Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Slow-paced, bloody Taiwanese folk belief-inspired horror.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In THE DARK BECOMES HER, Ruby knows her little sister Tina is in trouble. It's not just that Tina is lying to her strict parents about taking dance lessons at the Chinatown mall, it's about her strange behavior. She listens to chanting in her room, she smells weird, and she's drinking these gross teas she has stashed under her bed. And she's meaner than she's ever been, telling Ruby off for being perfect in the eyes of their Taiwanese immigrant parents. Ruby notices all of that just after something unbelievable happens in the alley outside Tina's dance studio: A grotesque ghost attacks Ruby with its long tongue and leaves a cursed mark. Ruby is saved just in time by a boy named Shen who knows all about what Ruby saw, about the danger Tina is in, and the long history of evil spirits ruining lives in Vancouver's Chinatown.
Is It Any Good?
The best part about this slow-paced Taiwanese folk belief-inspired horror isn't the evil spirit scares, it's the story of two sisters of strict immigrant parents. They both have big, artistic dreams when they're supposed to study as hard as they can and be enormously successful. Ruby lives for the piano while Tina loves dance, and only one hobby gets parent approval: Music proficiency attracts the elite colleges. Anger and desperation draw Tina to dark forces, and Tina's anger at her "perfect" sister makes her so much more resistant to being saved. The tension between the sisters is relatable and will be a big draw for readers. And Ruby's search for a way to save Tina uncovers a fascinating wider problem in her Taiwanese immigrant community of Vancouver, Canada, manifested by similar desires for success and fulfillment.
If only the pace of The Dark Becomes Her wasn't so sluggish. Ruby's ghostly encounters in the first two thirds of the story are more like random jarring moments than tension builders. And the explanations of Guardians and other creatures beyond the veil needed some streamlining. It seems like the author lacks confidence in exploring the landscape of her own folk belief-inspired creations. With this story open to a sequel, let's hope the pace picks up and the spirit world becomes clearer.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what being a daughter of immigrants is like in The Dark Becomes Her. How do Ruby and Tina see their parents? What different challenges does Ruby face? How does she show empathy for her parents as immigrants?
This story includes plenty of gore. Would it be horror without it? Have you read any horror stories or seen any horror movies that didn't include copious amounts of spurting blood?
When Ruby realizes she never asked her parents why they stayed in Canada, she thinks to herself, "I spend all this time thinking about how everyone I encounter has their own stories and their own histories, but what do I really know about my own history? About my parents' history? They never shared that with us. And we never asked." What do you know about your own family history? What do you want to ask?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Arts , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , School ( High School )
- Character Strengths : Courage , Empathy
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Rick Riordan Presents
- Publication date : October 1, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 17
- Number of pages : 368
- Available on : Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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