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abby_can_read's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
📱
This was sooo adorable! I loved it. I can't wait to read more of this series.
This was sooo adorable! I loved it. I can't wait to read more of this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Bullying, and Racism
Moderate: Chronic illness, Grief, and Death
Minor: Death of parent, Abandonment, and Fire/Fire injury
ezwolf's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind is an adventurous and magical story about a young girl fighting to save her mother.
I am pleased to see more middle grade adventure stories with diverse characters and cultural influences. I thought this was a great introduction to important figures in Japanese mythology.
Momo and Danny both experience racism and “otherness” but in different ways and I think it’s a good to have examples of being bullied for your race/culture in Momo’s case and in Danny’s, being adopted by white parents.
Unfortunately I disliked all of the main characters. Momo, Danny, and Niko were all incredibly annoying in a way that made it hard for me to get attached to any of them and root for their success. Danny is/was a bully and spends most of the book saying or doing mean things and then apologizing and rinse repeat. Momo is never sure if he’s genuinely her friend even at the very end of the book. At one point she apologizes to him for judging him even though at that point he’s still done and said things that made him irredeemable in my eyes. Maybe in future books that will change. Niko was also unhelpful and even though he was the one to explain things to Momo and Danny (and the audience) half the time he didn’t know the answer or would dodge the question. And even though Momo is twelve and still a kid so it’s somewhat understandable, I found her to be whiny and pessimistic through her whole journey. But she was the least annoying of the three.
On the whole I think this was a good example of “preteen goes on an adventure and discovers magical powers/heritage and saves the world”.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for making this available in exchange for an honest review.
I am pleased to see more middle grade adventure stories with diverse characters and cultural influences. I thought this was a great introduction to important figures in Japanese mythology.
Momo and Danny both experience racism and “otherness” but in different ways and I think it’s a good to have examples of being bullied for your race/culture in Momo’s case and in Danny’s, being adopted by white parents.
Unfortunately I disliked all of the main characters. Momo, Danny, and Niko were all incredibly annoying in a way that made it hard for me to get attached to any of them and root for their success. Danny is/was a bully and spends most of the book saying or doing mean things and then apologizing and rinse repeat. Momo is never sure if he’s genuinely her friend even at the very end of the book. At one point she apologizes to him for judging him even though at that point he’s still done and said things that made him irredeemable in my eyes. Maybe in future books that will change. Niko was also unhelpful and even though he was the one to explain things to Momo and Danny (and the audience) half the time he didn’t know the answer or would dodge the question. And even though Momo is twelve and still a kid so it’s somewhat understandable, I found her to be whiny and pessimistic through her whole journey. But she was the least annoying of the three.
On the whole I think this was a good example of “preteen goes on an adventure and discovers magical powers/heritage and saves the world”.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for making this available in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, and Bullying
Minor: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
lastblossom's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's for an advance copy!
tl;dr
A fast-paced adventure for fans of preteen demi-gods featuring a relatable protagonist.
About
Momo Arashima is just trying to be a normal kid. But between seeing magical spirits who definitely aren't there, and her own general awkwardness, she's pretty sure she's stuck being the outcast forever. But when a magical fox shows up saying she's the only one who can stop the world from ending, she's going to have to learn to be anything but normal.
Thoughts
Wow! I wish I had this book when I was a kid, for a myriad of reasons, but most prominently, because it's a great adventure. It's fast-paced, fun, informative, and deeply relatable. The adventure moves very quickly, and with a bit of irreverence with an energy that will appeal to readers of the "pre teen demi-gods" genre. I also have a serious soft spot for stories about heroines with swords. Momo's struggles to fit in will resonate with any reader, but I appreciated the extra time spent on the difficulties of living in the diaspora. My heart really felt for Momo and Danny (and their parents) as they all did their best to figure out how and who to be. I also appreciated getting to peek into Momo's internal struggles with her own anger, and her attempts to learn how to channel it into healthy energy, rather than simply ignore it. While this book doesn't dedicate much time to that, the ending certainly implies we'll be getting more of it in the future, and I'm looking forward to it!
tl;dr
A fast-paced adventure for fans of preteen demi-gods featuring a relatable protagonist.
About
Momo Arashima is just trying to be a normal kid. But between seeing magical spirits who definitely aren't there, and her own general awkwardness, she's pretty sure she's stuck being the outcast forever. But when a magical fox shows up saying she's the only one who can stop the world from ending, she's going to have to learn to be anything but normal.
Thoughts
Wow! I wish I had this book when I was a kid, for a myriad of reasons, but most prominently, because it's a great adventure. It's fast-paced, fun, informative, and deeply relatable. The adventure moves very quickly, and with a bit of irreverence with an energy that will appeal to readers of the "pre teen demi-gods" genre. I also have a serious soft spot for stories about heroines with swords. Momo's struggles to fit in will resonate with any reader, but I appreciated the extra time spent on the difficulties of living in the diaspora. My heart really felt for Momo and Danny (and their parents) as they all did their best to figure out how and who to be. I also appreciated getting to peek into Momo's internal struggles with her own anger, and her attempts to learn how to channel it into healthy energy, rather than simply ignore it. While this book doesn't dedicate much time to that, the ending certainly implies we'll be getting more of it in the future, and I'm looking forward to it!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Racism, Grief, and War
Minor: Death of parent and Classism
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