“I was running away in the dark, and I turned back and caught a glimpse of the village's horrors.” – The Fiesta, Gimo Jr. and the Aswang Clan

 

I still remember visiting my best friend in the province, out in the woods of Calapan, Mindoro. She lived just a few meters away from this kubo that the locals swore was home to an aswang. We were walking along this path since their village hadn’t been touched by the local government, no asphalt pavement in sight. As we walked, we saw this small pot sitting on burning coal, but there was no one around. My best friend told me that from a mile away, the aswang could sense if anyone was coming. Reading “Gimo Jr. and the Aswang Clan” seriously brought that memory right back.

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Welcome to Pinetown, a quiet suburban town that’s hiding some seriously dark secrets and we're jumping straight into them. The story follows Danny, when his 13th birthday rolls around, things get… well, let’s just say "weird" doesn't quite cover it. "Terrifying" might be more like it. Definitely not the birthday surprise he was expecting. Danny's world shifts from ordinary school kid to something much darker, and much, much more monstrous. This book is packed with action, suspense, and enough supernatural tension to make you second-guess that bark from your dog at 3AM.

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You know what's one of the toughest things for an author when writing a novel? World-building. And I have to give major props to Andrew for crafting a world rooted in Filipino culture and folklore, with family secrets, blood feuds, and creepy supernatural transformations. Picture this: finding out that your closest relative, the one you’ve always admired, is actually the leader of the monstrous clan. That’s the kind of plot twist that’ll make you look at family reunions a little differently. Forget Menudo, today’s menu is Kinalaw na Tao. Andrew Jalbuena Pasaporte breathes life into Filipino folklore in such a fun, intense, and thrilling way. He doesn’t just tell you about aswangs… he makes you feel them.

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If you’re into mythology, supernatural suspense, or just love a good coming-of-age story with a crazy twist, trust me, you’re in for a ride. It’s like Stranger Things meets Filipino folklore… a secret superhero origin story, but with aswangs and dark magic. The Aswangs are real, and yeah, they’re definitely coming for you. So grab your garlic... wait, scratch that. (I see you, picking out that tiny bulb) You’re gonna need way more than three cloves, Susan.