The past doesn’t stay buried in The Girl with a Thousand Faces by Sunyi Dean—it claws its way back, dripping with grief and unfinished business. Set against the shadowy sprawl of Hong Kong’s infamous Kowloon Walled City, this Gothic-tinged novel blends folklore, memory, and vengeance into a story that lingers long after the final page. With its May 5, 2026 release, Dean once again proves she’s operating in a space all her own.
At the center of the novel is Mercy Chan, a woman with no past—or at least none she can remember. Washed ashore with nothing, she builds a life for herself in Kowloon as a ghost talker, mediating between the living and the dead. It’s a fascinating premise, but what makes it work is the texture of Mercy’s world. Despite the grime, the danger, and the ever-present spirits, there’s an unexpected sense of familiarity here—a kind of eerie coziness that settles in as Mercy navigates her routines among the haunted alleyways.
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