Linghun by Ai Jiang

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

A creative, powerful novella about the intertwining of grief, death and life from a must-read Canadian author.

What if you wanted a ghost to haunt your house? Ai Jiang takes the traditional haunted house story and flips it on it's head. Our main character, Wenqi, moves into a house with her mother and father in the mysterious neighbourhood of HOME. Inexplicably, the houses in this specific neighbourhood have a gift of being able to call fourth ghosts of loved ones. However, such a gift doesn't come without a price.

Through Wenqi's eyes we follow her family's experience of grief, lost and what they'll give up to have their loved one back with them. We also experience the macrocosm of how this affects the neighbourhood and the people who want desperately to live in one of these houses.

The story and the writing are so compelling it was heard to put down. I highly recommend it for fans of Shirley Jackson. There are definite vibes of 'The Lottery' here, in the best way.

This book is best read while sitting with your back against your sibling's closed door. You've told them breakfast is ready, but you can't hear them speak anymore, so now you wait.