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The Spider and Her Demons
Between surviving high school and working at her aunt’s dumpling shop, all Zhi wants is to find time for her friends . . . and make sure no one finds out she’s half spider-demon.
But when she accidentally kills and eats a man in front of the most popular girl in school, she discovers she might not be the scariest thing in the shadows.
sydney khoo is a recipient of Penguin Random House Australia’s Write It fellowship program, which aspires to find, nurture and develop unpublished writers across all genres, with a focus on underrepresented sections of our community.
But when she accidentally kills and eats a man in front of the most popular girl in school, she discovers she might not be the scariest thing in the shadows.
sydney khoo is a recipient of Penguin Random House Australia’s Write It fellowship program, which aspires to find, nurture and develop unpublished writers across all genres, with a focus on underrepresented sections of our community.
364 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 15, 2023
13 people are currently reading
455 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
September 12, 2023
A rip roaring fantasy with heart - I loved these characters so much!
August 9, 2023
Huge thank you to Penguin Aus for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Y’all, I am obsessed with this book. This was such a fun, interesting, emotional read. I’ve not read anything quite like it before. I especially love that it’s an urban fantasy set in Australia! This is such an exciting debut.
I loved our main character, Zhi. She’s dealing with all the difficult crap that comes with being a teenager and then on top of that, she’s dealing with being a Spider Demon and having to keep that a secret, and my heart just went out to her. I felt her pain of feeling like a burden, of wishing her aunt could love her differently, of being unsure and insecure. But Zhi’s strong, stronger than she realises, and I loved her journey through this book.
And oh, my God? Dior??? She’s fantastic. I had no idea what was going on with her, if she was gonna end up the villain or not. She was just as fascinating as Zhi, and I loved their fast-growing friendship.
I wish there’d been more on the magic stuff, but I also understand that Zhi’s only at the beginning of her magical journey. I hope we might get a sequel or two in future! 🤞
Y’all, I am obsessed with this book. This was such a fun, interesting, emotional read. I’ve not read anything quite like it before. I especially love that it’s an urban fantasy set in Australia! This is such an exciting debut.
I loved our main character, Zhi. She’s dealing with all the difficult crap that comes with being a teenager and then on top of that, she’s dealing with being a Spider Demon and having to keep that a secret, and my heart just went out to her. I felt her pain of feeling like a burden, of wishing her aunt could love her differently, of being unsure and insecure. But Zhi’s strong, stronger than she realises, and I loved her journey through this book.
And oh, my God? Dior??? She’s fantastic. I had no idea what was going on with her, if she was gonna end up the villain or not. She was just as fascinating as Zhi, and I loved their fast-growing friendship.
I wish there’d been more on the magic stuff, but I also understand that Zhi’s only at the beginning of her magical journey. I hope we might get a sequel or two in future! 🤞
August 24, 2024
I meant to write a review of this magnificent spec fic debut when I first read it and, mea culpa, am finally doing it now because I companion re-read it while finishing “Katie goes to KL”, another debut YA by a Malaysian-Australian author, which I will post about shortly.
This has everything - a 15 year-old half-spider demon called Zhi Leong Yao who is trying to go incognito in high school without accidentally killing anyone (but does end up eating a predatory man alive, video of which later goes viral), witches of all varieties, demons, Sapphic first love, the forms that dysfunctional non-nuclear families can take, embodied curses, telekinesis and gore. So much gore. And spoken Cantonese, and bubble tea in Cabramatta, a home above a Chinatown dumpling shop and mass destruction to recognisable parts of Sydney’s CBD. The smashing together of Malay myth with western demonology is quite unique. And the writing is direct, assured and moving.
At page 311 (Zhi trying to explain to one of her best friends, Nadira, that there are things about her life she can’t tell her, but that it doesn’t mean she loves Nadira any less): “This might be hard to believe, but there’s nothing on the other side of the waiting room for me,” Zhi says. “Being invited to sit with you and Ange in that room - that’s what I’ve been waiting for. That’s happily ever after for me.”
At page 313 (after Zhi realises that the stern aunt who has kept her alive all these years really does love her): “Zhi stares at her little auntie, who’s so terrified of losing her she’d beat a man with a chair, knowing full well she could die in the process.”
At page 342 (Zhi literally cradling her terrified inner child): “You are loved, okay? You’re loved by me. Even when there’s no one left, I will stay. I will always love you. I will love you with everything I have.”
Even on a re-read I was moved to tears. Brave and rare #loveozya
This has everything - a 15 year-old half-spider demon called Zhi Leong Yao who is trying to go incognito in high school without accidentally killing anyone (but does end up eating a predatory man alive, video of which later goes viral), witches of all varieties, demons, Sapphic first love, the forms that dysfunctional non-nuclear families can take, embodied curses, telekinesis and gore. So much gore. And spoken Cantonese, and bubble tea in Cabramatta, a home above a Chinatown dumpling shop and mass destruction to recognisable parts of Sydney’s CBD. The smashing together of Malay myth with western demonology is quite unique. And the writing is direct, assured and moving.
