The Girl with Ghost Eyes
The Girl with Ghost Eyes is a strange book which involves Chinese ghosts, monsters, myths and customs. Set in Chinatown at the end of the 19th century, the story features Li-lin, a young widow who is cursed with “yin eyes,” the ability to see into the spirit world. Because of her unique talent and her unmarried state, Li-lin has brought shame to her esteemed father, a renowned Daoshi exorcist. Sadly, Li-lin becomes separated from her own body when she attempts to enter the spirit world. She must fight her way back to it.
Luckily, Li-lin has a few skills at her disposal: her martial arts skills, her peachwood sword, her burning paper talismans, and a wise-cracking spirit in the form of a human eyeball tucked away in her pocket. Armed with these, along with her own courage and intelligence, Li-lin finds her place in a Chinatown caught between tradition and modernity.
Though nicely written, this book is difficult to follow, given the various unfamiliar worlds the reader must enter. The mysticism is nicely evoked, though when mixed with the kung fu fighting, the effect is one of disconnection and confusion.
