Item: The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years
Rating: 4.00
Author: quirkycat

by Shubnum Khan

A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITOR'S CHOICE

"Rich and swoony...an ambitious delight, with rich characters and some exceptionally lovely writing...This is the start of a major career." -- The New York Times Book Review

AN INDIE NEXT PICK
A LIBRARY READS PICK

“A dark and heady dream of a book” (Alix E. Harrow) about a ruined mansion by the sea, the djinn that haunts it, and a curious girl who unearths the tragedy that happened there a hundred years previous

Akbar Manzil was once a grand estate off the coast of South Africa. Nearly a century later, it stands in ruins: an isolated boardinghouse for eclectic misfits, seeking solely to disappear into the mansion’s dark corridors. Except for Sana. Unlike the others, she is curious and questioning and finds herself irresistibly drawn to the history of the mansion: To the eerie and forgotten East Wing, home to a clutter of broken and abandoned objects—and to the door at its end, locked for decades.

Behind the door is a bedroom frozen in time and a worn diary that whispers of a dark past: the long-forgotten story of a young woman named Meena, who died there tragically a hundred years ago. Watching Sana from the room’s shadows is a besotted, grieving djinn, an invisible spirit who has haunted the mansion since her mysterious death. Obsessed with Meena’s story, and unaware of the creature that follows her, Sana digs into the past like fingers into a wound, dredging up old and terrible secrets that will change the lives of everyone living and dead at Akbar Manzil. Sublime, heart-wrenching, and lyrically stunning, The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years is a haunting, a love story, and a mystery, all twined beautifully into one young girl’s search for belonging.

Book Summary:

Once upon a time, Akbar Manzil was a grand estate. It was glorious; it was loved. Then tragedy struck, changing the way everyone viewed the house. Now, it’s home to a misfit group of boarders.

Sana is the newest boarder to enter the home but is willing to look where others have not. This will give her the unique opportunity to learn the secrets of the house - and all the darkness hidden within.

My Review:

Oh wow. I don’t think I’ve ever read a thriller that was so poignant and heartbreaking. Okay, I’ve read plenty of heartbreaking thrillers…but none quite like The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years.

This novel carefully weaves in a paranormal element (the family djinn) to drive home the sense of time and loss. It was beautifully done. Even those who don’t like a lot of paranormal in their thrillers will probably enjoy that twist.

The writing of The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years made this book come alive. I felt it cut to my core, as this book is all about love and loss. I’m honestly not even sure what else to say, as it feels like this book can easily speak for itself.

Highlights:
Historical
Magical Realism
Lilting Ghost Tale

You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy

The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years

by Shubnum Khan

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on Sep 8, 2024

Reading updates