At page 311 (Zhi trying to explain to one of her best friends, Nadira, that there are things about her life she can’t tell her, but that it doesn’t mean she loves Nadira any less): “This might be hard to believe, but there’s nothing on the other side of the waiting room for me,” Zhi says. “Being invited to sit with you and Ange in that room - that’s what I’ve been waiting for. That’s happily ever after for me.”
At page 313 (after Zhi realises that the stern aunt who has kept her alive all these years really does love her): “Zhi stares at her little auntie, who’s so terrified of losing her she’d beat a man with a chair, knowing full well she could die in the process.”
At page 342 (Zhi literally cradling her terrified inner child): “You are loved, okay? You’re loved by me. Even when there’s no one left, I will stay. I will always love you. I will love you with everything I have.”
Even on a re-read I was moved to tears. Brave and rare #loveozya
November 29, 2024
The Spider and Her Demons is really cool and unique, with characters who are sort of darkly fucked up but in an intriguing way that makes you eager to dig out all their secrets throughout the story.
Dior, the possible-friend-possible-danger, is strange and kind of off-putting and definitely dangerous, but she's also charming and charismatic and her her attempts to kindle a friendship with Zhi feel like they stem from genuine loneliness. The disconnect keeps you on your toes with regards to whether or not you can trust her, and even if you do decide to trust her the story won't let you forget that she's capable of some pretty fucked up shit. Being me, I naturally appreciate a morally complicated character who's neither demonized not excused by the narrative, and as such Dior and her relationship with Zhi were an excellent focus.
Being me, I also really liked the themes of friendship over explicit romance (though Zhi and Dior's dynamic can certainly be interpreted as romantic). Many of the books featuring aromantic or asexual characters that I've read have only a brief namedrop of the labels, often in the form of an off-hand joke (an exasperated 'I'm too asexual for this' is a common one), while never actually exploring the identities or how they impact the characters. The Spider and Her Demons, however, never actually use either term, but it does heavily discuss friendship and romance and how the two are pitted against each other, and the general feelings the characters have about not wanting to be in a romantic and/or sexual relationship. It comes off a lot more genuine than books which treat throwing labels around like checking off a list. Here, it is an integral part of the narrative and Zhi's character journey as someone who can't/won't ever have romantic and/or sexual relationship.
The main flaw of the book is the plot and lore. The main focus is the tension and building relationship between Zhi and Dior, which is done excellently, but there is also the mystery surrounding Dior's nature, about what the rules for the supernatural even are in this world, as well as a more action-driven demon vs. demon hunters sort of sub plot. While these were interesting ideas, I felt they all needed more work done. The demon and magic lore especially felt very half-baked.
This is an issue I often see in smaller, more character focused stories that also decide to add in some bigger, outside plot. The plot ends up feeling disconnected and underwhelming because the character beats are so much stronger and better developed, and the attempt at a big epic climax that largely builds on something completely different will ring hollow unless that aspect (in this case, the lore and Dior mystery) are given equal depth.
Dior, the possible-friend-possible-danger, is strange and kind of off-putting and definitely dangerous, but she's also charming and charismatic and her her attempts to kindle a friendship with Zhi feel like they stem from genuine loneliness. The disconnect keeps you on your toes with regards to whether or not you can trust her, and even if you do decide to trust her the story won't let you forget that she's capable of some pretty fucked up shit. Being me, I naturally appreciate a morally complicated character who's neither demonized not excused by the narrative, and as such Dior and her relationship with Zhi were an excellent focus.
Being me, I also really liked the themes of friendship over explicit romance (though Zhi and Dior's dynamic can certainly be interpreted as romantic). Many of the books featuring aromantic or asexual characters that I've read have only a brief namedrop of the labels, often in the form of an off-hand joke (an exasperated 'I'm too asexual for this' is a common one), while never actually exploring the identities or how they impact the characters. The Spider and Her Demons, however, never actually use either term, but it does heavily discuss friendship and romance and how the two are pitted against each other, and the general feelings the characters have about not wanting to be in a romantic and/or sexual relationship. It comes off a lot more genuine than books which treat throwing labels around like checking off a list. Here, it is an integral part of the narrative and Zhi's character journey as someone who can't/won't ever have romantic and/or sexual relationship.
The main flaw of the book is the plot and lore. The main focus is the tension and building relationship between Zhi and Dior, which is done excellently, but there is also the mystery surrounding Dior's nature, about what the rules for the supernatural even are in this world, as well as a more action-driven demon vs. demon hunters sort of sub plot. While these were interesting ideas, I felt they all needed more work done. The demon and magic lore especially felt very half-baked.
This is an issue I often see in smaller, more character focused stories that also decide to add in some bigger, outside plot. The plot ends up feeling disconnected and underwhelming because the character beats are so much stronger and better developed, and the attempt at a big epic climax that largely builds on something completely different will ring hollow unless that aspect (in this case, the lore and Dior mystery) are given equal depth.
