Djinn

An exciting book that keeps you guessing until the end wondering what everyone's true motives are. It was nice to see the characters develop and find themselves while grappling with their fate and a huge prophecy. The magic elements are also unique and wonderfully woven into the characters themselves.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this book!

I've always had a fascination for Middle Eastern history and folklore. I was very excited to start this book called 'Djinn', expecting a story about this particular mythical creature I've read about in myths.

This book, however, is not specifically about those djinns. Here, djinn is the name for all creatures from the Otherworld, like the well-known fae. This story is based on Liberian folklore.

We meet Bijou, who lives with her grandmother Gigi. They've been moving around a lot, but have now settled in the small town of Sykesville. Bijou is not any regular girl - she can sense the emotions of most people. All of these emotions can overwhelm her quickly, so she's been home schooled for a long time. But now she's 16 and it's time to meet new people, make friends, and go to school.

At school she meets Sebastian, who is supposed to help her get familiar with her new school. He is one of the Others though - someone whose emotions cannot be distinguished by Bijou. When Bijou, Sebastian and his twin sister become friends, strange things start happening. Why can Bijou feel all these things? What do her visions mean and why do they seem to come true?

This book kept me guessing on who could be trusted all the way to the end of the story. Along the way we meet a lot of characters who are more than they seem and I loved how it came together in the end. All of those names and their loyalties were a bit too confusing for me at times though.

This book deserves to be read if you're into djinn, the fae or a midsummer night's dream! For me it was a 3,5 star read.

*this is an honest review in exchange for an arc through net galley*
~this is just my opinion, and someone else might have a different experience with this book~

Djinn follows Bijou, a teenage girl who craves normalcy. She can feel other people's emotions, which makes interaction with others difficult. Her grandmother is a famous writer who does not want to be discovered, so they move around a lot. Bijou has a lot of questions, but not a lot of answers, and this book follows her journey uncovering the secrets that have been kept from her all of her life.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It kept me guessing till the end and held my interest easily. The only issue I have with the book, which is more of my fault and less of the books fault, is that I had a hard time remembering the characters. There are A LOT of characters in this book, many of them hardly appearing, but all of them playing an important role. For this reason, I think this book would make an AMAZING movie, because it would be a lot easier to remember who everyone is. I would recommend reading this book in one sitting, because I think it would be easier to recall key points in the plot that way. Most of the book is vital information for the plot, so memory is quite important.

I started this book and I was instantly hooked. It has such a typical Young Adult feel to it that I actually felt quite nostalgic reading it despite the fact I had never read it. I finished this book in 2 sittings, it was quite addictive. There were so many twists and turns and every-time I tried to predict what was going to happen I got it wrong, which I loved.

I really enjoyed the mystery around Bijou. She was a great main character, I enjoyed seeing her annoyed if I'm honest, she can be feisty when she wants to. I wanted to know everything about her; why she was able to feel the feelings of those around her was my main question.

Another thing I loved was that throughout I didn't know who could be trusted, that left me on edge throughout. I didn't even know if Bijou's closest friends could be trusted. The other characters in this book were well developed. It didn't feel like Bijou was the only developed character, which I really appreciated.
Kromah did a fabulous job of mixing folklore with modern culture, the two just flowed together so effortlessly. I enjoyed learning about the Djinn, something I knew very little about beforehand. Her writing style was flowing and easy to follow. I also greatly appreciated the Buffy references, being a huge fan myself.

I thoroughly enjoyed Djinn and I think I'll be re-reading it in the future.</p>

A lovely enjoyable read and more than I as expecting, this had me hooked. Great characters and development across the story, wonderful story and world building. A cliffhanger that means I am eager to know what next. Entertaining and fun

Bijou has lived a sheltered life, homeschooled her whole life up until now, and moving from town to town frequently. She lives with her grandmother Gigi, a famous author who writes under a pseudonym and valiantly fights for their privacy. With this most recent move, Bijou has convinced her grandmother to let her attend a public high school for the first time. Adjusting to high school at the age of 16 is hard enough, but Bijou seems to have a whole lot of paranormal troubles to deal with now that she has teachers and classmates to interact with. 16-year-old girls who share her birthday, ones who are about to turn 17 on the Summer Solstice, are going missing. One of her teachers is obsessed with djinn to an extreme. Two of her new classmates seem to be seeing and feeling all the strange things she's noticing, but no one else does.

This is a fascinating coming of age story based on Lebanese mythology. Djinn is a term used for all paranormal creatures on Earth who are descendants of ancient pairings between humans and gods, the original four Elemental Ancients. The title, Djinn, is what caught my eye and made me request this book to review. I've been fascinated by djinn since reading the Bartimaeus trilogy as a teenager, and although this book didn't feature a witty creature from another plane here to do his master's bidding, it was entertaining and well written.

I think this is classified as YA only because the protagonist is a teenager and one of the central settings is a high school. The reading level and complexity of the plot are far more advanced than the average YA novels I've read, and I would be tempted to call it NA instead. I'll settle for calling it "advanced" YA.

