Island Witch

(Hardback)

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Description

Inspired by Sri Lankan folklore, award-winning author Amanda Jayatissa turns her feverish, Gothic-tinged talents to late 19th century Sri Lanka where the daughter of a traditional demon-priest-relentlessly bullied by peers and accused of witchcraft herself-tries to solve the mysterious attacks that have been terrorizing her coastal village. Being the daughter of the village Capuwa, or demon-priest, Amara is used to keeping mostly to herself. Influenced by the new religious practices brought in by the British Colonizers, the villagers who once respected her father's craft have turned on the family. Yet, they all still seem to call on him whenever supernatural disturbances arise. Now someone-or something-is viciously seizing upon men in the jungle. But instead of enlisting Amara's father's help, the villages have accused him of carrying out the attacks himself. As she tries to clear her father's name, Amara finds herself haunted by dreams that eerily predict the dark forces on her island. And she can't shake the feeling that it's all connected to the night she was recovering from a strange illness, and woke up, scared and confused, to hear her mother's frantic cries- No one can find out what happened. Lush, otherworldly, and recalling horror classics like Carrie and The Exorcist, Island Witch is a deliciously creepy and darkly feminist tale about the horrors of moral panic, the violent space between girlhood and adulthood, and what happens when female rage is finally unleashed.

Reviews

Praise for Island Witch

"Every once in a while, a book comes along that drops you into another world and takes you places you never could imagine. This is that book. An astounding accomplishment!"
R. L. Stine, author of Goosebumps and Fear Street

Tense and twisty, Island Witch is a fierce exploration of a young womans rage and two kinds of demons: the ones that thrive in the darkness of the jungle, yes, but also those that lurk under the skin of people you thought you could trust. This is razor-sharp anticolonial historical horror with the heart of a thriller, and it kept me feverishly turning the pages long into the night.
Isabel Caas, USA Today bestselling author of Vampires of El Norte

"Raw, brutal, and beautiful, Jayatissa pulls no punches in Island Witch, both a devastating historical retelling of a reviled demoness from Sri Lankan lore and a thrilling murder mystery. In this haunting, rage-filled story, Jayatissa gives voice to feared women, women at the margins, women for whom villainy is the closest thing to justice. A stunning achievement."
Ashley Winstead, author of Midnight is the Darkest Hour


Praise for You're Invited

"Filled with kaleidoscope twists and turns I could not turn the pages fast enough in this delicious follow-up to My Sweet Girl. When Amaya receives an invitation to the lavish Sri Lankan wedding of her ex-boyfriend and her ex-best friend, her decision to attend is only the first mystery at the heart of this unputdownable thriller."
Greer Hendricks,#1 New York Timesbestselling co-author of The Wife Between Us

"Whip smart and expertly plotted with perfectly arranged clues and an explosive finalewill have readers guessing who they can trust and who the real villainis in this wickedly good thriller."
Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of Local Woman Missing

You're Invited reads likeCrazy Rich Asians' deranged, bloodthirsty sisterslick, twisted, and relentlessly juicy. Amanda Jayatissa's sophomore thriller is both a dizzying hall-of-mirrors pageturner and a cutting examination of privilege, power, and complex female friendships. I couldn't put it down.
Andrea Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of We Were Never Here

"Amanda Jayatissas atmospheric novel careens toward a sinister ending that has readers questioning everything and reminds us to keep our enemies close but our friends and family closer."
NPR

"This story is deliciously messy...Buckle up. This is a psychological thriller with corkscrew-tight twists and surprising depth as the novel explores issues of class, identity, and friendship."
Oprah Daily

Author Bio

Amanda Jayatissa grew up in Sri Lanka, completed her undergrad at Mills College in California, and lived in the UK before moving back to her sunny little island. She works as a corporate trainer, owns a chain of cookie stores, and is a proud dog mum to her two spoiled huskies.