Intan Andaru invites the readers to remember the horrific time that occurred in 1998 in Indonesia. In that year, many innocent peoples die for no reason. They are accused to practice voodoo known as santet.
Ayu is the main character. She witnesses how her father killed in a brutal way in the hands of his neighbor. She doesn't understand why her father who is a very friendly and nice man should be killed. She makes a list of men who killed her father. She tries to find out the reason why these men take her father's life.
Every man that she visits, she finds out that they are also good people. They do horrible actions because they are paid to kill any man who is suspected as a healer or a cleric. Then, there are many ninjas wander around villages. Ninja is a term to represent a man who kidnaped ordinary people suspected as santet or cleric.
Ayu continues her life without her father. She joins a traditional dance course from a lady who is written on her list. Her name is Mbah Rapyak who teaches gandrung dance. Ayu learns that to be a gandrung dance is picked by the long red scarf. A magical scarf that can move place and pick who the next gandrung is. The scarf picks her and it causes her life to change. She can support her family's life.
This book is suitable for senior high school students (age 15 to 18). The book introduces the black history of Indonesia in a light way. And at the same time introduces the social conflict that is very common faced by ordinary people. As an example, parents ask her daughter to kill the baby in her womb to safe 'the face' and family name. When a daughter pregnant because of premarital sex, it ruins the family name.
