Alkaf, Hanna. Hamra and the Jungle of Memories. Harper, 03/2023. 400pp. Fiction. GRADES 5 – 8. $19.99. 978-0-06-320795-0. OUTSTANDING.
On the morning of her thirteenth birthday, Hamra doesn’t feel chosen—at least not in a good way. She’s stuck caring for her demanding grandparents, while her front-liner parents help other Malaysians through the pandemic. But when she angrily enters the jungle to fetch herbs and flouts all the rules, the story choses her. Soon she and her best friend Ilya are doing a weretiger’s bidding, unravelling riddles, entering legends, and battling the supernatural. Alkaf has written an exciting fantasy adventure, incorporating Malaysian folktales with multi-dimensional and memorable characters in a world with richly described details. And, at the heart of the story, is a profound exploration of the tension between growth and loss shared by adolescents and the elderly. While the book is long, there is nothing extraneous or didactic. The Malaysian setting and details about Hamra’s Muslim faith add immeasurable interest. Review based on an ARC.
Melissa McAvoy—Retired