I’m starting off this review right off the bat by saying this book is such a fantastic middle grade book and I highly encourage everyone to read it. Hamra and the Jungle of Memories is so well written, is extremely rich in life lessons, and the cultural descriptions were absolutely exquisite – it honestly was an absolute delight to read. 2

We follow little miss Hamra – she just turned 13 years old in the middle of a pandemic and unfortunately her birthday was forgotten amidst her parent’s stress of helping out the community survive. She’s left with her sick grandmother who forgets most everything these days because of her Alzheimers. Bravely, Hamra decides that as an official teenager she can disregard the rules when venturing into the forest and challenges them one by one. She finds out that being disobedient has consequences – in this case in the form of a giant, vengeful tiger.

Goodness, this book had everything from a little girl’s struggles on choosing the right way to pin her hijab, to amazing Malaysian food that I desperately wish I could eat right now, to the most tender of life lessons in strength, forgiveness, friendship, and love. It's a story puts a spin on Little Red Riding Hood but goes above and beyond that. There’s Malay folklore that was snuck in as little teasers as well.

This book enchanted me from the first chapter. I will admit, I never thought myself enjoying a book that had such modern aspects to it like references of pop culture and COVID-19, but it was really done so well and gently and they honestly served as writing tools in this case. I think kids that would pick up this book would relate even more to the struggles of growing up with the same social problems that are presented in the book.

Also just LOOK AT THIS COVER. Look at how beautiful! It aptly illustrates the magic and mystery that lies within its pages. The world building is immersive and the characters were just so beautiful.

My one issue about the book is at around the halfway-ish mark it did kind of drag a little for me. There was a little bit much of waiting and anticipating before getting to the next scene so I feel like it could’ve been a bit of a shorter book (I sits at 400 pages) especially considering the target audience. It took a while to pick back up again and to recapture my interest..Nonetheless, I will be reading the rest of the books by Hanna Alkaf because she is an extremely talented writer.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun story! Hamra’s adventure in the jungle swept me away. I loved the way the story is introduced. In a few places, the narrator kind of steps back and tells us things about what’s coming. Sometimes that mechanic doesn’t work for me, but it really felt like it was a good fit for this particular story.

I loved the relationship between Hamra and her grandmother. It was heartbreaking to see the divide between them caused by her memory issues and her illness. Her hopefulness when her grandmother had a moment of clarity made me cry every time. I can remember so deeply feeling the same ache with my grandmother during her illness, too.

I also really loved the dynamics in the friendship between Hamra and Ilyas, her best friend and neighbor. He’s so nerdy and sweet in all the best ways. I loved his loyalty and also the moments he pushes back on Hamra when she’s getting to be too controlling. We all need someone in our lives who can remind us to be our better selves, and he definitely does that for Hamra without rescuing her or mentoring her, just being her friend.

The way the story explores Little Red Riding Hood is really cool, too. At first glance, it may not seem to be much the same story, but as you look closer, there are a lot of similarities, so I loved the way the author created those parallels in less obvious ways. For example, Hamra lives with her grandmother, so her quest through the jungle isn’t about bringing a basket of goodies to her grandmother’s house. But for Hamra, the whole goal of the quest is to provide a cure for her grandmother’s dementia– helping her grandmother get well.

All in all, I thought this was a really clever, deeply immersive story with so much heart. I think readers who enjoyed THE PLENTIFUL DARKNESS by Heather Krassner or THE FIREBIRD SONG by Arnee Flores will love the strong characters and atmospheric storytelling of HAMRA AND THE JUNGLE OF MEMORIES.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

This was a fantastic tale of learning lessons. Hamra steals from a tiger in the forest and, as a result, has to embark on a journey to pay back what she took. It is a tale with reminders of Little Red Riding Hood and is rooted in magic, as fairies live in the jungle. It teaches important lessons about friendship, listening to your elders, and cherishing your precious time with loved ones and other important values.

Beautiful and lyrical, with characters you both feel you know and want to know. Hamra's journey is relatable and touching, from her struggle with her own anger during the pandemic, her relationship with her grandmother, and her building confidence.

This was a really good retelling and I liked it! Definitely one to pick up on release day and I think it's well written.