January 25, 2025
4.5
I wasn't sure this would be my thing any longer. (The mention of Wonderland as a dead theme park made me feel my age! Oh, man.) I'm so glad I took a chance on this book even though I'm way out of the target audience by now. It brought back all the feels I get from the best YA fiction, except that I also just wanted to hug Zhi for, like, the entire book. Khoo nearly made me cry with their message of self love.
Location-wise I loved all the Cabra <3 details. There are too few books set here as it is, and of those so many ignore the Western suburbs so completely, you'd think it was still 1925.
It was also really nice to read a novel about an Aussie character of colour that wasn't Deadly Serious Migrant Fiction Issuefic (TM). I have no problem with those sorts of works existing in the world, but I definitely think there is a dearth of this kind of real-world but relatively lighthearted fiction out there starring non-white characters. We're normal people too, you know? Not every book about us has to centre around migrants, fleeing from wars halfway across the world, grappling with racism or people trying to assimilate.
At no point does Zhi feel like a walking collection of diversity brownie points. She's a relatively normal teenage girl (for a given definition of that word, hah) who makes dumb jokes, hangs out with her friends, whinges about her life and just generally seems like anyone you went to school with. I also appreciated that this wasn't a romance book and emphasised friendship over the romantic relationship.
Anyway, off my soapbox now. I don't really know what I'm trying to get at here except to say that Zhi seems like a living, breathing human/spider being and it was a delight to spend time in her head. All the details about her spideriness were wonderful. I like that some things about the fantasy aspect were left open-ended.
I wasn't sure this would be my thing any longer. (The mention of Wonderland as a dead theme park made me feel my age! Oh, man.) I'm so glad I took a chance on this book even though I'm way out of the target audience by now. It brought back all the feels I get from the best YA fiction, except that I also just wanted to hug Zhi for, like, the entire book. Khoo nearly made me cry with their message of self love.
Location-wise I loved all the Cabra <3 details. There are too few books set here as it is, and of those so many ignore the Western suburbs so completely, you'd think it was still 1925.
It was also really nice to read a novel about an Aussie character of colour that wasn't Deadly Serious Migrant Fiction Issuefic (TM). I have no problem with those sorts of works existing in the world, but I definitely think there is a dearth of this kind of real-world but relatively lighthearted fiction out there starring non-white characters. We're normal people too, you know? Not every book about us has to centre around migrants, fleeing from wars halfway across the world, grappling with racism or people trying to assimilate.
At no point does Zhi feel like a walking collection of diversity brownie points. She's a relatively normal teenage girl (for a given definition of that word, hah) who makes dumb jokes, hangs out with her friends, whinges about her life and just generally seems like anyone you went to school with. I also appreciated that this wasn't a romance book and emphasised friendship over the romantic relationship.
Anyway, off my soapbox now. I don't really know what I'm trying to get at here except to say that Zhi seems like a living, breathing human/spider being and it was a delight to spend time in her head. All the details about her spideriness were wonderful. I like that some things about the fantasy aspect were left open-ended.
March 12, 2024
Imma be honest, I was really bored by this book at the beginning. I recieved this book from my mum at Christmas, so I didn't think I would like it.
I had absolutely no idea what was going on, but I decided to stick with it. I'm glad I did. It turned out really good in the end. I love the relationship between Zhi and Dior; they are so similar yet different at the same time.
I definitely would suggest this book as a palette cleanser. It's very slice-of-life based. At some stages, I felt like I was reading the autobiography of a real person.
Turned out this book was better than I thought it would be. Loved it so much at the end!! ❤️
I had absolutely no idea what was going on, but I decided to stick with it. I'm glad I did. It turned out really good in the end. I love the relationship between Zhi and Dior; they are so similar yet different at the same time.
I definitely would suggest this book as a palette cleanser. It's very slice-of-life based. At some stages, I felt like I was reading the autobiography of a real person.
Turned out this book was better than I thought it would be. Loved it so much at the end!! ❤️
June 25, 2025
As a queer person I was initially intrigued by this book because of its author – sydney khoo, an Australian aromantic asexual non-binary writer.
At the beginning I was a bit bored by the story and I had a hard time getting used to the casual, colloquial language. But as I got further into the book, I got more invested and the characters started growing on me.
The relationship between Dior and Zhi is very beautiful and I enjoyed following their personal development – which carries most of the plot. Because otherwise there honestly wasn't too much happening until the last few chapters of the book. The fantasy aspects weren't very elaborate and didn't seem very thought-through. I feel like a lot of questions remained unanswered, making the world-building seem incomplete.
At the beginning I was a bit bored by the story and I had a hard time getting used to the casual, colloquial language. But as I got further into the book, I got more invested and the characters started growing on me.
The relationship between Dior and Zhi is very beautiful and I enjoyed following their personal development – which carries most of the plot. Because otherwise there honestly wasn't too much happening until the last few chapters of the book. The fantasy aspects weren't very elaborate and didn't seem very thought-through. I feel like a lot of questions remained unanswered, making the world-building seem incomplete.
January 3, 2025
New fave of all time!
