Review Detail

THE JUMBIES is a unique, imaginative, and engrossing middle grade novel. Corinne lives with her father and sells her oranges in the market. Her oranges are the best tasting on the whole island. She lost her mother at a young age, but she still has a necklace her mother left her and the knowledge her mother gave her about gardening. When some boys steal her necklace and send it into the woods, Corinne goes in to get it. Although the people fear the woods because they may contain jumbies, Corinne believes jumbies are not real and is not afraid.

However, her trip into the woods brings a dangerous jumbie out. When the jumbie poses as a beautiful woman and keeps showing up at Corinne's house, Corinne gets a bad feeling. As the danger grows and her father falls under the jumbie's spell, Corinne must stop her before it is too late.

Accompanied by her friends, Dru, Malik, and Bouki, Corinne learns a lot about her island, the creatures surrounding it, and the bravery she holds inside her.

Corrine is a fully developed and courageous main character. She is fantastic for the middle grade audience who will cheer for her all the way through. However, this book is not for the faint of heart, as there are some definite horror elements (such as when the little boy turns into a douen), so I would not recommend reading at nighttime (it is certainly not scary at the adult level). The creatures come to life on the pages of the book, bringing a whole set of fairytale/folktale beings to readers.

Regardless, this is a highly unique and engaging adventure story with an incredible heroine that will appeal to the middle grade audience. Recommend for children who can stand a little scary along with overcoming the odds, standing up for what you believe in, and working with friends to save the day!