This is a lush, inventive Malaysian folklore twist on the Little Red Riding Hood. As with The Girl and the Ghost, Alkaf expertly and effortlessly weaves in her culture and its myths; and manages to simultaneously dip into darkness, hard truths, and life's unfairness, while maintaining a strong, steady emotional core. Both Hamra and Ilyas (her best friend) are well-etched characters - Hamra, in particular, a perfect encapsulation of a just 13 year old in all the complexity and annoyance that characterises it. This is a coming of age story as much as it is a reckoning that we must face/live with the consequences of our actions, no matter our age. There is the added claustrophobic, slightly unreal quality of having this story be set in the midst of the early lockdown pandemic, but that makes the adventure/quest all the more urgent for the characters, all the more vicarious for readers who would well remember what those days of isolation and restrictions were like. If I had to quibble, I would say that the quest (and the individual little tasks they had to accomplish) seemed a little too linear in its execution, a little too lucky in how they progressed. And that the ending was a little too abrupt, perhaps.

On the morning of her thirteenth birthday, Hamra doesn’t feel chosen – at least not in a good way. She’s stuck caring for her demanding grandparents, while her front-liner parents help other Malaysians through the pandemic. But when she angrily enters the jungle to fetch herbs, and flouts all the rules – ask permission, don’t take what isn’t yours, don’t challenge what you can’t see – the story chooses her. Soon she and her best friend Ilya are doing a weretiger’s bidding, unravelling riddles, entering legends, and battling the supernatural. Alkaf has achieved remarkable things. She has written an exciting fantasy adventure, incorporating Malaysian folktales. She has reinterpreted the Red Riding Hood fable and trebled its power. She has created multi-dimensional and memorable characters and placed them in a world with such richly described details that they feel like the readers’ own most treasured memories. And, at the heart of the story, is a profound exploration of the tension between growth and loss shared by adolescents and the elderly. While the book is long, there is nothing extraneous or didactic. The Malaysian setting and details about Hamra's Muslim faith add immeasurable interest. Thanks to Harper and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an unbiased review.

Set in the Philippines at the height of the Covid pandemic, Hamra and the Jungle of Memories is a heartbreakingly beautiful story about tradition, hope, growing up, and loss. Hamra feels like her family is slipping away - her parents must work long, dangerous hours far from home and her beloved grandmother suffers from dementia that has slowly ripped her mind away. When Hamra's thirteenth birthday arrives without acknowledgement from her family, she carelessly breaks the rules of the forest and involves herself with a weretiger with his own agenda. With the help of her best friend, Harma must complete a quest that she hopes will bring her family back together. Lovely and engrossing, a great choice for kids who feel alone and adrift in the world. Hamra's story is full of hope and adventure, along with acceptance that life can be hard and scary, and the best way to face it is at the side of people we love.

I enjoy this so much😭
It's very atmospheric I can taste the jambu. I love how this book explored places and fruits and birds around Malaysia and I'm familiar with them and can't wait for the international readers to feel them too!!!

The story set in Mayalsia, 2020, during the COVID pandemic. It's nice to see an entertaining adventure during those struggling time.

Hamra, a 13th yo girl, ever so tired and obedient first girl in an Asian household, took something from the jungle and had to pay the price for her action. Accompanied by her neighbour/ best friend, they went on a quest with the weretiger to undo the curse. The story laced with the devastating social distancing policy, being away from parents, and taking care of grandparents (with grandma having the dementia).

What I love:
- The pace is okay. The quest woven perfectly one after another.
- ILYAS AND HAMRA RELATIONSHIP:( that's what friendship are for
- HAMRA AND THE WERETIGER CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

Anyone who love middle grade should give this book a go💓

Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's book

Hanna Alkaf once again delivers a gut punch of a middle grade novel.

Hamra is stuck at home because of COVID. Since the lockdown, her parents have had to work more, leaving her to care for her grandparents, and particularly her grandmother who's battling dimentia. Her frustration hits a peak one day, and she angrily walks into the forest while ignoring the rules she's been told will keep her safe. This sets her on the path of this story: help the tiger in the forest, and he will return her grandmother's memories.

Alkaf wonderfully updates folklore and fairy tales, finding the perfect balance between modern and timeless. I am constantly delighted by her novels, and this was yet another success. I can't wait to see what she writes next.

