Bound Feet by Kelsea Yu REVIEW

 Summary:

On the night of the Hungry Ghost Moon, when spirits can briefly return to the living world, Jodi Wu and her best friend sneak into Portland's Chinese Garden and Ghost Museum. Kneeling before the pond where Jodi's toddler drowned one year before, they leave food offerings and burn joss paper - and Jodi prays that Ella's ghost will return for the night.

To distract Jodi from her grief, the two friends tell each other ghost stories as they explore the museum. They stop at the main display, a centuries-old pair of lotus slippers belonging to a woman whose toes were broken and bound during childhood. While reading the woman's story, Jodi hears her daughter's voice.

As Jodi desperately searches for the garden, it becomes apparent that Ella isn't the only ghost they've awakened. Something ancient with a slow shuffling step lurks in the shadows . . .

My Thoughts:

Oh my god did I love this. The novella is pretty short, but it fits so well. The ending is a perfect wrap-up, and the main characters are both well developed. 

Jodi is still grieving the loss of her daughter, so her friend Sarah, who also lost a child, takes her to a garden and museum where the child died to give offerings. Sarah doesn't believe in ghosts, but Jodi does, and has hope that she will see her daughter again.

When Jodi hears Ella's voice, she is ecstatic and tries to find her, only to discover another ghost trying to steal her away. The said ghost happens to be one from the stories that they read, but the stories were not completely accurate. Only with the realization of the true story does Jodi find out Sarah's secret . . . and find a way to get her daughter back.

This book is dark, but in a good sort of way. I like how tied to the story the Chinese culture is. Learning things about different cultures through writing is one of my favorite things. Despite the length being on the shorter side, there are a few unexpected twists and turns along the way.

Yu is such a talented writer. She kept me drawn into the plot and characters to the point of me not wanting to put it down. I am definitely going to check out more of her work, and I hope she continues to write more stories.

Definitely a recommend from me.

My Rating: 5 stars