Rise of the Jumbies

Corinne’s evil aunt Severine may have been dealt with, but the villagers are wary of Corinne. Ever since they discovered she is half-jumbie, nobody looks at her the same. Every time she sets up her orange stand in the market, people give her distrustful looks and avoid her. When kids from her village start to disappear, Corinne wants to prove to everyone that they can trust her. She is a kind protagonist who genuinely wants to help others—she isn’t helping solely to trick the villagers into liking her, no matter how much they think that’s exactly what she’s doing.  

To rescue the missing children and clear her own name, Corinne goes deep into the ocean to find Mama D’Leau, the dangerous jumbie who rules the sea. But Mama D’Leau’s help comes with a price. Corinne and her friends Dru, Bouki, and Malik must travel with mermaids across the ocean to fetch a powerful object for Mama D’Leau. The only thing more perilous than Corinne’s adventures across the sea is the jumbie that waits for her back home. 

Corinne and her friends are inspiring characters who engage in spirited banter while maintaining mutual respect even during disagreements. When bartering with Mama D’Leau goes awry, the four friends find themselves being towed by mermaids to Ghana to recover a jewel. Along the way, Corinne’s emerging jumbie powers frighten her companions, creating tension within the group that they resolve through honest communication. Their courage, understanding, and humanistic approach to magical creatures creates a sweet story with a powerful ending. 

While The Rise of the Jumbies contains many amazing elements, they aren’t always well integrated. The plot meanders and feels overcomplicated, and though the language is accessible, the overwhelming number of magical elements could confuse readers. The macabre folklore embedded in the story makes it worthwhile, though readers averse to horror should be warned of some genuinely scary features. Despite these issues, the worldbuilding remains strong, and the creative blend of historical themes with fantasy creates a well-rounded narrative. 

The Rise of the Jumbies offers a creepy atmosphere, imaginative monsters, and youthful wit that will captivate readers. The supernatural creatures have complicated histories and morally gray motives that ground the fantastical elements. As Corinne travels between continents protecting her friends, she learns that some things aren’t black and white and that forgiveness can be powerful medicine. She proves to be a kind and intelligent protagonist who recognizes that monsters are subjective and that chosen family can be stronger than blood. Ultimately, this fantastical story delivers a grounded message: everyone needs a healthy home so that hurt people don’t create more hurt. 

Sexual Content  

• None 

Violence  

• While taking a walk in the market, Corinne notices that she’s being avoided because of her half-jumbie status. “Corinne had learned that a slight curve in the lip might mean a cruel thought from one person, a tiny squint signaled suspicion from another, and a stiffness in the muscles meant fear from someone else. These subtle body changes meant Corinne was being judged because of who she was: half-jumbie.” 
• As Mama D’Leau hunts for food, she eats a fish whole. “She smiled before biting down, leaving a gaping hole in its fat belly. She crunched the scales and fins and bones and slurped the guts, and thought about what she was going to do about this other jumbie.” 
• During Corinne’s expedition to Ghana, her friends, the mermaids Ellie, Addie, Noyi, and Sisi, and Corinne are all attacked by a sea creature. “One of the tentacles had wrapped around [Ellie’s] tail. She held Dru away from her body, looking for someone to pass her to. Addie and Noyi dodged the other suckers, pulling Malik’s and Bouki’s arms out of the way of danger as they tried to reach Ellie. But with the children to carry, the mermaids weren’t as agile as usual. Noyi passed Bouki to Addie and managed to navigate the field of tentacles to get to Ellie. She tried to pry Ellie loose. Sisi dove and rammed herself into the squid’s rubbery body. She bounced off and turned for another attack. The squid reached for her. Sisi stopped short and changed direction. Corinne’s head bounced and lolled. As Sisi turned, she saw Noyi pull Ellie out of the squid’s grip. But glittering scales and dark red blood trailed behind them.” Ellie eventually dies from her wounds, but everyone else is fine.  
• While connecting psychically with the mermaids, Corinne relives their memories of a slave ship wrecking in a storm. “The water rolled away and the sounds of screaming voices and screeching chains filled her ears. The ship cracked and ripped at the joints, then sank. Water closed over them. It sealed them in like an iron box. There was a low moan and a loud pop and the beam she was attached to broke away and pitched in the current. Corinne could see the wide, frightened eyes of others below her who were still chained to the ship. Their mouths opened, sucking for air that would never come.” Those aboard either died or were transformed into mermaids.  
• In an effort to recover the missing children, Corinne encounters Severine, who attacks Corinne. “Severine dove on Corinne, pinning her under the water. Corinne kicked and scratched at Severine with her fingers, but her aunt was much too strong. The people in the crowd moved in, trying to pry Corinne from Severine’s grip, but the jumbie held them off. She pulled Corinne deeper into the water.” Both escape unharmed.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

• None 

Language  

• Language is tame, but it includes juvenile insults, such as “stupid,” “idiot,” and “imbecile,” which appear frequently. 

