I had been warned to a certain extent of the sadness and emotion contained in this historical fiction webcomic and novel. A former coworker of mine recommended it to me and advised me to make sure to have some steady tissues nearby.

And she was definitely right. This is the story of the 13 May Incident in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1969. The violence was in response to the recent general election and resulted in an estimated 600 deaths (although the official number was 196). Alkaf, the author, is Malaysian and conducted many interviews with survivors from the tragedy to form the story. All of which is told from the perspective of a 16 year old girl suffering from undiagnosed OCD.

This is one of the best young adult historical fiction books I have ever read. It reminded me a lot of Boxers and Saints, another telling of a violent history through the eyes of teenagers. Both stories incorporate their culture’s religious beliefs and how those beliefs help to explain the unexplainable.

Despite the violence and the pain that is in this book, there is also hope. People that risk their life and safety to help others. It shows us the best and the worst of humanity.

As always, click the link below to check out this amazing book or visit your local library.