April 20, 2025
Love the idea, love that it's Sydney based, but just didn't see the plot developing further than the 2 girls friendship
November 11, 2024
Holy shit this book was incredible. Everyone should read it
February 5, 2024
Really, really excellent novel. Clever, original fantastical world embedded in the Australia that I know and nurture. Zhi is a protagonist I need to here more from. A subtle Spider-Man retelling, well-written Australian YA fiction. sydney khoo must write another when they can!
September 5, 2025
I loved this very much. A great mix of mythology, school drama, demons and magic in the setting of Sydney. can't wait to read more from this author.
April 2, 2024
“Sometimes I wonder if maybe I’m this filler person everyone sits with in the waiting room before they start their real relationships, y’know?”
Well, you got me there.
Well, you got me there.
August 28, 2023
This is a wonderfully written YA urban/paranormal fantasy. I loved it!
Zhi is a spider-demon. Well, half. She can masquerade well enough as a human, but she is SO TIRED of the façade. She would give anything to be a normal teenager with normal teenager problems. But no, she has more than the usual amount of eyes and legs, plus more venom than the average teen too. When she is mugged outside of the house of the most popular girl in school and accidentally EATS one of her attackers, Zhi quickly finds her life can get WAY more complicated!
I really enjoyed the authenticity of this book. Not the spider-demon part, I hope that's not based in fact, but the Malaysian aunt hiding her love and worry for her niece behind nagging and sternness. The way that Zhi loves her best friends but finds them too much sometimes. The way she can be herself with Dior and the way Zhi discovers she does not have to cower in fear from every shadow. And that Aussiness of this story! I don't often read fantasies based in Australia, so when I do (like Whisper by Lynette Noni, and Her Feral Beasts by E.P. Bali), I really love feeling that piece of home within a magical story! I also loved the magical/paranormal parts. I didn't think I'd enjoy a spider book as much as this, but Khoo writes a surprisingly likeable spider-girl!
There was a little bit of graphic violence, so I guess a TW may be needed for younger readers, but overall it was a fantastically different story and I would happily read this author again!
Thanks to Penguin for my review copy of The Spider and her Demons :)
Zhi is a spider-demon. Well, half. She can masquerade well enough as a human, but she is SO TIRED of the façade. She would give anything to be a normal teenager with normal teenager problems. But no, she has more than the usual amount of eyes and legs, plus more venom than the average teen too. When she is mugged outside of the house of the most popular girl in school and accidentally EATS one of her attackers, Zhi quickly finds her life can get WAY more complicated!
I really enjoyed the authenticity of this book. Not the spider-demon part, I hope that's not based in fact, but the Malaysian aunt hiding her love and worry for her niece behind nagging and sternness. The way that Zhi loves her best friends but finds them too much sometimes. The way she can be herself with Dior and the way Zhi discovers she does not have to cower in fear from every shadow. And that Aussiness of this story! I don't often read fantasies based in Australia, so when I do (like Whisper by Lynette Noni, and Her Feral Beasts by E.P. Bali), I really love feeling that piece of home within a magical story! I also loved the magical/paranormal parts. I didn't think I'd enjoy a spider book as much as this, but Khoo writes a surprisingly likeable spider-girl!
There was a little bit of graphic violence, so I guess a TW may be needed for younger readers, but overall it was a fantastically different story and I would happily read this author again!
Thanks to Penguin for my review copy of The Spider and her Demons :)
November 30, 2023
This had plenty going for it - urban fantasy in unvarnished western Sydney, a second gen immigrant who’s half girl, part spider[demon], all heart. Another girl with alexithymia and… a whole lot of something else. A lot of fighting your figurative demons when you have to mask your true self and when the way your adults love you is not the way you hoped they’d show it.
But then there was never any backstory nor plot progression beyond the two girls’s found friendship. Maybe there’s going to be the usual YA sequel, idk, but there wasn’t enough in this segment for me.
Cute cover though! :)
But then there was never any backstory nor plot progression beyond the two girls’s found friendship. Maybe there’s going to be the usual YA sequel, idk, but there wasn’t enough in this segment for me.
Cute cover though! :)
October 5, 2025
I picked up The Spider and Her Demons because it sounded like a cool idea. I've just come from reading a play with some young children about Arachne and Minerva and they loved getting into the spider-girl story. Their acting inspired me Arachne was so feisty and cool - I wanted some more spidergirl!
Throw in that this is an Australian fantasy with a dark-ish edge, and I really wanted to like it. It had me teetering on the edge because there were definitely better parts but some that didn't quite come together for me.
In summary, the story is about Zhi, a girl who's a spider demon. She knows this right from the start, her aunt (whom she lives with) knows about it and her journey is about hiding this fact from others and surviving school.
The plot doesn't develop a great deal past this. The main incident - Zhi's secret is put at risk - allows Zhi to move on to finding friendship with the most charismatic and rich girl in school, the antithesis of Zhi who feels she has to hide, who feels ugly, and who has to constantly work in her poor aunt's dumpling shop. Dior is a French girl who seems to have it all.