It was so much fun reading this Little Red Riding Hood retelling! The Malaysian folklore and mythology touched upon were so interesting (and informative, I wasn't aware of so many of these!), and I liked the themes of friendship and forgiveness ❤️

This book is set literally in the covid-19 pandemic (more towards the beginning when we had lockdowns and all its mental and economic difficulties), and it offers glimpses into the sad changes it brought about, whilst also using that environment as a way to move the story along. I liked reading about all the intermediate tasks the MC had to do and the allies/villains they met along the way. And I so loved the MC Hamra! Her character development was done so well, and her friendships with the other characters were so cute 😭

--- ty to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advance e-arc in exchange for my honest thoughts.

When I saw that Hanna Alkaf had come out with a new book, I was very excited. I read The Girl and the Ghost as part of my reading around the world challenge and this book was said to explore more Malaysian mythology. It did that beautifully.

This story takes place during the COVID-19 pandemic and follows Hamra as she tries to take care of her grandparents. Her mother is away from home as a nurse, her father is busy, and her grandmother has dementia. Tired of being the good girl she goes and breaks the rules of the jungle dragging her friend into a quest to help the weretiger regain his humanity.

I did not like Hamra's character as much because unlike in the Girl and the Ghost she has an amazing family and friend, but is super selfish and rude. She learns from her journey, but it takes so long for her to be likable.

The rest of the characters are amazing and unique. The story starts slow, but one we are on the journey solving riddles and meeting new characters it picks up.

The exploration of memory was well done and heartbreaking. I think this is a book that you would get a very different experience out of at different ages.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and recommend it.

I recently read The Girl and The Ghost, which i really enjoyed. So i’m excited to read Hanna Alkaf’s upcoming book!

Hamra and the Jungle of Memories, is a Malaysian folktale retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.

It was fun at the first half of the book,
i really enjoyed it. It was a page turner indeed. I always love Hanna writing, and the familiarity. Such as Opah’s warning to bring her food containers back, or even the rules of the Jungles. Always ask permission before you enter a strange place, my mom always reminds me to do this as well. Then surely the theme of the books about Friendship and Family is engaged.

But sadly for me, it feels dragged for the second half to the end of the book.
There’s a lot of Folktales characters, but i can’t get enough to see their characthers arcs. There is folktale character called Langsuir, and it’s only have 1 chapter then jump into another folktale. For 400pages, i think Hanna could do more for characters arcs.

Overall i enjoyed their journey and will always read Hanna Alkaf’s books!

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for providing me the e-Arc

Malaysian folktales meet Little Red Riding Hood. Hanna Alkaf is particularly skilled at relating mental health struggles and things like Alzheimer's to a younger audience. I bet this will make a killer audiobook. Absolutely recommend for kids and parents alike.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for this ARC!

4.5/5 stars

This was an amazing Malaysian retelling of Little Red Rood - absolutely stellar! The story was familiar and yet different, refreshing in all the right ways. Hamra was the flawed, obnoxious, tender hearted 13 year old we all know and want to root for; Ilyas was the awkward, sweet 13 year old we all adore; and the tiger….well, he’s the once villain you want to believe can change.

The writing was very well done, the pacing was perfect, the characters and stories were enticing, and the world-building was beautiful. Even as an adult, this was a fantastic and fun middle grade read. And while it was wonderful as a story, it touches on important topics like the chaos Covid 19 wrought on the world and how that kind of change and isolation affects a child. It reminds us of the devastation dementia and Alzheimer’s can bring, not only on the person but their family. And most of all it warns against the destruction of unchecked and unresolved anger and how it can turn the sweetest boy into the most vile villain.

My only complaint was the incredibly specific modern day references - cops talking about conspiracy videos on Facebook and the like. Using Covid didn’t bother me as it was a global phenomenon that will never stop being known or relevant; but referencing things like Facebook ages a book and can take future readers out of the story.

Overall - phenomenal read, highly recommend to readers of all ages.

DNF @20%

I liked the concept, but not the execution of it. I also don't like that it's set during the pandemic, it's just not something I want to read about. I'm sure other people will like this book, it's just not for me.

This middle grade Little Red Riding Hood retelling follows girl who steals from a weretiger's fruit tree in the jungle and in order to repay her debt must go on a journey to help him become human again. It's a sweet story full of adventure and learning to trust yourself and others. And I always love fresh takes on fairy tales!

