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The Ghosts & Jamal
The Ghosts and Jamal is an intriguing story, touching on religion, terrorism and Nigeria's internal conflicts, following a young orphan who is negotiating an unforgiving society. Waking up in the aftermath of a terrorist attack, 13-year-old Jamal tries to piece together what has happened whilst simultaneously trying to evade capture by the attackers. It soon becomes clear that he has been living in a separate outhouse from his family on account of the "bad spirits" or rather his epilepsy that plagues him.
- GenresYoung Adult
132 pages, ebook
Published March 23, 2018
32 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 18, 2018
The first few chapters instantly hooked me as thirteen year old Jamal wakes up to find he’s the only survivor of a terrorist attack on his village. However, your heart truly breaks when it’s revealed he is only saved because he has been ostracised by his family and the wider community because he has epilepsy; he is seen as ‘unlucky and marked by spirits’ and his job was to ‘draw bad spirits away from the compound and let them feed on him’. Without the medical knowledge of his condition, Jamal’s belief in the spirits and ghosts take him on a journey into the unknown in the hope of finding the ghosts who killed his family.
The first half of the book is the strongest.
Jamal is a kind, sweet-natured boy that you’ll instantly empathise with, not just because of his horrific situation, but his positive approach towards it. This is highlighted after Jamal suffers a nasty fall in the hope of escaping the ghosts.
“It had not been good to fall, but he would recover. All in all, he thought it was worth the fall, just to have climbed the tree.”
Simple yet profound statements like this illustrates Blankley’s writing style and fit well with the unworldly nature Jamal’s character. Her prose is easy to read and the story compelling. You feel very protective of Jamal and desperately want him to find safety, acceptance from others and importantly, a true understanding of himself and his condition. Unfortunately Jamal’s ignorance and nativity may be seen to protect him from the full horrors of what has happened, but it causes him countless problems throughout the novel. You feel frustrated as those who could help him, ultimately fail due to a lack of understanding of each other’s worlds. However, as a reader, we are sometimes expected to fill in the gaps of Jamal’s experiences due to his lack of knowledge but this proved problematic at times due to my own ignorance. The biggest example of this is at end of the novel where a time jump occurs and then events happened so quickly, I was left confused. I felt Jamal’s awareness of what happened needed more space to develop as it was a rushed last chapter and I felt lost.
Overall this is a worthwhile read with a strong protagonist you’ll care for and a compelling story that explores issues of prejudice, determination, belonging and self-knowledge.
The first half of the book is the strongest.
Jamal is a kind, sweet-natured boy that you’ll instantly empathise with, not just because of his horrific situation, but his positive approach towards it. This is highlighted after Jamal suffers a nasty fall in the hope of escaping the ghosts.
“It had not been good to fall, but he would recover. All in all, he thought it was worth the fall, just to have climbed the tree.”
Simple yet profound statements like this illustrates Blankley’s writing style and fit well with the unworldly nature Jamal’s character. Her prose is easy to read and the story compelling. You feel very protective of Jamal and desperately want him to find safety, acceptance from others and importantly, a true understanding of himself and his condition. Unfortunately Jamal’s ignorance and nativity may be seen to protect him from the full horrors of what has happened, but it causes him countless problems throughout the novel. You feel frustrated as those who could help him, ultimately fail due to a lack of understanding of each other’s worlds. However, as a reader, we are sometimes expected to fill in the gaps of Jamal’s experiences due to his lack of knowledge but this proved problematic at times due to my own ignorance. The biggest example of this is at end of the novel where a time jump occurs and then events happened so quickly, I was left confused. I felt Jamal’s awareness of what happened needed more space to develop as it was a rushed last chapter and I felt lost.
Overall this is a worthwhile read with a strong protagonist you’ll care for and a compelling story that explores issues of prejudice, determination, belonging and self-knowledge.
June 8, 2018
I want to share my love for this one far and wide because it has filled my heart on many levels. The Ghosts and Jamal is a beautifully written and important story that deserves to be read and celebrated widely. Reading this book has also introduced me to a new-to-me independent publisher, HopeRoad, who I am hugely impressed by. Their mission statement is:
HopeRoad promotes inclusive literature with a focus on Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. We vigorously support often neglected voices and many of our YA titles focus on issues dealing with identity, cultural stereotyping and disability. At the heart of our publishing is the love of outstanding writing.
Right up my street! And The Ghosts of Jamal embodies that mission completely.
