Okiku is a solitary soul, left to free the spirits of murdered children after her own violent death. But when she meets Tark and his cousin Callie, she can’t help but latch on, drawn to the evil beneath his skin.

Rin Chupeco’s The Girl from the Well is a spooky, atmospheric, quick read full of Japanese culture and folklore. The integration of said folklore was masterfully done and explained and I was entirely captivated by the tale Chupeco spun. This book was the perfect amount of spooky, without being “don’t read in the dark” scary.

I found the actual writing hard to vibe with, however. The shifting of narration and first person to third within the same paragraph was pretty confusing to follow for the entire length of the book.

Overall, this was a quick read and a nice creepy, cultural palate cleanser. I would definitely recommend it.

I absolutely loved this book. Rin Chupeco is a favorite author and I've never read anything by her that I haven't loved. Her writing style is perfect,

Scary yet wholesome, this re-release of The Girl From The Well is great for budding horror fans and people who love Japanese ghost stories but would like to be able to sleep sometimes. Okiku was killed and thrown in a well hundreds of years ago, abandoned by those who had a responsibility to care for her. Now she roams the world killing the murderers of children, sublimating her rage into the protection of children. While hunting her next target, she meets a boy burdened with his own hungry ghost and chooses to protect him. Japanese mythology and magic suffuse the story, which is just scary enough to be engaging without tipping into "sleep with the lights on" territory. The deaths are gruesome but not lingered on, the violence contained. Check out the sequel as well.

This was much creepier than I expected. I’m not sure how I feel about it - I nearly put it down because I was pretty spooked from the beginning. Regardless, I was immediately intrigued and wanted to know what happened so I persevered! Based on a Japanese ghost story, we follow a dead girl who hunts child murderers. One day a boy with strange tattoos moves into the house she resides in .. and strange occurrences ensue and certain truths come to light.

This could’ve been scarier than it was, so I feel like it missed a little something in my opinion. But it does involve dolls which are terrifying so I’m contradicting myself here.

I’m didn’t I gel with the writing style - I found myself a little confused when it came to deciphering who was the narrator during certain parts. There were also some scenes and characters which could’ve been excluded entirely and the story wouldn’t have changed; they felt like unnecessary additions.

The characters were all extremely unremarkable and very flat.. The interesting parts of them were the tragic situations they found themselves in. The character Tark was a typical grumpy sarcastic teenager. A lot of the actions of certain characters didn’t make sense to me based on what I knew about them.

I didn’t think this was a very good reading experience unfortunately. It was a mixture of the grudge, the ring and maybe something else. I enjoyed it loads at first and couldn’t stop reading - but by the end I was just glad it was over. I think there were some things I didn’t understand in both the story itself and the authors writing and it affected my overall experience. I don’t know if I’ll continue the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC.

Vengeance, spirits, and a strange boy covered in tattoos. Okiku is a spirit, she’s been wandering around for centuries freeing the spirits of the murdered and dead... and seeking vengeance against their murderers. Once a vctim herself she now hunts down killers and releases innocent ghosts... but she still hungers for more. She constantly drifts until she meets Tarquin “Tark” a boy who’se mother tried to kill him and tattooed his body with intricate tattoos that turn out to be seals. Okiku starts to notice something about Tark... another spirit that is attached to him... a demon. If the seals on his skin are broken the demon will be free and if the demon dies so does Tark. Soon Okiku will find herself immersed in the lives of Tark and his family as they try and find a cure for Tark as his condition worsens and Okiku might be the only one who can solve it. As a huge fan of horror movies, ghost stories, and East Asian folklore, this was right up my alley. I had a blast reading this and would definitely recommend it! The relationship between Okiku and Tark is sweet, and the horror and ghost element to the story was great, also the folklore was so interesting.

*Thanks Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire, Sourcebooks Fire for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

My second read from Rin Chupeco and it was every bit as good as the first one!!!!
I love how they write, how they weave the story with so many layers upon layers and so much depth! I'm really excited to read more from them!! Definitely gonna go through the rest of their work <3
Even though the basic plot of the book seems like a typical horror movie, the book is so much more. The characters have so much depth and I loved them all!! Tarquin, Callie and Okiku are of course my most favorites <3 Followed by Kagura and Sandra!!
There's just one thing that I wish could've been better, storywise (attaching at the end of the review because of spoilery content)
Highly recommend this book to everyone in mood for a chilling, captivating and absolutely spooky story!!
Actual rating: 4.5

*spoiler alert*
I just wish something could've been done sooner and all those kids didn't have to die. But why doesn't this happen is well explained and handled by the author subtly.

The author has done it again. I was not aware that this book was already out and will only be republished with a new cover to boot. I am so glad it did, because the new cover is really amazing and suits the overall image of the novel. I was so excited to read this one, especially after reading the other work of the author.

The novel is really creepy and it has great characters. The plot was very engaging as well and it was such a breeze to read this novel. I'll be buying this book (the new cover) and will surely wait for the new one, because I am sure the next installment (with new cover) is in the works soon.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for granting me an E-arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, would have liked a little more horror but never the less it was great. I loved the characters and the plot. It was fast paced and intresting, there were some really great twists and turns along the way which made me refuse to put it down finishing it in on sitting!
I will definitely be reading the second book!

Beautifully written.. An ancient Japanese ghost story in a modern setting. Shrine maidens, ghosts, and kami oh my.
The tale opens with an ancient Japanese vengeance spirit, as she is enacting vengeance, and the pacing never slows down.
I strongly recommend.

My words cannot do this book justice. If I could give it ten out of five I would. Simply the best horror book I have read. Frightfully scary from the first page, the author has created a creepy atmosphere throughout the story telling. But this is not just a series of scary events: the story itself has layers and the characters (including the ghosts) are fully fleshed out and intriguing. So good!

I adore the cover illustration on this edition and will be waiting for its release.

I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book was ok. I mean the writing style was just ok and I personally didn’t find it that creepy but I know some people would be creeped out reading this one .

This was very spooky! This book was first published back in 2014 and is a reissue with a new cover. Personally I love the cover, it is completely creepy and beautifully haunting. I don't normally get scared reading horror novels. Ultimately, my brain is the one doing the picturing and for the most part I can just eliminate the creep. There were moments in this book where I could not do that. Maybe it's just due to my deep seated fear of The Grudge movie and it made this book all that much creepier. I did enjoy that Okiko kind of adopted Tark and Callie? Like here's this 300 year old spirit that murders child-killers and she runs into Tark and Callie and just goes "you know what, I'll keep you" and I loved it. Like any horror story, the creep and spook level lessened for me as we neared the conclusion. But overall this was a quick spooky read. Keep a night-light on if you're reading at night in the dark!

This book is a brilliant introduction to the folklore of the Yurei spirit, a/k/a a Japanese ghost. Narrated in the first person by a yurei, the story, which has its gruesome and terrifying moments, is also surprisingly intimate and tender. In terms of plot, action, and suspense, the book is top drawer. But more than that, the book is wonderfully well written, and a joy to read just for its elegant style and its subtle ability to create the mood and flavor of an authentic Japanese ghost story. This is a wonderful find.

The Girl from the Well is delightfully creepy and dark -- possibly far too creepy for me, even. The first person narrative of this novel really works to create the perspective of our antihero, with pacing that draws you further into the story. The details are well done and even freaked me out at times, as I wasn't quite expecting them. I would recommend this for high school students (or even adults) who love a good scare.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

First things first, I am a fan of Horror, Thriller, or Mystery movies, that’s why every weekend I have this habit of watching this kind of movie, especially in the afternoon while eating lunch. Hehe. Though I am not that brave enough or strong enough to watch these kinds of movies, I still love watching them.

Wait wait wait… Why am I telling you this? Well, I just want you to tell some background story before I proceed in my review. Hehe. Just kidding. The reason is that because I love watching this kind of movie, it is rare for me to read books in the same genre also. I have read some books before, but it does not give me any “chills” or it does not pass the “frightening” vibe for me.

But, when I saw The Girl from the Well in Netgalley because of its re-issue, I immediately requested it. It’s been on my to-be-read list, and I was thinking that time to finally read it.

So, what are my thoughts during and after I read it?

First, I will be completely honest with myself, when I started reading it, there was an adjustment period for me in the first few chapters. There were times that it was hard for me to be immersed in the story, I guess it’s because it was a “horror” genre book. Soon enough, I was able to adapt and enjoyed (I don’t know if ENJOY is the right term for a horror book. Haha) reading it.

Second, I love the concept or the story of this book. It was like The Grudge/The Ring movie, that’s why it was easy for me to imagine the scenes in the book. And there were times while I was reading the book, I felt chills, which was a sign for me that I was truly immersed and frightened.

Third, the characters were lovable, especially Okiku. I know you will laugh at this, but, I was rooting for Okiku and Tark. Haha! I love the character development of these two characters in the story. As for Callie, it was so-so for me.

Fourth, it was my first Rin Chupeco book, and I am now sure why most of my book friends are loving her works. I will now binge some of her works, I’m sure of it. 😊

And lastly, to those who want to experience CHILLS the same as me, please please read “The Girl from the Well”. If you like a ghost or horror with a Japanese setting like The Ring or The Grudge, I recommend this one!

After a friend recommended Rin Chupeco, I went to see which book/s I should start with. The Girl from the Well duology really intrigued me and I was happy to not only find it for $1 at a library book sale, but then provided to me by NetGalley! I absolutely loved this YA horror. Chupeco did a great job keeping me entertained, wanting to know more about these spirits and what their stories were. I also learned a lot in regard to Japanese culture in regard to such beliefs about spirits and what not. I liked that they shared the Japanese terminology throughout the story, it added to my experience and learning. I look forward to reading the next in the series, The Suffering!