and calculated, giving me the feeling that I was riding on a train track that every rail had been polished, checked, and rechecked, so I would arrive exactly at my destination exactly as intended.

As fun as the one-liners are, that’s not the storytelling’s only great quality. There are moments of engaging drama that become more apparent as the story progresses. Those moments interlace the verve with tension of the romantic, familial, or spiritual variety, making the moments of pep full of relief. And those relieving instances are peppered through the story to not overload it with frivolity or vice versa. Heartbreak from one relationship is counterbalanced with affection in another. Internal conflict is counterbalanced with external rewards.

Those rewards take a little patience as the novel sets up its world--but those rewards are more than worthy of a slow but still fascinating start. Black Water Sister taught me that possessions aren’t just from family dogma and literal supernatural possessions. Literature has a possessive quality, too. Like the most interesting books, Black Water Sister inserted itself firmly in my mind, as I experienced visceral reactions for the characters and genuine shock for its many twists. It’s an ultimately propulsive story that didn’t leave me with internal angst or spiritual agitation. Instead, it took up gratifying space in my brain, and thanks to the characters and a story that I couldn’t get enough of, I hope it never leaves.

My thoughts are here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4083374746 and I reviewed this title for AudioFile magazine

Synopsis from Goodreads: Jessamyn Teoh is closeted, broke and moving back to Malaysia, a country she left when she was a toddler. So when Jess starts hearing voices, she chalks it up to stress. But there's only one voice in her head, and it claims to be the ghost of her estranged grandmother, Ah Ma. In life Ah Ma was a spirit medium, the avatar of a mysterious deity called the Black Water Sister. Now she's determined to settle a score against a gang boss who has offended the god--and she's decided Jess is going to help her do it. Drawn into a world of gods, ghosts, and family secrets, Jess finds that making deals with capricious spirits is a dangerous business. As Jess fights for retribution for Ah Ma, she'll also need to regain control of her body and destiny. If she fails, the Black Water Sister may finish her off for good.

My review: *Spoilers below*
I really enjoyed this book until about halfway through. The settings were great - I felt that having the story be set in Malaysia was really interesting. Learning about new customs and cultures was fascinating, and I did really like learning about all of the mythology and the differences between traditional religion and Christianity, especially in Jess' family. What put a bit of a damper on it for me was, after the beginning of the story, when Jess and Ah Ma are both fleshed out characters, I felt that the plot ground to a halt. Things were chugging along at a very nice pace until the middle, when it seemed like the pace completely stopped, and I lost interest in the story.

I did finish the book, and I actually enjoyed the ending (trigger warning: I could have used some warning about the attempted assault scene). The way that Jess' character development unfolded and her decision to come out to her parents really showed me that she became a better version of herself...but I also think that the character development was lost a bit in the last half of the book. I think it didn't need to be as complicated as it was, or perhaps as long.

Overall, I did enjoy the writing and the setting, and I do recommend for anyone who loves beautiful, immersive scene setting and a very intricate, spooky plot.

OK, I loved the book overall. Only bad part at all was that the spiritual element is really heavy (has to be for the subject matter). So, if that bothers you (and it even touched a nerve or two for me), then be aware, but I still recommend you give it a go.

Anyway, the book's main character (Jessamyn Teoh) is 100% believable. I love that it didn't all end happy and lovely either, though there was plenty of hope. The supporting cast (mostly Jess's family members, with one exception) are likewise believable and enjoyable. I don't think I truly hated a single one, which exception of the girlfriend. Even then, I didn't hate her, I was just sad for Jess because of her. Anyway, characters are great and many of them grow through the story. That was really impressive.

The plot is so wonderful. I loved it. There was a definite flow and honestly, I wasn't sure how it was going to work out until it was over. So well done.

Maybe my favorite thing about the book was how Zen Cho uses language. Using English, Chinese, Malaysian, and I think some other dialects of those languages, she really makes the entire thing sound so authentic. I wasn't bothered at all by not knowing what every last word meant. I've traveled extensively throughout Asia though, so maybe I'm more used to it than others.