Supernatural  

• This novel incorporates Caribbean folklore and supernatural references on nearly every page. Corinne and her friends have many interactions with magic, mostly through magical creatures called jumbies and potions.  
• Corinne has jumbie abilities, like being able to communicate with snakes. For example, while in Ghana, Corinne and her friends find themselves in trouble, running from the local authorities. “[Corinne’s friend] picks up a snake, and Corinne hears a voice. ‘Sssqueeze sssofter, pleassse!’ The only thing that could have been speaking to her was the snake.” 
• Corinne recounts the events of the past book while explaining a couple of different kinds of jumbies. “Months earlier, Corinne had believed that jumbies were only stories that the grown-ups told to make children afraid. Jumbies were too incredible to be real. Who would believe in a creature like the soucouyant, who could shed her skin and turn into a ball of fire? Or the lagahoo, with knife-sharp teeth and clanging chains? Or worst of all, the douen, with its small, strong body and backward-facing feet? And then there was Severine, who was unlike any of the jumbies Corinne had heard of in stories. At first, with her beautifully wrapped hair and long green dress, she looked exactly like the other ladies in town. Then she turned out to be the strongest and most dangerous jumbie of all.” 
• While looking for a missing child, Corinne is almost lured into the water by a magical song. “The song became louder and clearer and more beautiful the longer Corinne listened. And the water felt warmer, too, like bathwater left out in the sun. Corinne dove deeper into the darkness after the lulling song. But the rope pulled against her waist, making her movements useless. The song began to fade. She reached in front of her and felt something warm and solid between her fingers. But she was jerked away. She opened her mouth to scream, ‘No!’ and gulped water as she was yanked back to the surface, where she coughed and sputtered, and the song disappeared.” 
• While trying to summon Mama D’Leau, a powerful water jumbie, Corinne and her friends find themselves able to breathe underwater. “We’re not breathing, Dru said. Yes, we are, said a small, squeaky voice. Malik pointed at his nose. He took a deep breath and blew bubbles out of it.” 
• Mama D’Leau is another reappearing jumbie who possesses considerable magical power. “Her eyes were the same bright blue as the water around them, and as the water grew darker, they did too. Her hair was long and braided in thick plaits. Some wrapped around the top of her head like a crown, but masses more fell down past her waist. Scales were scattered against her skin at her collarbone and thickened down to her hips, where her tail began. It was long and twice as thick as an anaconda’s, narrowing to a thin, twitching end that was coiled beneath her like a throne.” 
• When Corinne and her friends swim to Ghana, the mermaids lose their memories of Mama D’Leau. They also don’t remember why they were expected to bring Corinne and her friends all the way to Africa. There is no explicit magic spell that makes this happen.  
• Panicked about leaving her newly discovered family in Ghana, one of the mermaids, Ellie, tries to drag herself ashore. “Malik dove into the water. He met Corinne on the beach and they took Ellie’s hands and tried to pull her back. Her fingers were brittle as glass and they cracked in their grip. Malik moved to scoop up the mermaid’s body. Corinne followed his lead. They tried to drag her back as her bright scales began to shrivel, becoming as delicate as tissue paper. The line down the middle of her tail darkened and sank inward, separating into two legs. Corinne and Malik tried to move more gently as Ellie’s entire body faded to the color of beach sand. The breeze peeled the surface of her skin like petals on the wind.”  
• Corinne meets Papa Bois, a powerful woodland jumbie, in the forest. “Corinne felt something like a heartbeat coming up through the soles of her sandals. It was as if the entire forest had come alive. The pulse felt stronger as she moved closer to the boulder. . . The boulder itself moved as if it was breathing. Corinne’s pulse quickened, but she reached a finger out to touch it, and the surface felt soft but tough, like muscle. She jumped back. The boulder rearranged itself. Cracks and crevices twisted in other directions. Some opened up, exposing new muscle beneath, and the surface of the rock shifted. When it stopped moving, the boulder had unfolded into a little old man not much taller than Corinne, with a long gray beard, the legs of a goat, and a pair of tiny horns peeking through his messy gray cornrowed hair.” 
• Later, Papa Bois demonstrates more magical ability while arguing with Corinne, “a few tears squeezed out of the wrinkled corners of his kind brown eyes. Where they fell to the ground, tiny white flowers sprang up and opened their buds.”  
• To save the children and defeat Severine, Corinne resolves to sacrifice her humanity to lead Severine away from the island. She asks Mama D’Leau to turn her into a mermaid. “Where Corinne’s legs had been, a shimmering orange tail waved.” 
• To save one of her friends, Allan, from transforming into a jumbie, Corinne tells him to wish for home, and he’ll become human again. Corinne finds his mom to help him do this. “Allan turned toward his mama again. This time, his feet didn’t move, so his body lined up perfectly. When he stepped forward, his movement was steady and sure. [Allan’s mom] dropped to her knees. Allan ran into her arms and they cried against each other’s cheeks.” 

Spiritual Content  

• When Corinne and her friends land in Ghana, they meet a boy, Kahiri, who mistakes the mermaids who brought them to Ghana for servants of an African water spirit/goddess named Mami Wata. After Corinne asks Kahiri who that is, he responds, “She’s a water goddess, and she can look like anything she wants. They are mermaids. One of them must be her.” 

by Kate Schuyler