This is a hard book to review! I did not fully enjoy the experience of reading it, as it was very dark and difficult subject matter. That being said, I thought it was a very unique and creative story that was well written and told in a compelling manner. I loved the lush jungle setting and the folklore that was featured. The plight of the women in the story was heartbreaking. I wasn’t sure where it was going, and the twist was pretty shocking to me. I had trouble connecting to the main character, and didn’t find her very likable. I think for a personal rating I would give this book a 3, but in assessing the overall writing and story, a 4 seems more fair.

Amara is the daughter of the village Capuwa, a demon-priest, and a mother who was once part of rich, influential family of the island, until she got pregnant and ran away with Amara’s father. When something starts seizing men in the jungle and harming them, the villages accuse her father of causing the attacks.

A tense, spooky tale of a young woman's inner rage against how she is treated and even lied to, where her inner demon hidden beneath her skin is let loose by one living in the dark jungle. This is a story of all women chained to their lives by men, parents and more, where sometimes the villain becomes the savior.

This is my first read from Amanda Jayatissa and baby, this will NOT be my last!

Island Witch is a historical supernatural thriller set in Sri Lanka during the 19th century. We follow Amara, a young girl who lives in a once-flourishing village, the daughter of a demon priest. Now facing British colonization and the sweeping change to Christianity, Amara, and her family are facing ridicule and blame for random attacks on men in the jungle by their village. This story showcases Amara's transformation from a kind girl to a woman filled with rage. Island Witch has very strong themes of violence towards women, sexual assault, domestic abuse, abortions, bullying, and religious superiority. Seriously, no wonder the events unfolded as they did!

The writing was so descriptive and the atmosphere was set for the more nerve-racking scenes. I would say my only coil to the story is that Amanda does a very good job at providing translations to Amara's native language. I truly appreciated it but there were times when the definitions kind of put me out of the story. I wish there was a specific section in the book for definitions and the proper pronunciations of terms. Luckily I did flag this while reading so if I did forget a term, I would easily find the definition again. Besides that, this book was so haunting, the ending had me lying in bed staring at the ceiling for a while.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.

Let’s face it, there are few things more horrific than colonization. In her latest thriller, Amanda Jayatissa explores this evil against the backdrop of 19th-century Sri Lanka, where a father and daughter must fight to save the island and themselves from a dangerous new religion and the violence it inflicts. - included online at Ms. Magazine Feb. 2024 Reads for the Rest of Us

This book was so engrossing and vivid in its imagery. It was at times both gorgeous and horrifying. A little creepy but I loved it! Seriously count me in for Amanda Jayatissa's next one!

Thank you Berkley Books, #partner, for the advanced e-copy of Island Witch in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved Amanda Jayatissa’s previous two books and so it was a no-brainer that I would continue to read her books. This new one sounded so amazing…and it immediately became one of my most anticipated reads – and I’m so happy to say that it totally delivered!

I was pulled into this book right from the start. The writing is absolutely beautiful and it is so atmospheric! I loved how the author was able to blend the gothic vibes with the Sri Lankan folklore and bits of horror – it had me completely engaged and on edge at the same time. I’m not usually a fan of horror, but when it is mixed in this way, I’m all for it. Added in is just a slight bit of supernatural, which again doesn’t tend to work for me, but here it totally does. The historical fiction aspects, especially the religious conflict that the author portrays here was quite impressive and sent me down quite the rabbit hole of my own research.

This is a very dark story, and it is unsettling and a bit creepy to say the least, but it is a slow-burn! The mystery kept my hooked, and I found myself unable to put the book down as I was totally entranced by the story. Just know it is not fast-paced by any means and the payoff is totally worth it!

Amanda Jayatissa is absolutely a must-read author for me from now on! All three of her books have been great and I cannot wait to see what she writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an ARC of this title.

Firstly, I loved the setting of colonial-era Sri Lanka and the folklore. I feel like these aspects were really well incorporated into the book and I learned a lot.

However, there were some pacing issues in the middle of the book. I know this was probably to build tension, but the plot twists became so predictable that it kind of just dragged until the big reveal at the end.

Also, one super small criticism is that I think this could have benefitted from a glossary at the end. Lots of words were followed by an English translation which made the prose choppy and took me out of the story.

Amanda Jayatissa’s latest novel, Island Witch is an atmospheric, gothic horror novel set in the 19th century in Sri Lanka. A tense story about a young woman and the truths she uncovers about her village.

I have read all of Amanda Jayatissa’s books and enjoyed each of them. If you’ve read her books before, you’ll be familiar with her blending modern and traditional Sri Lankan culture into a psychological suspense story. In particular, the ways Sri Lanka and America compare and contrast with characters who have lived both places, and how that impacts their fit within their culture.

Island Witch is quite different from her previous books, My Sweet Girl and You’re Invited, but no less compelling. While both of her prior books (and in particular, My Sweet Girl) have supernatural and Sri Lankan lore woven into them, it’s not necessarily a supernatural or horror book. Island Witch is not only the first fully historical fiction work Jayatissa has written, it is also much closer to a horror novel than a psychological thriller.

