How to Free a Jinn

12-year-old Syirah Abdullah’s life changes when her nenek—grandmother—has a bad fall and her mother uproots her from Sydney to return to Malaysia. On the plane journey back, her mother warns her that mental illness is a taboo topic in Malaysia. Syirah suffers from severe anxiety and panic attacks, but she is not to reveal this. Her mother also tells her about the jinn who lurk in the land and shape-shift to visit humans. Syirah soon encounters several jinn, some who are friendly and some evil. Her aikido teacher turns out to be half-jinn. Her nenek has a jinn helper that Syirah will inherit when her grandmother passes away. She has several very frightening experiences where she falls into the unseen realm. Her school is built on a mass grave from the Second World War and an evil jinn is using the stored power of the violence, trauma and grief to haunt the music room. But the terror is spreading further. And it all seems to be related to Syirah’s bloodline! An atmospheric and engaging story with Islamic-inspired mythology and Malaysian culture.