A review by libscote
A Thousand Steps into Night by Traci Chee

adventurous mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Miuko finds it hard to fit in--her personality isn't like that of the girls her society values (as much as they value women at all). One fateful night, she is kissed by a demon and run off the road. She's starting to turn into a demon, and that's not good! With the help of some friends, she sets out to end the curse and turn back into a human. But is that really what she wants?

Chee is so good with language. It's no surprise to me that this is nominated for a National Book Award. It's beautifully written, with commentary on how society views women (or anything it thinks is evil, really). It talks about the power of friendship, about owning your mistakes, about learning your worth. I will say that, for me, I think the book would be a better read than the audio because I'm more of a visual person with names than an auditory, so sometimes it would take me a while to figure out which character was which. This is not the fault of the author, just how my brain works and a notation for others who work the same way, that they might enjoy the story more in one format than another. On the other hand, I can probably pronounce all the names correctly, assuming they are done so in the audiobook!
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