Anyway, get the book. You'll like it.

OMG this book! Black Water Sister was such a thrilling and engaging story, it really brought be back into reader mode and made me so excited, not only to listen to it, but to talk about it!
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Zen Cho described Black Water Sister as “a stressed zillennial lesbian fights gods, ghosts, gangsters & grandmas in 21st century Penang” and honestly, that might be one of the most succinctly perfect summaries of a book that I’ve ever seen.
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Black Water Sister is the story of Jessamyn Teoh, the aforementioned zillenial lesbian, who has moved back to Malaysia after living most of her life in the US. Shortly after arriving in Malaysia, she starts hearing voices - specifically, the voice of her dead grandmother. Ah Ma has unfinished business on earth, and she needs Jess’s help to even the score.

Over the past few years, I’ve majorly fallen in love with queer, feminist, and POC-authored fantasy and sci-fi… and this book truly has it all - ghosts, gods, adventure, mystery, a robust cast of complex characters, deep emotional depths, so much wonderful cultural and queer representation, and it’s just plain exciting to read!

I am so in love with this book and I could seriously talk about it all day. It will undoubtedly be one of my favorite books of 2021 and I will probably be recommending it to anyone and everyone for years to come.

Black Water Sister is my first book by Zen Cho, but it certainly will not be my last. I think fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Nghi Vo’s books would especially enjoy this one.

If you’re in need of a slump-busting read, or if you’re looking for an exciting, modern, action-packed fantasy adventure, pleeeeeeease check this book out. You will not be disappointed!

Gripping from beginning to end. Really resonant interaction between the main character and her family, all through the lens of a diaspora young adult coming back to their parents' country of origin (Malaysia) and the secrets that they had left behind. A really interesting version of urban fantasy that does not have much in the way of western mythology/magic involved which was refreshing to read. Overall, I couldn't put it down and really loved the immersion.

I loved this book so much. The setting in Malaysia was especially surprising, but then to also be a queer, family-oriented revenge YA book? Yeah okay. Thanks. This is a fairly dark book, so plenty of trigger warnings ahead.

Black Water Sister by Zen Cho is a gorgeously descriptive urban fantasy/ghost story set mostly in Malaysia. Jess, a recent college graduate, is in the closet, broke, jobless, and getting ready to move back to Malaysia, a country she hasn’t been in since she was a child, when she starts to hear a voice in her head.

The descriptions of Malaysia and its culture are rich and detailed. Contrasting with the dark sometimes biting humor of Jess’s conversations with her dead grandmother. And then amp it up with gangsters! And family secrets. Enjoy this Asian voiced, New Adult, supernatural thriller!

I went into this book with very little expectations since I didn't actually read the synopsis prior to reading it. I saw the cover and knew I needed the book in my life. That being said, best decision because this book was a damn good time.

If I was ever possessed by a relative as in the case of Jess, my reactions would have been very similar to hers. She quite literally tells her grandmother to fuck off, and honestly, I would feel the same way with that sort of violation taking place. The banter between Jess and her grandmother was hysterical and completely unexpected.

The story itself was fantastic. I loved the rich Malaysian descriptions, the examination of familial complications and hardships especially when coupled with leaving your home country in search of more opportunities only to be forced to return after everything crumbles. It was heartbreaking but that's not to say that Jess' parents were without hope and determination.

I'm always a sucker for ghosts stories and spirits, and this book definitely digs in and gets dark quickly. So many secrets are revealed and some pretty ugly pasts, and I genuinely enjoyed watching all of it unfold.

And let's be honest, when the author describes this book as "A stressed zillennial lesbian fights gods, ghosts, gangsters & grandmas in 21st century Penang", you know you're in for a good time.

The concept and the idea behind the book is awesome, brilliant, original, grabbing. However, I found myself not invested or interested when I started reading the book. It wasn't a story written for me. I only finished 15%, but if it continues the way it has, it's definitely a 4 star book for the right audience. We will likely add a couple copies throughout our libraries.