Set in 19th century Sri Lanka in a small village nestled between the jungle and the water, Island Witch is narrated by a girl named Amara. Her father is the village capuwa, which is a type of priest who draws from the gods (deviyo) to ward off demons (yakku). His work involves blessing houses and warding off evil, but many confuse him with Cattadiyas who work with yakku (demons). The British have infected the peaceful island, and they bring with them the notion of witchcraft (Ceylon) and to fear women with strength who might fight back.

The British colonizers also work to convert the villagers to Christianity. They besmirch Amara’s father, and call him a “demon worshiper” after a series of men are attacked in the jungle surrounding the village. They place the blame on Amara’s father, though Amara doesn’t believe her father is guilty and she seeks to clear his name. But Amara is haunted by dreams of dark forces on the island. Her sleepwalking becomes more frequent, and her dreams feature a demoness who resembles the being that attacked the men in the jungle. She can’t shake the feeling that this is all linked together—the attacks, the colonizers, the sleepwalking, her dreams, and the night she was taken by a mysterious illness. The night she woke up to her mother’s frantic cries “no one can find out what happened!”

One common thread through all of Jayatissa’s work to date is about the mistreatment of women in society. Jayatissa portrays women of all types—some are likable, some are deeply unlikable—but by the end of her story the reader is left with a deep sense of injustice for women. Even the ones who do bad things. This theme is even stronger in Island Witch than her previous two novels.

Gothic vibes and Sri Lankan folklore surround this story, making this an unsettling, haunting, atmospheric read. Themes of colonization, superstition, imperialism, folklore, violence against women, and feminist rage weave throughout this book without preaching or talking down to the reader. Amara is young and vulnerable as the book begins, but by the end she has transformed. Watching her village turn against her father, when they are the very ones who call on the capuwa in times of need. Amara realizes that the demons she was taught to fear may not be the only danger she faces.

I read an interview with Jayatissa where she mentions that this book is her own version of an origin story for Mohini—one of the most known and feared demonesses in Sri Lankan folklore. I remember Mohini from My Sweet Girl—she’s a terrifying presence commonly depicted as a woman in white clutching a bundle that is thought to be a child. There are countless variations on the story of Mohini, but the point that Jayatissa makes is that nothing good comes from coming into her path. While Mohini appears in stories and folklore across Sri Lanka and it’s history, there is no specific origin story of how Mohini came to be. Jayatissa was inspired to create one, and that eventually became Island Witch.

An eerie, gripping story about the women of Sri Lanka and the threats against them, whether it be colonizers, demons, or even their own fathers, brothers, uncles, and neighbors.

I was provided an ARC of this book via the Berkley Besties program and Netgalley, I did however end up listening to the final production version of the audiobook. As always all opinions are my own.

This is a bit of a genre mashup. It blends folklore, historical fiction, feminism, horror and more all into one package. Set in 19th century Sri Lanka when the traditional religious practices and beliefs are being overtaken by the influence of the British Colonizers, Amara and her family are seen as outcasts. Her father's role as Capuwa was once respected, and his practices are being twisted into something sinister. Amara is constantly accused of practicing witchcraft, which leaves her frustrated and isolated. When the men in her village are attacked, her father is immediately the suspect. Amara knows he would never hurt anyone, but when she begins having odd dreams and waking up in strange places she is determined to sort out what really happened.

I really enjoyed how the author blended the historical colonization of Sri Lanka and the lore into the storyline. Amara tries to be a dutiful daughter, but her family situation and the loss of her home and traditions have so much to do with what is going on in the storyline. She is 18, and at times she reads very young as her parents have kept her sheltered, this leads to her being impulsive and irresponsible at times. There are other times when she is very mature, sticks up for herself and her family because she believes in doing what is right not what is expected and polite. The build up is slow but it leads to an explosive ending when she discovers what is at the center of the attacks and when she finally embraces her own trauma and unleashes her rage on the world. Amara's character development is at the center of the story as she comes to learn of betrayal and broken trust.

Overall, this was an unsettling book. If you are looking for a slow burn, coming of age, folklore laden novel with a feminine rage horror twist give this a go. I'd check trigger warnings before picking this up because it mentions some pretty heavy topics and it is pretty dark.

Short synopsis: Amara is the daughter of the village demon-priest accused of witchcraft. She’s trying to find answers to the attacks in her village.

My thoughts: I was immediately drawn to this one by the cover alone. But the story just didn’t captivate my attention the was I was hoping.

I was mostly bored throughout, it could totally have been a me issue. But I just didn’t feel drawn to any of the characters or the storyline.

That being said, I know lots of people have really loved it. I just must not have been in the mood for a slow burn.