I really do hope that Sang Kromah writes a sequel since the ending felt like it set one up quite nicely, though it did tie up enough strings to stand on its own. The reason I rate this 4 stars rather than 5 is that it took almost the entire first chapter to capture my interest, and the interludes into Bijou's dreams were so dense in the first half of the novel that I was constantly tempted to skim through those sections. Also, the cards Bijou constantly shuffles as a coping mechanism just plain disappear from the story partway through and it isn't acknowledged until another character calls her out for suddenly bringing them back near the end. I'm sure the lack of cards was supposed to be symbolic, but given how important they are to her in the beginning, the unnoted absence of the cards for a significant portion of the latter half of the novel felt like an oversight.

You know a book is good, when you can't stop thinking about it. That is Djinn for me. This book was an easy 5 stars! This book was fast paced, beautifully written, and has characters that you just can't help but love.

Djinn, follows sixteen year old Bijou, Bijou is not your ordinary teenage girl. She is an empath, who was raised and home schooled by her Gigi, who didn't let them stay in one place for too long. That is until she moved them to Sykesville, Maryland, and she was enrolled in public school. While she is there, strange things start to happen. With the help of some new friends, Bijou is trying to figure out what is going on, and in the process she finds herself.

This book was phenomenal. I could not put it down. I went into Djinn, thinking that I would separate the book into a few sections, and read a section a day. However, once I started reading it, I could not stop. I fell down the rabbit hole, so to speak.

I love how unique the story was. I have not come across a lot of books that have Liberian folklore, let alone Liberian folklore with a bit of Shakespeare mixed in. I thought the author did a phenomenal job weaving it all together seamlessly. Sang's writing and the plot really draws in the reader and makes them want to keep reading to see how the dots will connect and the story will unfold.

I also really loved the characters. It was really great seeing Bijou go from an awkward teenage girl, to someone who was strong and not afraid to fight back. It was also wonderful see how her relationships with Gigi, Sebastian and Amina evolved throughout the story.

All in all, if you are a fan of fantasy and folklore, I would highly recommend this book! I can't wait for the author to announce when the sequel will be out. I look forward to getting immersed in this magical world, once again!

This is a complicated YA book. I would give it 5 stars, as it kept my interest, but it seemed like the author intended this book to be the first of a series, but I’ve seen no indication of another book forthcoming. The ending didn't seem to me to take place at a natural spot in the action, and really left a lot unresolved, which I cannot discuss further without spoilers. If this was intended to be a stand-alone book, I feel too much was left unresolved or for the reader to make up in their own minds at the end. Perhaps the author can either make this the first in a series, or can add a bonus chapter or two in later editions.

The book is written from the perspective of Bijou Fitroy, the primary character. Speaking generally, so as to avoid spoilers, she has led a nomadic lifestyle with her secretive grandmother. Her newest hometown is the subject of a series of attacks and abductions, as she is confronted with an explosive family secret that impacts the world. The book tends to follow the popular plot line of “I didn’t know I had special powers, and now I have to save the world with them?”.

A lot of characters were introduced, which were necessary to advance the complicated, fantasy political plot within this book. I didn't have the problem some experienced with tracking the different characters, although the various clues the reader receives throughout the book of allegances might leave the reader flipping back and forth to double check their recollections. While for content purposes and topic matter this is a Young Adult/Fantasy book, due to its complexity, it might be a little advanced for some Young Adult readers.

While there is a significant amount of romance (YA with female primary character and multiple male love interests) within the book, I don't recall any sexual content. While there are references to kidnappings, assaults, and enslavement, I don't recall any gratuitous violent content, and what little description of violence there is served to advance the plot. However, this was not what I would characterize as a light read, as I read it over the course of a few days. While it maintained my interest, it is not a book to read in a quiet afternoon, but over the course of a few days.

I really enjoyed this story and the Sang's writing style was so easy to follow and made you want to keep reading to find out more! I loved all the different aspects within this story and how Bij came to know who she truly was, and all that power!! Female empowerment!!

This book had me from the beginning! I never thought I was going to like it till a friend said she was enjoying it. So here I am writing a review.

This book was so fresh. It was different then what I have read before. And that makes the story that more interesting and fun to read.

I loved the story. The characters were well thought out and perfect.

I picked up this book because of the title. Djinn is another spelling of genie so I thought that’s what it would be about. It is not. But I’m not disappointed with what I got instead either.

The story is one that has been told hundreds of times before but it’s different. It follows Bijou as she goes to school for the first time in 16 years. At this school, she will meet people who will help her understand the weirdness in her life and she will finally learn the truth about who she really is. A bit like in Fallen by Lauren Kate, like Tithe by Holly Black, or even a bit like City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. So, the plot itself isn’t original.

What is original is the setting, and I don’t mean Sykesville. The book uses Arabic folklore and African folklore and Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, which the author gives a twist of her own. The djinn are a little like the fae that have swamped YA fiction in recent years, but they are also different in their powers and their connection to the elements. And, let’s not forget, plenty of Buffy the Vampire Slayer references.

A few things are a little on the nose, such as their teacher suddenly teaching them about the djinn in stories and folklore. Even before you know about the djinn, that gives it a little away.