I don’t have the cultural knowledge to speak to the Malaysian elements of this tale, but I can say that it was a thoroughly enjoyable adventure across islands and through jungles. I found Hamra to be a great protagonist to see the story through, and her struggles with her own insecurities and anger were well-executed, in my opinion. I found her relatable and her journey emotionally engaging. I had a few quibbles with the story, but they were minor. Most prominently, I’m not sure if I enjoyed the message that in order to earn redemption, the tiger deserves first to suffer and be in pain. I think the same events and requirements could have been presented in a slightly different way (and perhaps this was just my own perception of the events) but it felt a bit cruel to state that, rather than just sometimes journeys can be painful, that he deserves to be in pain for what he’s done, and he deserves to suffer before he can return to his humanity. I think I understand what the intention was, but that conclusion left me slightly sour. Overall, it was a delightful and suspenseful middle grade adventure with a fun cast, a good bit of humor, and lots of magical creatures, talking animals, and making friends along the way. A very enjoyable read.

I’ll be withholding my full review in solidarity with the Harper Collins Workers’ Strike. This was fine, though I had issues with it that I won’t get into until the strike is resolved.

4.5
This 400 page middle grade retelling of Little Red Riding Hood bursts with Malaysian culture, magic, action, and adventure. The main character and her family are Muslim and hijab, duas, zikr, halal, Qur'an and salat are included throughout. The mix of legends and characters from Malaysian culture in building the fae world is not contrasted with religious faith, but assumed to both coexist without issue. The book is clean for ages nine and up and the only concepts worth noting are some intense life and death situations, close male and female friendships, dementia, and the element of fantasy. The book is set during the Covid-19 pandemic which will ultimately date the book as it doesn't convey the tone for readers unfamiliar with the curfews, social distancing, controversies, and masking. Those who have just lived through it, will not need the framing, but in a few years I do fear that the book will be lacking in fully understanding why the tourists, parents, and markets are so absent. As with all of the author's books there are also dated pop culture references, that slow the narrative down for today's readers. The book grabs you from the start and the second half flies by smoothly, but the middle quarter is a bit slow as the world building is not robust, and the reader is thrust into a magical world that is just accepted without pause, and the reader is asked to accept it at face value as well.

SYNOPSIS:

It is Hamra's birthday, but the independent 13 year old is not being celebrated- everyone has forgotten: her mother is a front line worker, her father helping those with limited resources, and her aging grandfather and her are left to care for her memory slipping grandmother. When Hamra, Little Red, storms off to the jungle to collect some herbs, in an act of spite, she defies the rules drilled in to her 1- Always ask permission before you enter. 2- Don't challenge what you can't even see. 3- Never use your true name. 4-Never take what isn't yours. 5-If you hear someone calling your name, never, ever look behind you. She also doesn't listen to the regular reminders to tie her shoes. Simple rules, that when broken set the story in to motion. Along with her best friend Ilyas, the two will strike a deal with a weretiger for their transgressions that takes them on a journey to try and save Opah, themselves, and prove their quest a success. The characters they meet, the clues they unravel, the legends they understand, and the scenic islands they explore are as lush as the love Hamra has for her family and the drive she has to return home safely.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I love the way Islam is truly part of the characters, and a natural extension of how they see the world and act within it. I wish there was stronger world building blending the world of the known and the fantasy for the reader. The writing of the Malaysian setting is beautifully unapologetic and I love that there is not a glossary or overly explained descriptions, it is immersive and I appreciate that, but the framing of the two worlds I felt was a bit disjointed and needed some fleshing out. At times it feels more telling than showing in detailing the depths of the legends or the superstitions that are true for the story. I did enjoy the characters' quirks and stubbornness, there is not a lot of arc and growth, but with the intensity of the adventure and culture, I didn't feel it lacking in development. For much of the book I didn't quite appreciate the Covid-19 framing, but by the end I understood that it was a way to have the tourist spots void of people, the parent's out of the way; a little more development though would have had the uncertainty of so much more fully realized.

FLAGS:

Fear, trickery, danger, loss, death, music, musical references, dammit is said. There is some violence, close male and female friendships, and a possible trigger of dementia in a loved one. There is myth, legend, magic, fairies, fae, and fantasy, if you are ok with the concepts in general the presentation is clean even with mixing religion and these concepts. If you are uncomfortable of fantasy and Islam coexisting, this book draws the two worlds very close.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I have taught two of her books in middle school book club discussions, and I would teach this one as well. It is enjoyable to see Malaysian Muslim characters so confident in their identity and having adventures that are enhanced by their faith and culture while focusing on larger themes of friendship, family, forgiveness, and adventure.