December 15, 2022
Momo must travel through the mortal and spiritual worlds and fight Japanese demons to save her mother--and the rest of humanity. Twelve-year-old Momo Arashima is trying to be a normal kid, but that isn't easy since she sees things others can't, gets bullied at school, and takes care of her inattentive widowed mother. After Momo is attacked at the mall by a shikome, or death hag, then rescued by talking fox Niko, who at first appears as a redheaded boy wearing old-fashioned clothing, a tremendous secret is revealed: Mom is a kami, or Shinto goddess. As the guardian of the Island of Mysteries, Mom is tasked with protecting the gate between Earth and Yomi, where the dead dwell. But wicked demon oni are emerging from the portal and harming the island, which in turn is killing Momo's mother. Being half-kami and half-human, Momo is the only one able to visit the island and then leave it; it's up to her to save the day. She travels across the Sea of Heaven in the company of Niko and, unexpectedly, a former friend who gets swept up in their emergency departure. Japanese American transracial adoptee Danny used to be close to Momo until he fell in with the popular crowd. This hilarious, high-spirited tale blends Japanese legends, mythical creatures, and deities. Alongside the fantastical romps, themes of fear, anger, loneliness, belonging, friendship, and inner strength are thoughtfully explored. Funny, relatable, and full of adventure. (author's note, glossary) (Fantasy. 8-12)
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January 2, 2023
A Japanese American 12-year-old must procure a magical artifact to save the world from monsters in this rollicking series opener by Sugiura (Love & Other Natural Disasters). Momo Arashima’s widowed mother raised her on stories about Japanese gods, called kami, and monsters, called yo¯kai. Momo also “tended to see things no one else could see,” often confusing her supernatural visions with reality, and leading to her getting bullied by classmates and feeling like an outsider at Oak Valley Middle School. Her life becomes even more challenging, though, when she’s attacked by a Japanese death hag and saved by a magical fox named Niko as well as bully Danny Haragan, a former Japanese friend adopted by white parents. Momo soon learns that her mother is a Shinto goddess, guardian of the Island of Mysteries, and that demons have escaped from the underworld into the mortal plane. To protect humankind, Momo, Danny, and Niko must travel across heaven and earth for an enchanted sword to defeat the yo¯kai. Culturally specific details imbue this roller-coaster-feeling magical plot with authenticity and intrigue, while Momo’s smart, funny narration and slowly reforming relationship with Danny ground their adventure in a thoughtful friendship tale. Ages 8–12.
Starred review from January 1, 2023
Grades 5-7 *Starred Review* Momo has long known that she's different. After all, nobody else sees the things she and her mother can--something her teachers attribute to an "overactive imagination" and a childhood listening to her mother's stories of the kami and other fantastical beings from Japan. This has led to Momo being labeled least popular in seventh grade, which makes her yearn to be "normal" and thus reject her mother's stories about the gods. It's hard enough dealing with her father's death and mother's grief without having to be reminded that she doesn't fit in. This is all upended when a visit from a magical fox, her ex-best friend, and a death hag proves not only that everything her mother taught her is true, but that her mother's life--and the fate of the world--are in Momo's hands. Sugiura's wonderful series starter is a page-turning, emotion-packed adventure that draws on Japanese-inspired folklore to explore themes of family, friendship, and identity. Though fairly light and humorous in tone, this book deals with loneliness, the emotional strain of a child acting as caregiver to a parent, and the bravery needed to be who you really are. Highly recommended for fans of the Aru Shah books and Winnie Zeng Unleashes a Legend (2022).
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