A Whisper of Leaves was given to me by Full of Books to review a week or so ago, and I must admit that I was hesitant to read it at first. A small book at only 146 pages, I was worried that the resolution would be quick and the story too short to be interesting. Though I still hold that the book would be improved by adding more plot and, therefore, length, I was pleasantly surprised. I tore through the story, finishing it in a little over an hour, and found myself eager to read more when I finished a chapter. The ghost/thriller theme gave me chills, and I found my eyes darting around me as if the death spirit Shinigami itself were peering over me.
A ghost story set in Japan, A Whisper of Leaves was written by Ashley Capes. Riko, and ESL teacher finds an old journal in the forest beneath Mt. Fuji and decides to take it home. As she begins to read through the journal, Riko begins to be threatened by a mysterious and angry force everywhere she turns and finds out more than she bargained for about the author. As strange events turn to dangerous (i.e. being held a gunpoint by your possessed ex-boss) and nobody seems to believe her, Riko must discover what happened to the author of this strange journal – and why a strange old man raking leaves in the forest seems to be connected.
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I enjoyed this book more than I first thought, but there were still some flaws. The grammar was slightly better than mediocre, as there were too many simple sentences for my taste, and using a semicolon five times per page gets annoying after a while. As I mentioned earlier, the book could have been longer – I felt that the story was good and complete, but I definitely would have read more if it was available and I felt that there was just something that was missing. Overall, a recommended read for anyone who likes ghost stories, or anyone who wants to dip their toes into the genre.
Rating: 3.25 of 5 stars
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