The story is really about Dior and Zhi finding friendship as Dior is special too. Together they explore the whole world of the demons and supernatural business. But is there much more plot than this? No, not much. I wasn't sure that the development in this relationship was that eventful either.
So here's the good:
Original idea for demons
The spider-demon and the other demons and supernatural creatures were at least a bit different and more interesting than in a lot of other fantasy stories we see.
I like that it's set in Sydney
OK, I'm biased but I like a book set in Sydney. It's nice to read some homegrown literature showing off Australia and the Sydney references were detailed and very relatable, I coudl feel myself moving through the streets and seeing things here.
Strongly expressed emotions
It's a YA novel and the growing up and expression of strong emotions as the teenagers find themselves and learn how to deal with the different issues in their lives has a very deep emotional impact.
Friendship!
I love a book about friendship and I like that stories don't always feel that they have to have romance to involve drama and deep feelings. Friendship is hugely powerful and meaningful.
Dior is funny
I really liked in particular how the Dior character was written. The characters in the book are generally written so they are very easily distinguished from one another which is great, but Dior stands out to me as a character who's memorable.
Some problems I had:
The plot feels like it doesn't quite get off the ground
As mentioned, this is really about the girls exploring their friendship. A lot of the time we feel with superpowers and fantasy at all, more should be happening but it just doesn't. It feels like it's a prelude to something big that should happen later. As a result, it also meant that it often felt like the story was repeating old ground.
The writing can feel fragmented and jerky
I felt the writing style was often not smooth. It felt as if Khoo chose to write in a fragmented style on purpose to force maximum impact on little bits of sentences, but instead ended up diluting them to me. It made me feel like I was being manipulated (unsuccessfully) and I didn't enjoy it. While I'm not strict on things like "No sentences beginning with conjunctions" when I started reading them, I felt that too many meant that it felt too choppy. Maybe it was supposed to imitate the choppy, random thought style of Zhi, but it's not written in the first person.
Throw in that this is an Australian fantasy with a dark-ish edge, and I really wanted to like it. It had me teetering on the edge because there were definitely better parts but some that didn't quite come together for me.
In summary, the story is about Zhi, a girl who's a spider demon. She knows this right from the start, her aunt (whom she lives with) knows about it and her journey is about hiding this fact from others and surviving school.
The plot doesn't develop a great deal past this. The main incident - Zhi's secret is put at risk - allows Zhi to move on to finding friendship with the most charismatic and rich girl in school, the antithesis of Zhi who feels she has to hide, who feels ugly, and who has to constantly work in her poor aunt's dumpling shop. Dior is a French girl who seems to have it all.
The story is really about Dior and Zhi finding friendship as Dior is special too. Together they explore the whole world of the demons and supernatural business. But is there much more plot than this? No, not much. I wasn't sure that the development in this relationship was that eventful either.
So here's the good:
Original idea for demons
The spider-demon and the other demons and supernatural creatures were at least a bit different and more interesting than in a lot of other fantasy stories we see.
I like that it's set in Sydney
OK, I'm biased but I like a book set in Sydney. It's nice to read some homegrown literature showing off Australia and the Sydney references were detailed and very relatable, I coudl feel myself moving through the streets and seeing things here.
Strongly expressed emotions
It's a YA novel and the growing up and expression of strong emotions as the teenagers find themselves and learn how to deal with the different issues in their lives has a very deep emotional impact.
Friendship!
I love a book about friendship and I like that stories don't always feel that they have to have romance to involve drama and deep feelings. Friendship is hugely powerful and meaningful.
Dior is funny
I really liked in particular how the Dior character was written. The characters in the book are generally written so they are very easily distinguished from one another which is great, but Dior stands out to me as a character who's memorable.
Some problems I had:
The plot feels like it doesn't quite get off the ground
As mentioned, this is really about the girls exploring their friendship. A lot of the time we feel with superpowers and fantasy at all, more should be happening but it just doesn't. It feels like it's a prelude to something big that should happen later. As a result, it also meant that it often felt like the story was repeating old ground.
The writing can feel fragmented and jerky
I felt the writing style was often not smooth. It felt as if Khoo chose to write in a fragmented style on purpose to force maximum impact on little bits of sentences, but instead ended up diluting them to me. It made me feel like I was being manipulated (unsuccessfully) and I didn't enjoy it. While I'm not strict on things like "No sentences beginning with conjunctions" when I started reading them, I felt that too many meant that it felt too choppy. Maybe it was supposed to imitate the choppy, random thought style of Zhi, but it's not written in the first person.
December 6, 2023
Haven't finished the book yet but I'mma write some swaggy quotes.
"'I don't think I was supposed to be born' [Zhi]
'My world was unbearably boring until I discovered your existence, so I'll have to disagree with you there.' Dior's vice is steady and firm. 'I appreciate you being in this planet, in the same time and space as me.' [Dior]
No-one's ever told her they're glad she exists. It's not something she's ever yearned to hear because it's not something she's ever considered. The closest she's ever got are I love yous from Angela and Nadira.