'Thirteen-year-old Jamal wasn't born to be a hero. Far from it. His epilepsy has marked him out as 'the bringer of bad spirits' in his community in Nigeria; and so he has been banished to live alone on the fringes of the village. But then a terrorist attack leaves him as the sole survivor - and everything changes. Shy, introverted Jamal will finally show the world what he's made of...'
Bridget Blankley has written a stunner here. The story follows Jamal as he wakes to discover canisters leaking yellow gas, which he assumes to be the ghosts that killed his family. He is determined to follow the ghosts and find out what to do now he is entirely alone. His journey takes him over mountains and through city streets and sees him living in a camp and the city dump. He finds friendship in unexpected places and learns that you can't always trust those in positions of power and authority.
Jamal's gentle, unassuming character is beautifully endearing and his story is heartfelt. You will want to rescue him from his own naivety. You will fall in love with him. And he will leave you proud; for when he discovers that it is people, not ghosts, that have killed his family, he finds the strength to stand up to those who tried to exploit him, and make the world a better place.
A hugely powerful story, perfect for fans of Mitch Johnson's Kick, this is an exploration of prejudice and power, fear and friendship. Brilliant for year 6+. Bravo to Hope Road Publishing for bringing us such a wonderful book.
Source - review copy kindly sent by Hope Road Publishing and Nicky Potter PR
HopeRoad promotes inclusive literature with a focus on Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. We vigorously support often neglected voices and many of our YA titles focus on issues dealing with identity, cultural stereotyping and disability. At the heart of our publishing is the love of outstanding writing.
Right up my street! And The Ghosts of Jamal embodies that mission completely.
'Thirteen-year-old Jamal wasn't born to be a hero. Far from it. His epilepsy has marked him out as 'the bringer of bad spirits' in his community in Nigeria; and so he has been banished to live alone on the fringes of the village. But then a terrorist attack leaves him as the sole survivor - and everything changes. Shy, introverted Jamal will finally show the world what he's made of...'
Bridget Blankley has written a stunner here. The story follows Jamal as he wakes to discover canisters leaking yellow gas, which he assumes to be the ghosts that killed his family. He is determined to follow the ghosts and find out what to do now he is entirely alone. His journey takes him over mountains and through city streets and sees him living in a camp and the city dump. He finds friendship in unexpected places and learns that you can't always trust those in positions of power and authority.
Jamal's gentle, unassuming character is beautifully endearing and his story is heartfelt. You will want to rescue him from his own naivety. You will fall in love with him. And he will leave you proud; for when he discovers that it is people, not ghosts, that have killed his family, he finds the strength to stand up to those who tried to exploit him, and make the world a better place.
A hugely powerful story, perfect for fans of Mitch Johnson's Kick, this is an exploration of prejudice and power, fear and friendship. Brilliant for year 6+. Bravo to Hope Road Publishing for bringing us such a wonderful book.
Source - review copy kindly sent by Hope Road Publishing and Nicky Potter PR
August 3, 2021
Jamal has epilepsy but believes that he is living apart from the rest of his family in order to protect them from evil spirits as he attracts the spirits to himself instead. Following a terrorist attack on his village using poison gas, he is the only one who survives, simply because he lives apart from the rest of the people.
Jamal sets out on a journey to find the ‘ghosts’, although it is never made particularly clear who or what the ghosts are or the reason he feels compelled to go in search of them.
The book covers some complex issues of illness, civil war and religious tension but because they are presented from a child’s point of view and the author makes it clear that Jamal is non the wiser about what is going on, then the reader is also left non the wiser. I didn’t find the storyline particularly interesting nor engaging but I kept reading hoping that some great revelation or plot twist would be around the corner; sadly it wasn’t.
Jamal sets out on a journey to find the ‘ghosts’, although it is never made particularly clear who or what the ghosts are or the reason he feels compelled to go in search of them.
The book covers some complex issues of illness, civil war and religious tension but because they are presented from a child’s point of view and the author makes it clear that Jamal is non the wiser about what is going on, then the reader is also left non the wiser. I didn’t find the storyline particularly interesting nor engaging but I kept reading hoping that some great revelation or plot twist would be around the corner; sadly it wasn’t.
December 29, 2018
Not the most thrilling of stories I've encountered, the story does promote empahhy for areas of the world far removed from the UK so our children would benefit from experiencing this story for that reason alone. The frustration of seeing through Jamal's eyes whilst knowing more than him was more than a little annoying but I guess highlighted that not everyone has the benefit of our education and knowledge and that we should acknowledge that privilege and be grateful for it
January 19, 2021
KS2- Loved it! Great for more mature KS2 readers
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews