This is one of those books that's unlike anything else I've read. Structured as a field guide to the strange and supernatural, it's imaginative, funny, unsettling, and surprisingly poignant. Every entry adds another layer to the world, making the school feel both deeply familiar and completely impossible.
What I appreciated most was how effortlessly Manickavel balances the whimsical with the eerie. It's a quick read, but one that invites you to slow down and savor all of its strange little details. If you're looking for something different, this one absolutely delivers.
Read if you like: surreal fiction, literary horror, folklore, and books that are delightfully weird.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this novel. All opinions are entirely my own.

There was a lot to appreciate about this novel. I really enjoyed its weirdness, the vivid setting, and the memorable characters. I especially loved the first part of the story, where we follow Thamarai through her day-to-day life. That was easily the most compelling section for me.

The Compendium entries were also a lot of fun to read, each one more surprising than the last. However, I found myself wishing they had a greater impact on the overall story.

Where the book fell short for me was the pacing. For a 400-page novel, the structure felt more suited to a novella or even a short story. The main plot took too long to fully unfold, and by the halfway point, I was starting to feel impatient. The ending also felt more like the conclusion of a short story than a full-length novel. Ironically, it felt rushed in the context of a novel, even though I think it would have worked beautifully in a shorter format.

I really wanted to love 'A Compendium of Supernatural Entities Found in the Government Girls Higher Secondary School' by Kuzhali Manickavel. The premise—a Tamil Nadu government girls' school filled with supernatural beings and a mysterious notebook—was the kind of quirky, literary horror that usually appeals to me. However, I found it difficult to become fully engaged. The atmosphere is well-crafted, and some moments are quite unsettling, but I never connected deeply with Thamarai or the story. I kept waiting for the pieces to come together, and while I appreciated the intent, it didn’t fully draw me in.

That said, I enjoyed how the supernatural elements blended into everyday school life. The horror isn't just about ghosts or strange creatures; it also reflects real teenage experiences of power, isolation, and fear. These themes were among the strongest aspects of the novel.

Overall, this seems to be a book that focuses more on mood and symbolism than plot. If that's your style, it might resonate more with you than it did with me. I understand why it has its audience—it just wasn't the right fit for me. Readers may wish to check out CWs beforehand. Thanks to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the ARC and the opportunity to review.

A fun read that I would recommend to every fan of a big supernatural fiction fan! Interesting characters and a plot that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout!

A Compendium of Supernatural Entities Found in the Government Girls Higher Secondary School has a wonderfully strange premise and a vivid, unsettling atmosphere. The blend of everyday school life with supernatural creatures and folklore gives the story a unique feel, and the compendium entries are imaginative and often memorable.

The book is more focused on mood, symbolism, and world-building than on a fast-moving plot. While I enjoyed many of the individual ideas, the pacing felt uneven, and it took a while for the main story to fully develop. I also found it difficult to connect deeply with the characters, and I wished the supernatural entries had tied more strongly into the overall plot.

This is an unusual and creative read that will likely appeal most to readers who enjoy surreal fiction, literary horror, folklore, and stories that prioritize atmosphere over action.

This book had a lot of elements that I enjoyed, but ultimately it didn't quite come together for me in a satisfying way. Thamarai, the main character, finds a mysterious book that contains entries regarding all the supernatural entities at her school. The book appears to be just an ordinary book with no supernatural content to everyone else. We meet a number of characters in Thamarai's life including classmates, teachers, neighbors, and of course a number of supernatural entities. The book has a dry, understated humor which I enjoyed. Overall it's pretty light on plot for a book of its length but if you enjoy character studies more than plot, you might like this one a lot! I wouldn't call this a scary book despite the creepiness of some of the entities, it has more of a whimsical and odd feel.

Wonderfully weird and unsettling, A Compendium of Supernatural Entities Found in the Government Girls Higher Secondary School delivers on its promise to push boundaries. Kuzhali Manickavel weaves a strange, creeping tale of a girl at first only trapped by her surroundings, then terrified by them as daily life at her school takes a turn for the supernatural.

I enjoyed the field-guide setup, and was totally engaged by the entries detailing the various entities. They're eerie, inventive, and though mostly more on the whimsical side, at times a bit horrific - all-around a great tool for setting the atmosphere. It's definitely an atmosphere-heavy book, not particularly driven by plot or even characters, but I enjoyed the vibes so I didn't mind. I did, however, find the pacing to be a little off - I'm not convinced that the premise would work better as a short story, since there's a lot going on here and a lot of it is compelling, but I definitely wanted to get into the action sooner.

That aside, fans of weird, boundary-pushing horror absolutely shouldn't miss A Compendium of Supernatural Entities Found in the Government Girls Higher Secondary School.

What an incredibly weird book - and that is a compliment! I absolutely loved all dialogue with Thamarai involved because it was so incredibly odd. She is SO odd and I loved her. There were some really funny moments and I liked the entity entries too. There are parts of the book that are very (unfortunately) realistic so TW for sexual assault and harassment.