You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
iilex 's review for:
The Secret of the Blue Glass
by Tomiko Inui
Prior to reading The Secret of the Blue Glass all I knew about it was that it is a Japanese children's fantasy novel about miniature people from the 1960s. I was basically expecting a Japanese version of [b:The Borrowers|348573|The Borrowers (The Borrowers, #1)|Mary Norton|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1308945559s/348573.jpg|802336]. The Secret of the Blue Glass is certainly similar to The Borrowers in many ways, but at its heart it is about the experience of everyday Japanese citizens during WWII. This is no cutesy tale. Characters have thoughts like, "Our life as students is just a stay of execution - just until we go to war and die." Before handing this book to a child, maybe think about what they can (or can't) handle.
Overall I enjoyed The Secret of the Blue Glass. I haven't read much on the experience of the Japanese people during WWII and I liked reading about it from the view of miniature people. The whole time I was reading it, I was mindful of the original publication date - the 1960s. For someone used to modern middle grade reads, The Secret of the Blue Glass is going to be very different, perhaps not in a positive way. It certainly reads as old-fashioned and there's a certain lack of characterization. It's not atypical of older children's fantasy, but others may be dissatisfied. The only real complaint that I have is that there's a lack of closure. The book ends fairly abruptly and leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Still, I liked it and am glad it's now available in translation. 4 out of 5 stars.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Overall I enjoyed The Secret of the Blue Glass. I haven't read much on the experience of the Japanese people during WWII and I liked reading about it from the view of miniature people. The whole time I was reading it, I was mindful of the original publication date - the 1960s. For someone used to modern middle grade reads, The Secret of the Blue Glass is going to be very different, perhaps not in a positive way. It certainly reads as old-fashioned and there's a certain lack of characterization. It's not atypical of older children's fantasy, but others may be dissatisfied. The only real complaint that I have is that there's a lack of closure. The book ends fairly abruptly and leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Still, I liked it and am glad it's now available in translation. 4 out of 5 stars.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.