First Published 2019

Summary

It’s 1969 and Melati is a 16-year-old girl living in Kuala Lumpur who loves music, especially the Beatles, very especially Paul McCartney. However, Mel also has a secret that makes her different from other girls her age. She has OCD, though she believes it’s a Djinn that has possessed her and who shows her the terrible and graphic ways that  her mother will die if she doesn’t count and tap as the Djinn demands. 

When deadly race riots break out between the Chinese and the Malay, Mel, who is Malay, is saved by a Chinese woman. However, she is desperate to find her mother if she can navigate the dangerous streets and the demands of the Djinn. 

My Thoughts

This is a book of historical fiction for young adults which will stay with me for a long time.

The author’s portrayal of Melati’s OCD was powerful and poignant. Melati was so clearly overwhelmed, frustrated, and ashamed of her behavior, and yet her drive to count and tap was entirely out of her control, because she believed absolutely that the well-being of her loved ones was dependent upon her counting and tapping. Others were shocked, confused, or disgusted by her behaviors so she did her best to hide them, but the more anxious she became the less able she was to conceal the symptoms. Even though I felt empathy and compassion for Melati, I confess I became frustrated by her behavior at times because I was afraid she was putting herself and others in danger. There were times I found myself yelling at the book, “Stop counting and run!”

I wondered if perhaps that was a point the author hoped to make. It’s exceptionally easy to be understanding of the mental health struggles of others when it is only that one person being impacted. When one person’s struggles begin to impact others, being patient and compassionate can become more of a challenge. 

I also appreciated that Melati was not portrayed exclusively as a victim of her OCD. Her development throughout the course of the book felt very authentic. 

I came to this book knowing nothing about the race riots in Malaysia in 1969, but I felt it was something I should learn about which is one reason why I picked up this book. However, before I started reading I did a quick check online to get background, and I do think that that helped me understand a bit more about what led to the start of the riots. At the same time, I think readers would be fine coming to this book without the history because it makes them more like the young people in this book who are completely blindsided by what’s happening around them. 

The story of the riots is bleak and heartbreaking, and the author doesn’t hold back on the horror. However, and I think this is critical, she does show the moments of humanity – neighbors saving neighbors and heroic individuals protecting total strangers.

Although this book is set in 1969, the author wrote in such a way that the characters and issues are relatable today. For instance, when Melati talks about the importance of hiding her Djinn from her classmates at the all-girls high school she says:

Girls are vicious creatures. You could tie your hair wrong one day and be ostracized by your friends the next. Your mother could come to school dressed in an embarrassing outfit one morning and by that afternoon you could be the butt of jokes for the entire school. To be different is to be mocked mercilessly. Be unique at your own peril.

I think that’s something anyone who is or was a teenage girl can relate to. There are also stories of friendship, crushes, and flirting all seamlessly integrated into the larger story. 

Ultimately, I think the best historical fiction makes a story feel timeless with characters and situations that are somehow relatable in a modern setting. This is one of those stories. I highly recommend it.

Trigger Warnings

There are trigger warnings in the beginning of this book and the author encourages the reader to take them seriously. I also encourage the reader to take them seriously. There is a lot of intense content in this book. 

Although Melati has OCD, there are things said about mental health that could be triggering to people with a variety of mental health issues. 

Additionally, many of the racist tropes are universal and therefore if racism is a trigger for you, please keep that in mind. 

Challenges

This book is my pick to represent Malaysia in my Around the Globe in 193 Books reading challenge.

About The Author

Hanna Alkaf is a critically acclaimed author of books for kids and teens, including The Weight of Our Sky. She graduated with a degree in journalism from Northwestern University and is a Freeman Award winner and a Kirkus Prize finalist. She lives in Kuala Lumpur with her family.

To learn more about the author please see her beautiful website.