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The Halfway Tree
Like any ten-year-old, Cherise Martin wants everyone to see how responsible and grown up she is. Despite her family's hardships, she is happy and as content as any child can be. One day, during torrential rainfall, her parents have an argument and her father leaves to meet his friends to blow off some steam but doesn't return. His absence comes not only as an emotional blow, but also as a financial one to them as well, and her close-knit family begins to implode, as the strain weighs heavily on them.
While all of this is going on, Cherise finds herself, and the other children in her town, haunted and ‘hunted’ by douens, a dead spirit of a child that leads children to their doom, that up until now Cherise only believed existed in stories. As her small town reels from their children disappearing from schools, playgrounds and even homes, Cherise finds out that she has a strange protection from these jumbies. Worried that her younger sister could be taken as her family circle becomes even smaller, with the help of someone unexpected, she embarks on a journey to find where the jumbies live and dwell, in the hopes that she can save her family and the missing children.
What she finds instead is a deep grudge against her family that has been brewing for over 20 years and the father she thought she had lost. Set in Trinidad and Tobago in the mid-2000s, this standalone urban fantasy novel by debut author, True Nicks, is a heartbreaking tale of family and loss, encapsulated by a world of terrifying folklore.
Registered ISBN: 9789769698017
While all of this is going on, Cherise finds herself, and the other children in her town, haunted and ‘hunted’ by douens, a dead spirit of a child that leads children to their doom, that up until now Cherise only believed existed in stories. As her small town reels from their children disappearing from schools, playgrounds and even homes, Cherise finds out that she has a strange protection from these jumbies. Worried that her younger sister could be taken as her family circle becomes even smaller, with the help of someone unexpected, she embarks on a journey to find where the jumbies live and dwell, in the hopes that she can save her family and the missing children.
What she finds instead is a deep grudge against her family that has been brewing for over 20 years and the father she thought she had lost. Set in Trinidad and Tobago in the mid-2000s, this standalone urban fantasy novel by debut author, True Nicks, is a heartbreaking tale of family and loss, encapsulated by a world of terrifying folklore.
Registered ISBN: 9789769698017
587 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 20, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 2, 2022
10/10 You will not regret reading this beautifully written story.
This book was so immersive, so detailed and had such rich characters that I forgot that I was reading a lot of the time, it was almost as if someone was telling me a story about what happened to them during their childhood!
This was the second time in my life reading a story from the perspective of a child which can be a bit difficult to make believable, but reading from Cherise's vantage point offered such a clean, and innocent view of the world which made the tragedy and revelations that befalls her family\come to light so much more shocking and heartbreaking. Cherise was so likeable and I rooted for her from the first few pages, the beautiful family dynamic of healthy loving parents and siblings was such a nice touch, like - no toxic family here!
The journey into Caribbean folklore (inclusive of all the jumbies/ghosts/spooky guys) was riveting, they were all so well developed AND the icing on the cake was reading Trinidad's dialect for each and every character!! The words read seamlessly and did not distract or take away from the understanding of the story (I may be a bit biased here because *cough cough* I'se ah Trini). Wow, marvelous worldbuilding and tying everything together
Fair warning though, I saw a few spooky shadows that I thought were douens or Jumbies (ghosts) too because of this story but if I am being honest I am a bit of a scaredy cat. I really cannot blame the author, because I knew what I was getting into lol.
I will read this book again when I forget just how epic the story is.. It is going into my favorites shelf!!
I received an ARC and this is my honest and true review on this story.
This book was so immersive, so detailed and had such rich characters that I forgot that I was reading a lot of the time, it was almost as if someone was telling me a story about what happened to them during their childhood!
This was the second time in my life reading a story from the perspective of a child which can be a bit difficult to make believable, but reading from Cherise's vantage point offered such a clean, and innocent view of the world which made the tragedy and revelations that befalls her family\come to light so much more shocking and heartbreaking. Cherise was so likeable and I rooted for her from the first few pages, the beautiful family dynamic of healthy loving parents and siblings was such a nice touch, like - no toxic family here!
The journey into Caribbean folklore (inclusive of all the jumbies/ghosts/spooky guys) was riveting, they were all so well developed AND the icing on the cake was reading Trinidad's dialect for each and every character!! The words read seamlessly and did not distract or take away from the understanding of the story (I may be a bit biased here because *cough cough* I'se ah Trini). Wow, marvelous worldbuilding and tying everything together
Fair warning though, I saw a few spooky shadows that I thought were douens or Jumbies (ghosts) too because of this story but if I am being honest I am a bit of a scaredy cat. I really cannot blame the author, because I knew what I was getting into lol.
I will read this book again when I forget just how epic the story is.. It is going into my favorites shelf!!
I received an ARC and this is my honest and true review on this story.
December 12, 2022
Life was happy and content for the most part until a secret from Cherise's father's past threatens to unravel their happy home. Despite living by humble means, the Martin family was wealthy with love, affection and familial bonds. Cherise's whole world changed after a rainy night when her father left home to meet some friends after having an argument with her mother. Being only 10 years old, Cherise works hard to figure out what happened to her father. She discovers that the old folklore stories her grandparents told her weren't just stories and it was up to her to save her family.