She doesn't know why this feels so much bigger - so much more meaningful than that. Maybe it's because she's not sure whether Angela and Nadira's love is based off the false image they have of Zhi, whereas Dior...
Dior knows all the worst parts of Zhi and she's choosing to stay anyway."
- page 186
"Zhi has never felt more out of place in her life. She knows she's not good enough in a multitude of ways - not pretty enough, not studious enough, not outgoing enough, not funny enough, not easygoing enough, not cool enough, not rich enough, not human enough.
Now she's not even Chinese enough."
- page 223
"It's devastating in a way Zhi can't explain. To know Dior's mother doesn't love her. Because it's not the same - saying you're responsible for someone, and saying you love them.
It breaks something in Zhi that she hadn't realized she'd been keeping so close to her chest. A small compact mirror, smashed, the shards making wanton incisions. Physical wounds are easy to heal from, but this - she's not sure she'll ever recover from this.
Because that's what Zhi is to aunt Mei. Not a child to love or cherish or wish happiness upon. A child out of duty and responsibility. A child, unwanted.
BURDEN
Dior was right when she said that they were alike. She understands it now, finally, the reason that she's so desperate to find humanity in Dior - despite her actions, despite all her flaws - is because she's been so desperate to find humanity in herself. After all she's done. After all she continues to do. After all she continues to be.
If Dior is undeserving of compassion, of love, does that mean Zhi is too?"
- page 246 / 247
"'I don't think I was supposed to be born' [Zhi]
'My world was unbearably boring until I discovered your existence, so I'll have to disagree with you there.' Dior's vice is steady and firm. 'I appreciate you being in this planet, in the same time and space as me.' [Dior]
No-one's ever told her they're glad she exists. It's not something she's ever yearned to hear because it's not something she's ever considered. The closest she's ever got are I love yous from Angela and Nadira.
She doesn't know why this feels so much bigger - so much more meaningful than that. Maybe it's because she's not sure whether Angela and Nadira's love is based off the false image they have of Zhi, whereas Dior...
Dior knows all the worst parts of Zhi and she's choosing to stay anyway."
- page 186
"Zhi has never felt more out of place in her life. She knows she's not good enough in a multitude of ways - not pretty enough, not studious enough, not outgoing enough, not funny enough, not easygoing enough, not cool enough, not rich enough, not human enough.
Now she's not even Chinese enough."
- page 223
"It's devastating in a way Zhi can't explain. To know Dior's mother doesn't love her. Because it's not the same - saying you're responsible for someone, and saying you love them.
It breaks something in Zhi that she hadn't realized she'd been keeping so close to her chest. A small compact mirror, smashed, the shards making wanton incisions. Physical wounds are easy to heal from, but this - she's not sure she'll ever recover from this.
Because that's what Zhi is to aunt Mei. Not a child to love or cherish or wish happiness upon. A child out of duty and responsibility. A child, unwanted.
BURDEN
Dior was right when she said that they were alike. She understands it now, finally, the reason that she's so desperate to find humanity in Dior - despite her actions, despite all her flaws - is because she's been so desperate to find humanity in herself. After all she's done. After all she continues to do. After all she continues to be.
If Dior is undeserving of compassion, of love, does that mean Zhi is too?"
- page 246 / 247
October 8, 2023
Definitely a unique perspective presented in this book, important for all readers but especially YA. The combination of the bildungsroman with the speculative monster fiction is a clever way to engage readers. Zhi is relatable because of the way in which she has to balance her life as an Aussie teenager, living in Sydney, attending a fancy private school, with her Malaysian Chinese heritage - living with her Auntie, working in a dumpling shop, following cultural practices. Throw in some supernatural creatures and it complicates things even more for Zhi. There are friendship issues, family issues, identity and belonging themes. The monster mythology is interesting although I thought there could be a bit more focus on this. It was an enjoyable read, and timely for me as we've just finished teaching speculative fiction at school and are now reading a book about a Malaysian Chinese Australian girl gamer - this book is a great comparison read! If anything, I'm a bit over the trend at the moment in YA to have what appear to be standalone novels where all the exposition happens in the last quarter of the book and is resolved vaguely so that there's potential for further books in a series. Can we just write a novel that doesn't have to be in a series??!! Other than that, a great read!
July 10, 2023
This book is like Spider Man, but if he were Malaysian ... and ate people. And then, on the other side, this is a beautiful Y.A. story, with themes of identity and growing up uncomfortable in your own body. Spoilers below, read on at peril.
The worldbuilding of a secret world of witches and demons isn't dropped on you in one go - but is drip-fed in a way that makes you want more. (And I hope this becomes a series, because I DO want more.) Descriptions of Cabramatta and Sydney are vivid and true to reality (and nice to see Wonderland make an appearance as an abandoned amusement park!), which is perfect because it sets the scenes perfectly for the superhero-like vibe of Zhi hiding her powers in a modern world while trying to survive in a place she could dominate if she were in the open.
The mystery of Dior and her parents, and Zhi struggling with her self-identity and balancing old friends and new, are so well told I was hanging on every chapter. Loved it!
(Review is based on an advanced reading copy. I'll be buying myself a copy when it comes out.)
The worldbuilding of a secret world of witches and demons isn't dropped on you in one go - but is drip-fed in a way that makes you want more. (And I hope this becomes a series, because I DO want more.) Descriptions of Cabramatta and Sydney are vivid and true to reality (and nice to see Wonderland make an appearance as an abandoned amusement park!), which is perfect because it sets the scenes perfectly for the superhero-like vibe of Zhi hiding her powers in a modern world while trying to survive in a place she could dominate if she were in the open.
The mystery of Dior and her parents, and Zhi struggling with her self-identity and balancing old friends and new, are so well told I was hanging on every chapter. Loved it!
(Review is based on an advanced reading copy. I'll be buying myself a copy when it comes out.)
November 8, 2023
I have never in my life had a more interesting reading experience. In the beginning I couldn't tell if I liked it or not but like, I kinda love it? A lot?? TSahD somehow managed to be endearingly heartfelt and off-the-walls insane all at once. I couldn't put it down for the life of me. The POV writing style is odd at first and takes some getting used to but the detached tone of the narration works perfectly with the two main characters and the super disturbing and graphic parts of the book. Dior is such an interesting character and she made me genuinely nervous, but I have to tip my hat to the author because GOSH she was interesting. The commentary on love and being worthy of existing really hit home as a queer girl myself.
Overall TSahD was a really good time and I reccomend it! It's got elements of the coming of age, superhero, thriller, and urban fantasy genres all woven together and I'm excited to watch and see where the author goes in the future.
Overall TSahD was a really good time and I reccomend it! It's got elements of the coming of age, superhero, thriller, and urban fantasy genres all woven together and I'm excited to watch and see where the author goes in the future.
January 1, 2024
This book was so much more than was expected. It wasn't just a YA fantasy with some supernatural spin of a regular Sydney schoolgirl life. The Spider and Her Domes is a blend of coming-of-age and slice-of-life as we follow the protagonist, Zhi, struggles with and discovers more of her monstrous and un-loveable self, butting heads with her Auntie's unreasonably high expectations, and navigating the morass of teenage friendships. Oh, and let's not forget the romantic potentials *swoons*
Being of a Southeast Asian background myself, I can very much identify with Zhi on so many points from the expectations of older generations, lack of language skills and of course, all the yummy snacks. I am so totally not a fan of spiders though so I really had to struggle with that part of the novel but retrospectively, I can see why the author has chosen 'spider' for their protagonist's monstrous half.
The novel begins rather engagingly but then appears to slow right down for the middle bit - which gave it a cozy fantasy sort of vibe but the last third, however, was truly a roller-coaster ride. And while the ending wasn't quite completely resolved, it was done in reflection that life does not have tidy endings and it continues on. Don't worry, though, there's enough there to feel that we're not left hanging.
I was literally gobsmacked by the missing numbers for chapters! We did figure out (before the end of the book!) that there is a purpose/pattern; woot! Go, us! Still wondering though what Jyuuhachi manga is?! Is Jyuuhachi interchangeable with doujinshi? Anyone?
Being of a Southeast Asian background myself, I can very much identify with Zhi on so many points from the expectations of older generations, lack of language skills and of course, all the yummy snacks. I am so totally not a fan of spiders though so I really had to struggle with that part of the novel but retrospectively, I can see why the author has chosen 'spider' for their protagonist's monstrous half.
The novel begins rather engagingly but then appears to slow right down for the middle bit - which gave it a cozy fantasy sort of vibe but the last third, however, was truly a roller-coaster ride. And while the ending wasn't quite completely resolved, it was done in reflection that life does not have tidy endings and it continues on. Don't worry, though, there's enough there to feel that we're not left hanging.
I was literally gobsmacked by the missing numbers for chapters! We did figure out (before the end of the book!) that there is a purpose/pattern; woot! Go, us! Still wondering though what Jyuuhachi manga is?! Is Jyuuhachi interchangeable with doujinshi? Anyone?
January 4, 2025
I had a great time with this book! I loved Zhi's voice and how she felt like a real person. I never found myself annoyed or thinking she was over written and even in those teen-angst driven moments, she still maintained a sense of logic and wit I adored. Her thoughts and feelings around her heritage and how it impacts the relationships she has with the people she loves left my heart aching for her. Every relationship in this book was beautifully written and I always adore a book that combines cultures to reflect the author's own culture and upbringing.
This was definitely a great book to begin the year with. The pacing was fantastic, the humour was spot on, I loved the various culture references, the family dynamics were perfectly balanced between heartfelt and enraging and there was amazing queer rep throughout. I hope this ends up with a sequel as I'd love to spend more time with Zhi and the little family dynamic within the dumpling shop!
This was definitely a great book to begin the year with. The pacing was fantastic, the humour was spot on, I loved the various culture references, the family dynamics were perfectly balanced between heartfelt and enraging and there was amazing queer rep throughout. I hope this ends up with a sequel as I'd love to spend more time with Zhi and the little family dynamic within the dumpling shop!
