The House of Djinn [Hardcover]

Suzanne Fisher Staples (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2008

It has been ten years since Shabanu staged her death to secure the safety of her daughter, Mumtaz, from her husband’s murderous brother. Mumtaz has been raised by her father’s family with the education and security her mother desired for her, but with little understanding and love. Only her American cousin Jameel, her closest confidant and friend, and the beloved family patriarch, Baba, understand the pain of her loneliness. When Baba unexpectedly dies, Jameel’s succession as the Amirzai tribal leader and the arrangement of his marriage to Mumtaz are revealed, causing both to question whether fulfilling their duty to the family is worth giving up their dreams for the future.

A commanding sequel to the novels Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind and Haveli, The House of Djinn stands on its own. Suzanne Fisher Staples returns to modern-day Pakistan to reexamine the juxtaposition of traditional Islamic values with modern ideals of love.

The House of Djinn is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Atmospheric and suspenseful...Western and Islamic ways clash, yet the author so thoroughly immerses readers in the setting that few will want to judge. Like most of Staples’s fiction, this work significantly enlarges the reader’s understanding of a complex society" —Starred, Publishers Weekly

 

"Eloquently written...Staples skillfully draws readers into the complicated web of relationships in the fictional Amirzai family in this fascinating tale of the conflict between tribal tradition and modernization in contemporary Pakistan." —Starred, Kirkus Reviews

 

"Splendidly drawn...moves along quickly and intensely with elements of intrigue and adventure, holding readers' attention and sympathies." —School Library Journal

 

"Readers will ponder the questions about responsibility and freedom Staples raises in the intriguing marriage drama." —Booklist

 

"The skirmishes, intrigues, and loves of the colorful Pakistani/ American tribal family give this book the tenor of a short dynastic epic with a touch of the supernatural thrown in. . . . Staples's attention to sensual detail (the smell of camphor and ginger blossoms, tuberoses and jasmine; the image and sound of the gardeners clipping ;monsoon-green' grass with steel scissors) and quick-paced plotting make it a thoroughly absorbing read." —The Horn Book

“Staples includes rich, descriptive detail throughout the narrative and incorporates details of contemporary Pakistani life.” —VOYA

"Through her stories, Staples presents the uneasy mixture of ancient tribal traditions and modern social and governmental principles. . . . She immerses readers in the local life with descriptions of crowded streets, rich food, garden workers . . . and shopping in a burqa." —The Sacramento Bee

 

"Staples transports readers into a land that is at once foreign and familiar, as matters of culture and family collide with matters of the heart." —Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books

About the Author

SUZANNE FISHER STAPLES, a former UPI correspondent, is the author of many acclaimed books for young readers, including the Newbery Honor Book Shabanu; Shiva’s Fire, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year; and Under the Persimmon Tree, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and an ALA Notable Book. She lives in Nicholson, Pennsylvania.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); First Edition edition (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374399360
• ISBN-13: 978-0374399368
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #813,002 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Doesn't live up to its predecessors, May 7, 2010

By 

Amie-June Brumble (Seattle) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The House of Djinn (Hardcover)

When reading this book, I felt as if its relation to the first book in the trilogy (the Newberry Award-winning "Shabanu") was something like the relationship of "Scarlett" to "Gone With the Wind." Whereas the first two (wonderful!) books focus on Shabanu and the intricacies of life in Pakistan and Pakistani society, "The House of Djinn" bounces its focus to Mumtaz and the heretofore unknown Jameel, while Shabanu herself appears barely twice. While the first two books are rich with detail on the landscape, cities, rituals, and intrigue, this book jumps clumsily from scene to scene, name-dropping skateboard tricks.

I remember being left on the edge of my seat when "Haveli" ended, and after growing impatient with years of waiting for a resolution, visiting the author's website and discovering that she had never planned to write a third book at all. This felt akin to Tolkien's simply ending his books at the Two Towers with "Frodo was alive, and taken by the enemy." I was horrified. I couldn't have been happier when she decided to write this book to resolve those missing questions. Alas, the book is so rushed and thin on detail that it's almost as if it was written by someone else. It does NOT read like the grandchild of the Newberry Award-winning "Shabanu." I didn't connect with a single character in the book, even the ones I'd liked before. I'm bitterly disappointed...she resolved the issues only technically, as if saying "here's your book, now leave me alone."

A final thought: this is the fourth book I've read by Suzanne Fisher Staples, and I've come to notice that every single one of them (the Shabanu trilogy and "Shiva's Fire") seem to end right in the middle of the climax. While open endings are appropriate for some stories, after a while it starts to feel lazy. Finishing her books with no sense of closure is jarring.

Enjoy "Shabanu" and "Haveli," but stop there.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Bit Disappointing...., December 21, 2008

By 

Dalchini Raichand (Queens, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The House of Djinn (Hardcover)

I first read the two previous books in the series several times. I was excited when i heard that the final book was being released some years later. This book isnt really up to level as the other books. It struck me as a bit strange and left me thinking if the same writer wrote "Haveli" and "Shabanu". This book leaves as much unfinished as the second ending, and is just disappointing and more childish than the other two books. You would have thought that the book would have come to some conclusion. It is all entertaining, i suppose, until u meet the end, which leaves you extremely disappointed. The real story ends at Haveli. This is no where on the level of the other two. If you are REALLY curious about what happens read it. This tarnishes the characters.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but just not up to par., July 30, 2008

By 

Nani Sheats (Coastal NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The House of Djinn (Hardcover)

I read the first two books in this series several years ago and thoroughly enjoyed them. When I purchased this book I reread the first two books to refresh my memory of the story, then immediately went on to read this one. While the story itself was good, I was highly disappointed in how this book matched the first two. There were several discrepancies between the first two books and this; glaring mistakes, particularly about deaths, that left me wondering if Suzanne Fisher Staples had written this book without reviewing her prior works. I was also disappointed in the style of writing - despite being intended for young adults, I, now in my mid-20s, still enjoyed the first two books and felt drawn into them. This third book felt written by a much less experienced writer; someone who'd not yet written a great book and thus had no idea of what a great book could contain. Don't get me wrong - if you read the first two books, by all means read this one as well. Just don't be surprised if you're left feeling disappointed and empty at the end.