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indigo_chase's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
se_wigget's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
At page 129, I realized that I love this book. That’s the point at which Cassie is on a plane and another girl tells her about Japanese ghosts.
I collect antique Japanese dolls. I hope none of them contain malevolent spirits. Strangely, this book inspired me to purchase some more antique Japanese dolls on Etsy!
chimamas's review against another edition
4.0
Creepy enough to have me jumping at shadows with enough of a story to keep me invested. I love that it was from the perspective of a ghost that felt real. It was a super fun story to read through and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in ghost stories and the like.
brickwall27's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I am quite the fan of removing assholes and she is very good at it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, and Mental illness
Moderate: Child abuse, Abandonment, and Grief
fableharted's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kobooks's review
3.0
I rate this as a 2.5 stars, and it took me a few moments to decide to which side it fell to, but in the end it did a number of things that in the end made it a more 3 star book than 2.
The dialogue is the main reason its on the lower side, as certain characters, mostly Tark, sound stiff and unrealistic. I am not entirely versed in the ways that 15 year old boys talk now, though I think I'm still young enough to judge that it just feels off.
It's definitely not a scary book by my standards, which isn't necessarily a bad thing if your looking of a story that has ghosts but won't keep you up at night uneasy.
I also don't know how accurate the later half of the book is, set in Japan. There is a lot of detail there, and I do value accuracy to historical and cultural aspects in writing, so that is an item I am currently wondering about.
In the end, I have always loved the idea of a ghost protecting children, and while there were times I felt like screaming at our main character ghost "What are you waiting for?!", she comes through, and the main antagonists defeat was satisfying for me. All the elements to the resolution to the main conflict were there from early in the story, and it wraps itself up as a stand alone novel. I've grown tired of book series and cliff hangers, and it was nice to read a single, self-contained book. Maybe not something I would tell all my friends to rush out and buy, but for the right friend that I would think enjoy it, I'd loan it to them or tell them to check it out at their local library.
The dialogue is the main reason its on the lower side, as certain characters, mostly Tark, sound stiff and unrealistic. I am not entirely versed in the ways that 15 year old boys talk now, though I think I'm still young enough to judge that it just feels off.
It's definitely not a scary book by my standards, which isn't necessarily a bad thing if your looking of a story that has ghosts but won't keep you up at night uneasy.
I also don't know how accurate the later half of the book is, set in Japan. There is a lot of detail there, and I do value accuracy to historical and cultural aspects in writing, so that is an item I am currently wondering about.
In the end, I have always loved the idea of a ghost protecting children, and while there were times I felt like screaming at our main character ghost "What are you waiting for?!", she comes through, and the main antagonists defeat was satisfying for me. All the elements to the resolution to the main conflict were there from early in the story, and it wraps itself up as a stand alone novel. I've grown tired of book series and cliff hangers, and it was nice to read a single, self-contained book. Maybe not something I would tell all my friends to rush out and buy, but for the right friend that I would think enjoy it, I'd loan it to them or tell them to check it out at their local library.
sprigplantar's review against another edition
2.0
i really wanted to like this book.
the concept is definitely super interesting, i liked the idea of having a spirit as the narrator, but she wasn't really that important. the author used a bunch of japanese culture and traditions yet the japanese characters are just side characters and are constantly disregarded. tarquin was a pretty solid character, but he was often really boring or just annoying, and then the other main character (callie) just bothered me to no end. she's just kinda there as emotional support and only rarely really helps. i loved the portrayal of okiku, i loved hearing her history and her point of view, but she really takes the side burner. she's mostly just watching the other two and it was such wasted potential.
i did semi-enjoy the book, i just wished it was executed better.
the concept is definitely super interesting, i liked the idea of having a spirit as the narrator, but she wasn't really that important. the author used a bunch of japanese culture and traditions yet the japanese characters are just side characters and are constantly disregarded. tarquin was a pretty solid character, but he was often really boring or just annoying, and then the other main character (callie) just bothered me to no end. she's just kinda there as emotional support and only rarely really helps. i loved the portrayal of okiku, i loved hearing her history and her point of view, but she really takes the side burner. she's mostly just watching the other two and it was such wasted potential.
i did semi-enjoy the book, i just wished it was executed better.
annithebookaholic's review against another edition
4.5
I really liked how gory this got for a YA horror!
I really loved the writing. It reminds me a little of the writing style of We Were Liars, in the chopped sentences and similar stylistic choices.
I really liked the characters and how this story taught me so much about Japanese culture and folklore.
Overall, this is a really good YA horror featuring ghosts/spirits and posession that doesn't shy away from the gory details!
I really loved the writing. It reminds me a little of the writing style of We Were Liars, in the chopped sentences and similar stylistic choices.
I really liked the characters and how this story taught me so much about Japanese culture and folklore.
Overall, this is a really good YA horror featuring ghosts/spirits and posession that doesn't shy away from the gory details!
courtneyyyyz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-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? No
4.0