A plus point, I find, is that Bijou isn’t the only one discovering her life has been nothing but lies strung together. Many things have been kept from almost all the characters, which meant that even those who could help Bijou get the answer she needs will discover things they might not want to know. There are secrets and betrayals, there are prophecies and strange dreams.

I enjoyed the story and hope there is going to be a second book, especially considering the way the book ended. Not exactly a cliffhanger but definitely a lot of loose ends I would love to see tied up.

One last thing. The cover isn’t my favorite. it definitely represents Bijou but if I’d seen only the cover and the title hadn’t intrigued me (I’m working a story called Djinn so yeah, I just had to read it), I don’t think I would have picked it up. Which would have been a shame. Don’t let the cover scare you off!

I really enjoyed reading and getting to know Bijou, the characters were great and I found the plot really unique.

I'm a sucker for folktale retellings and that's definitely what snagged my eye the most in this story! The added bonus was the rich mystery and well-woven storylines!

I’ve heard it’s great and I would love to actually review it but unfortunately my phone won’t allow me to open the books on net galley I will be questioning people about this but until then there will be seven books with this message written! BUY IT THOUGH! They are pretty and I’ve heard great things!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy for review,

I flew through this book. I ended up really enjoying it. I found Bijou to be an interesting character. I also think the author did an excellent job of capturing the general essence of djinn, beings who are devious and tricky. You never really know who you can trust, which characters are human and which ones aren't. The only issue I had is that we never really get to see the extent of what or who Bijou really is. The cliffhanger leaves a lot of questions unanswered. I really hope we get a sequel, because I think the world and characters are well developed and intriguing. I also would like to see more of the dynamic between Bijou, Sebastian, and Nicholai.

This was a brilliantly paced novel, with a great plot. I loved the way this was based on the traditional legends of the Djinn with a modern twist. A great read for any fantasy lovers.

Djinn is a book that mixes different folklore stories and presents you a unique not-read-before story.
You follow Bijou blindly and will be intrigued what is actually going on and why some people around her act strange. However, I was not prepared that the mystery about Djinn's will be wrapped up in a new mantel which I really enjoyed.

A story about magic, myth, destiny, and hidden truths.

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:
Bijou has spent her life moving from town to town with her grandmother Gigi. They are finally settling down and Bijou can start going to school like a normal kid. What Bijou begins to realize is that her life is anything but normal and her grandmother has been keeping some dark and disturbing secrets. As otherworldly creatures become a major presence in her life and truths are revealed, Bijou comes to learn her true identity and the destiny that awaits her.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
This book is not what I expected it to be and I mean that in a good way. I thought for some reason that it was a mermaid book and while mermaids are mentioned, that is not at all what it is about. It focuses on Bijou and her coming to terms with the truth about her life and her destiny. She wrestles with the truth about her past and her grandmother and tries to come to terms with her conflicting emotions about Sebastian.

There is a good amount of suspense and mystery as well as some romance. Although the romance storyline felt unresolved to me and the ending felt a bit abrupt. I think there needed to be an epilogue to tie everything together and answer some questions that still remained. I was reading an advanced reader’s copy so perhaps she has since added an epilogue, I’m not sure. Overall, I would say it was an enjoyable read.

Thank you to Netgalley and BooksSoSocial for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Djinn is a magical tale that takes us on a journey of self discovery with Bijou Fitzroy. When Bijou finds out her grandmother isn't who she says she is, and Bijou herself isn't who she thought she was, her whole life gets twisted up in ways she never could have imagined. Being an empath has never been easy, but now Bijou is finding out how just how hard things can really be.

Bijou was an interesting main character. On top of her being an empath she was also homeschooled until the beginning of this book. It was interesting to watch her transition into normal school life.

The writing is so magical and captivating. My favorite thing ever is when an author can carry your mind away with an enchanting story and this is one of those times. From the early pages of Djinn I was swept away into their world and I enjoyed every minute of it. We did end up seeing some over used troupes such as new girl vs popular girl and a love triangle involving popular girl to be specific. However, I didn't find these to hinder the stories readability. There were some unexpected reveals that increased the intensity and emotions of the overall story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The story was great and the characters were fun. If you're looking for a fun YA Fantasy this could be what you're looking for.

Gorgeous, full of emotions and feelings
Such a great writing style and I adore the story so much!!!

Really loved the story and how for me did not lag. The characters and plot were done well. Really kept me interested in what may happen.

The blurb caught my attention but after that I lost my interest and didn't read this book. Maybe next time.

I loved Bijou and the mystery surrounding her. Struggling to be normal without really knowing what that means, she is trapped by her own naivety and social awkwardness, while still being a really compelling character.

Getting herself I to trouble with new teachers and the mean girls of her new school, after a lifetime of being homeschooled by her grandmother Gigi, however, turns out to be the least of her worries.

Sang Kromah has also created a really interesting world, pulling on pre-Islamic folklore and mythology, as well as any number of other cultural references, in order to twist them into anew and exciting world.

My only negative, and why the book loses a star for me, is that it's sometimes hard to keep track of who is who. Otherwise, however, this is a great book, and I would happily read more if this became a series.