September 29, 2023
I was excited to read this book - how many Malaysian-Australian YA paranormal novels are there, really?
Points in its favour: it’s bizarre and immersive in a way that helped me pass the time in hospital. It’s diverse in a natural way - it’s just populated with diverse characters, much like the city of Sydney which is its setting. I loved the sly winks to Spider-Man (there’s an Aunt Mei). Also, the horror can be quite visceral. khoo doesn’t shy away from the bodily reality of being spider-like: that petite teen Zhi has a throat that stretches when she swallows her prey was really quite something to read and think about.
Four stars because I got a little confused in the end. Also, to me, Dior is so strongly associated with a brand that I had trouble thinking of Dior as a character’s name.
Thank you to Cabramatta Community for the free copy of the book.
Points in its favour: it’s bizarre and immersive in a way that helped me pass the time in hospital. It’s diverse in a natural way - it’s just populated with diverse characters, much like the city of Sydney which is its setting. I loved the sly winks to Spider-Man (there’s an Aunt Mei). Also, the horror can be quite visceral. khoo doesn’t shy away from the bodily reality of being spider-like: that petite teen Zhi has a throat that stretches when she swallows her prey was really quite something to read and think about.
Four stars because I got a little confused in the end. Also, to me, Dior is so strongly associated with a brand that I had trouble thinking of Dior as a character’s name.
Thank you to Cabramatta Community for the free copy of the book.
August 23, 2024
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Thank you Penguin Australia for this book in exchange for an honest review
This seemed to have plenty going for it. Basically, we are looking at an aussie urban fantasy set in western Sydney that revolves around a second-generation immigrant who’s half girl and half part spider demon. But other than those few points, there wasn’t much else unfortunately. There wasn’t depth to the story, the dialogue was all over the place. I found myself sitting there after I finished the book wondering ‘what actually happened? What did I just read?’ There was a lot of potential, but it was as if I was reading the book prior to drafting stage of the book. Sadly, not a fan.
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Thank you Penguin Australia for this book in exchange for an honest review
This seemed to have plenty going for it. Basically, we are looking at an aussie urban fantasy set in western Sydney that revolves around a second-generation immigrant who’s half girl and half part spider demon. But other than those few points, there wasn’t much else unfortunately. There wasn’t depth to the story, the dialogue was all over the place. I found myself sitting there after I finished the book wondering ‘what actually happened? What did I just read?’ There was a lot of potential, but it was as if I was reading the book prior to drafting stage of the book. Sadly, not a fan.
November 20, 2023
"Zhi, high school student and employee at her aunts dumpling shop, wants nothing more than to spend times with her friends... and ensure the fact she's half spider-demon stays a secret. But after accidentally killing and eating a man in front popular girl, Dior, she discovers she may not be the scariest thing in the shadows after all."
YA Urban fantasy, POC mc, with themes of coming of age, friendship and some horror elements, this book is an amazing read. I loved it so much and this is definitely looking like a future re-read. I can't wait to see any future book the author may have in the works.
YA Urban fantasy, POC mc, with themes of coming of age, friendship and some horror elements, this book is an amazing read. I loved it so much and this is definitely looking like a future re-read. I can't wait to see any future book the author may have in the works.
September 26, 2023
A fun YA book about demons and witches set in Sydney! I love reading books set in places I know, and supporting local authors, so I'm very happy to have picked up this book.
The two main characters were great, Zhi was very relatable despite being a literal spider who eats people (well one person), and I loved getting to know Dior and all her strangeness.
I only wish we could have found out more about the society surrounding all these supernatural beings, there was the beginnings of some really cool world building, I would have loved to go deeper into that!
The two main characters were great, Zhi was very relatable despite being a literal spider who eats people (well one person), and I loved getting to know Dior and all her strangeness.
I only wish we could have found out more about the society surrounding all these supernatural beings, there was the beginnings of some really cool world building, I would have loved to go deeper into that!
August 7, 2023
I wish I'd had stories like this when I was growing up! I absolutely loved seeing an Asian Australian main character in an Australian-set fantasy - and Zhi is such a great character: a teenage monster who’s just trying to figure out her life. The story was fantastic too - fast-paced and fresh, and the Spider-Man references were so fun!!
October 31, 2023
This has been such a fun book to read. An urban paranormal fantasy book set in Sydney, cannot be more perfect than this. The book starts off slow, talks about Zhi her struggles, strained relationship of a teen with their guardian or parents. It takes you into deep thoughts. I felt anger, frustration, horror and happiness throughout the book. And the action, the details felt like perfect.
October 10, 2024
Oh. My. GOSH. This book is an absolute must read for anyone who is a big fan of fantasy. Amazing writing and I love the way that Zhi was written and how she really has so much pressure of hiding her form and keeping her friends at arms length. I really loved this book and I will read it time and time again.
January 11, 2024
I loved reading this, and got pulled in immediately. This book includes great plot twists and shows a beautiful, thriving relationship between Dior and Zhi. From Dior’s curse and Zhi being a spider demon, the two girls would make such be so cute together!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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