This was the March read for the #chronicallyiconicbookclub and my first read as a part of the club! The club reads one book a month that has chronic illness or disability representation.

This story is set during the 1969 race riots in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We follow Melati, a 16-year-old who loves the Beatles and also deals with OCD in the form of a djinn, who she believes is trapped inside her. As the violence and riots break out, Melati must do what she can to survive and find her mother, but how can she do that when the djinn insists that she keep counting and tapping to satisfy him?

I really enjoyed this book. As much as one can enjoy a book that deals with such heavy subject matter. I really appreciated the note and trigger warnings from the author at the beginning of the book. I didn’t know any of the history of these race riots before picking this up and I always welcome learning something new when I read historical fiction. As someone who has never dealt with OCD, I thought the author did a great job of giving the reader an inside look at how OCD symptoms manifested for Melati, as I realize that it is probably different for everyone with OCD. As I read, I could feel Melati’s anxiety and exhaustion as she stayed awake into the night counting books on a shelf or steps around the room. The side characters were loveable and many were great examples of kindness during a very trying time. I do recommend this book, but please check the trigger warnings first.