I really enjoyed this book. The author painted a picture that simply pulls you into this world that is rarely seen or believed to exist in these modern times. I loved the use of the Trinidadian dialect and the footnotes provided to assist non-Caribbean readers in their understanding of the conversations. Also, the story touched on various folklore characters, which reminded me of growing up and listening to the stories from my own grandparents.
This book gives you the excitement of the Trinidadian folklore, the vibrance of the Trinidadian culture together with the importance of family and dealing with heartbreak and loss. It's definitely worth reading.
I really enjoyed this book. The author painted a picture that simply pulls you into this world that is rarely seen or believed to exist in these modern times. I loved the use of the Trinidadian dialect and the footnotes provided to assist non-Caribbean readers in their understanding of the conversations. Also, the story touched on various folklore characters, which reminded me of growing up and listening to the stories from my own grandparents.
This book gives you the excitement of the Trinidadian folklore, the vibrance of the Trinidadian culture together with the importance of family and dealing with heartbreak and loss. It's definitely worth reading.
December 24, 2022
An alluring family adventure, full of suspense, heartache and best of all jumbies.
The Halfway Tree written by True Nicks tells the story of family dedication, trust and insecurities. Diane does not believe in things that go bump in the night, life is hard work and sacrifice, when her husband disappears she finds that she’d rather believe it is his deception than acknowledge that there can be anything super-natural at play. When children begin to disappear in this small town by the droves, there is no sensible answer, parents just keep a watchful eye. However, Cherise knows that the jumbies are at work as they can be seen by the innocent and she knows that her father is in danger wherever he is. She reaches out to her brother Daniel who figures out too late what has really been going on. It is now up to Cherise with the assistance of a reluctant jumbie to help her family and town survive the curse of the Halfway Tree.
At the beginning of the book we meet the main family and figure out where they stand on many issues. Life is hard for the Martin family and like many others their focus is on getting by daily. The book is an emotional ride and even though the main voices are from the children, every character adds to the suspense as you read about their angst and hopes. You have a spectrum of characters in this family who develop and carry the story along, like Mamere, the grandmother whose knowledge of jumbies gives great insight as to who is responsible; like the steady, helpful neighbors and aunt who are always looking out.
The book also features Caribbean folklore legends and incorporates them into everyday life, the creatures live in the shadows but are not afraid of being seen, since many people are incapable of seeing them anyway. The creatures come to life on the pages and pull you into a period when they can really and truly be alive and lurking in the shadows. Can you imagine meeting one of them as you go about your day? You must have a village legend, what if it was true and you had to face the reality of it? The Halfway Tree speaks to the essence of finding out that the story you thought was just a scary bed-time story was real and affecting you personally.
As the jumbees and humans clash at the end, you see families and strangers unite with a common goal and the willing of love one’s to do whatever it takes to help out. A good read for young adults and an excellent book that features local stories in our local environment about our folklore characters. I invite you support the author by purchasing and leaving a book review on the Halfway Tree a beautifully, emotional and immersive walk into Caribbean mythology.
The Halfway Tree written by True Nicks tells the story of family dedication, trust and insecurities. Diane does not believe in things that go bump in the night, life is hard work and sacrifice, when her husband disappears she finds that she’d rather believe it is his deception than acknowledge that there can be anything super-natural at play. When children begin to disappear in this small town by the droves, there is no sensible answer, parents just keep a watchful eye. However, Cherise knows that the jumbies are at work as they can be seen by the innocent and she knows that her father is in danger wherever he is. She reaches out to her brother Daniel who figures out too late what has really been going on. It is now up to Cherise with the assistance of a reluctant jumbie to help her family and town survive the curse of the Halfway Tree.
At the beginning of the book we meet the main family and figure out where they stand on many issues. Life is hard for the Martin family and like many others their focus is on getting by daily. The book is an emotional ride and even though the main voices are from the children, every character adds to the suspense as you read about their angst and hopes. You have a spectrum of characters in this family who develop and carry the story along, like Mamere, the grandmother whose knowledge of jumbies gives great insight as to who is responsible; like the steady, helpful neighbors and aunt who are always looking out.
The book also features Caribbean folklore legends and incorporates them into everyday life, the creatures live in the shadows but are not afraid of being seen, since many people are incapable of seeing them anyway. The creatures come to life on the pages and pull you into a period when they can really and truly be alive and lurking in the shadows. Can you imagine meeting one of them as you go about your day? You must have a village legend, what if it was true and you had to face the reality of it? The Halfway Tree speaks to the essence of finding out that the story you thought was just a scary bed-time story was real and affecting you personally.
As the jumbees and humans clash at the end, you see families and strangers unite with a common goal and the willing of love one’s to do whatever it takes to help out. A good read for young adults and an excellent book that features local stories in our local environment about our folklore characters. I invite you support the author by purchasing and leaving a book review on the Halfway Tree a beautifully, emotional and immersive walk into Caribbean mythology.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews