Nest of Tongues: Filipino Vampire Folkore

Randy Ribay's young adult novel, Nest of Tongues, is a suspenseful, unique story of teenage Filipino siblings in the Bay area who happen to be vampires.  Full of Filipino folklore, Ribay weaves an intricate tale that takes place throughout the course of only one week.  At the start of the week the main characters,  Lily and Caleb, are flying at night to feed on an animal when they discover the body of another vampire that had been brutally murdered. Once they tell their grandmother, Lola, she jumps to discuss the threat with the local elder supernatural creatures.  It is revealed that a figure called a Bayani is the culprit and it is coming for Caleb next.  The rest of the story is a race against the clock as everyone tries, in their own ways, to protect Caleb.  In their attempts to solve the mystery, family secrets about their mother are spilled and they can never be the same again.

The best part of this story is the family relationship between Lily and Caleb.  Siblings typically have a complicated bond and the siblings in this story are no different.  They are written with such care and compassion for each of their insecurities and hopes for one another.  Ribay was able to do this well because each chapter changed the POV of the storyteller between the siblings and at times, from the Bayani, too.

I enjoyed learning about the Filipino cultural beliefs and how Tagalog is spoken by young people today. Ribay did not shy away from the horror aspect of this genre so I would suggest it to readers 14+ who can handle graphic descriptions of gore.  The ending surprised me and there was enough story unresolved which, I'm hoping, means that there will be a follow-up story some day.  Even if Ribay does not continue the story, the setting, plot and question of what makes some thing good vs. evil lingers in my mind for a long time. 

Watch author Randy Ribay discuss his perspective on writing this story in the interview conducted by The Booklist Online:

Ghost in the Night: a spooky story for preteens

 

Ghost in the Night by award-winning author, Tiffany D. Jackson, is a middle grade chapter book that is perfect for readers who want an intriguing mystery along with some creepy supernatural events. I usually devour any book that Jackson writes, especially her young adult novels, so I was surprised that I missed Jackson's other middle grade thriller that was written before Ghost in the Night, Blood in the Water.

Although I hadn't read Blood in the Water yet, I read Ghost in the Night anyway and it could truly be read on its own.  

Ghost in the Night is from the perspective of Harmony, a 12 year old Harlem resident, who is taken to Savannah, Georgia with her father, who is a musician.  Once Harmony arrives into town she is immediately curious about the ghost tours.  Since she has been on multiple ghost tours in other cities, her father allows her to go.  During the tour she snaps a photo of a house that is thought to be haunted and when she develops the photos she believes that she did indeed capture someone--or something, through the window!  

Along with several new friends that Harmony makes in Savannah, they make a plan to find out what is in that house.  The mystery is amped up when a local historian is murdered and his young nephew, Jabari, goes missing.  Harmony and her friends want to help find Jabari and find out if his slain uncle has anything to do with the house that is said to be haunted. 

The best part of this story is how deeply Jackson delves into each of the characters' motivations and their past experiences. For Harmony, it's the loss of her grandmother who was her best friend.  The background of her new friends connects her to the Gullah people's culture that shapes how some interact with the supernatural in the Low Country.  Harmony struggles with getting too comfortable in Savannah, knowing that she will be returning to Harlem, however, several twists in the story change this plan and Harmony has to face some difficult conversations with her father about their future.  For a 12 year old, Harmony is an extremely thoughtful person who is flawed, but faces up to her mistakes with empathy.  Young readers will be able to relate to her situation and adults who read this may have more understanding of pre-teen developmental needs.

I would recommend this book to readers ages 10 and up noting that there are many talks about ghosts, haints, demons, etc.  The mystery is one that readers could possibly solve before the ending is revealed so that makes it a more entertaining read.  Jackson carefully plants clues throughout the story that make the ending quite satisfying.  Now I need to read her middle grade thriller, Blood in the Water!