by Rae Rival

THE STORY

Regina was born and raised in the small town of Heridos, where gods and spirits walked the earth.

Until they didn’t.

Ten years ago, the whole town produced a bad harvest – rice grains as black as soot – and the people of the town moved on, away from the soil and the farms, believing the gods and spirits have abandoned them.

It is ten years later, on a Friday before a long weekend, and Regina ends her shift at an office in Makati. She walks home with a new colleague named Diana. Diana, following a strange and disturbing conversation with Regina, does not appear at the office on Monday, and the day after that.

And the day after that.

On Thursday, Regina opens her bag and finds a folded piece of paper filled with Diana’s handwriting.

On the page are two names and a strange map that will send Regina home. Read reviews: Goodreads

WHAT I LIKED

(Spoiler alert! Highlight succeeding text to read.) I see how the focus on fragility may address mood conditions often suffered by its target readers. There are characters who are on medication, who seek help from professionals, who suffer from depression and anxiety. I believe it is a wonderful way to reach out to teens who go through the same challenges, to talk about these conditions (frequently misunderstood or trivialized) through local myths and creatures.

The work also alludes and plays with real phenomena in medical science, making the plot compelling and its details haunting.

tl;dr

A solid, fascinating read on the supernatural and the natural, Wounded Little Gods is not one to miss. ☁