Read if you love:
- Slow burns
- Folklore
- witchcraft and demon priests
- historical fiction and horror

Island Witch by Amanda Jayatissa is powerful and emotional. From the very beginning, the novel drops you right into the culture, immersing you in Amara’s world and the authentic life of the historical time. The details of the culture and their beliefs will keep you captivated as you are drenched in the pain and horror that Amara struggles with as she attempts to find out why she and the village seem to be haunted. And it becomes clear that the story is all about the horror of both the real world as much as the supernatural. 

I love the way Amanda Jayatissa blends the real with the fantastic, the supernatural horror with the horror of man as Amara attempts to regain her own power as a woman in a world that allows women very few choices. The story does an excellent job of revealing the rich history of Sri Lanka, the culture and both the positive and negative aspects of how women were treated during the time. That blend of real and supernatural will hold you spellbound until the end, the horror never ending as you realize all that Amara is subjected to in the pursuit of her truth and her own power.

If you like historical supernatural horror, this is the novel for you. It will immerse you in the culture and history of Sri Lanka, keeping you engaged and caught up with Amara as she delves into the supernatural attacks around her. The story is so absorbing you will struggle to put it down and the ideas will resonate with you long after you finish the novel.

I have to start with this beautiful cover. Am I right? That sunset and her eyes. I was a huge fan of My Sweet Girl, so even though this is a departure from that genre, I picked this up. I really enjoy her writing style and that doesn’t hold true for just one genre.

This is an atmospheric tale of a witch in the Sri Lankan jungle. It’s twisty and supernatural and had me wondering what the heck was going on. I am always a fan of culture and this one is brimming with it.

Amara and her family live in a village on the edge of the jungle in Sri Lanka in the 19th century. Her father is a demon-priest and Amara is of the age she should be married. Something in the jungle is attacking men and Amara is having strange dreams. I was sure I knew where this one was headed. While I was partially right, I was also far off from guessing the ending.

But I’ll be honest, this one is not just about the plot, but the picture the author paints. The history, the atmosphere, the culture. I was caught up in it all. It had a gothic eerie feel that lasted through the entire book.

And when I listened, Isuri Wijesundara’s voice was perfect for the story. I loved her accent. It was easy to listen and I never had trouble understanding what she said as I sometimes do with accents. It really added to the mood set by the words.

I was not familiar at all with Sri Lankan folklore so this was all new to me. Amara is the daughter of a demon priest and accused of witchcraft. There is mysteries, violence and rage on this island but who is really to blame. I don’t want to say too much here but this was a unique one.
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Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you like creepy gothic suspenseful stories set in the 19th century this might be a book for you. It was a different plot for me and it was tough at times but I had to see what happened. The book address’ a lot of things that happened to women back in the 19th century and how they were treated so at times it was hard to read. I am still thinking about the ending if I liked it or not. Give it a go and see what you think

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Island Witch is a supernatural thriller that kept me on my toes with all of their creepy and suspenseful vibes. That ending was insane. There were topics of colonialism and religious moral superiority that were addressed in this book. I think the author did very well in addressing these harder topics.

Overall, I enjoyed all of the creepy, gothic vibes and the tales of feminism within this book. Would definitely recommend.

I really liked this book. I loved the way it was told and it felt very unique. The setting being in Sri Lanka was a first for me and I loved it. Such a good and unique story. Highly recommend.

*Thank you netgalley and Berkeley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

What I enjoyed most about Island Witch was how it examines a changing community. The impacts of colonialism and the intersections of belief and witchcraft. At the same time it also examines female rage, revenge, and the ways fear is drilled into women. The idea of sin, religion, and guilt all merging with 'Christianity' and colonialism. With these ideas swirling around, for Amara where will she stand?

This book kinda reads like a young adult folktale. There’s a booger in the jungle that is attacking men. The main character dad just happens to exorcise demons from the town people.
After the attacks go on the people all think the dad is at fault.
Weaved in the story is an underlying feminine rage.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

This was a definite change of pace for me and I am glad I read it. I appreciate being pushed out of my comfort zone and this did just that.
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This book has dark themes that are hard to read sometimes, but the author didn’t just throw them in gratuitously. She told a beautifully written tale of horrible things, demons, religious shaming, the effects of colonialism, and the way women were used and abused among them.
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This story takes place in the late 19th century in Sri Lanka, where the British have colonized the island. Amara is a young woman whose father drives out demons. The people in her village bully her for this and the suspected witchcraft they accuse her of doing. However she isn’t the one they need to fear. Something is in the jungle seizing men and causing terror. The dreams that haunt Amara somehow connect her to the darkness.
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This was quite unusual with an ending I did not expect at all. Thanks #BerkleyPublishing for my advanced ecopy of this chilling book.

Amara, the daughter of a village demon-priest, lives at a time when people are being influenced by practices of a new religion brought by the British. Accused of being a witch when mysterious attacks occur, Amara tries to discover who is behind it all.

This book is based on the folklore of Sri Lanka. It was a bit of a departure from Jayatissa's other books and an uncomfortable read for me. But it was well-written and researched.