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Reading age
8-12
Genre
Fantasy
Publisher
Balzer + Bray
Publication date
May 28, 2024
Like Alice in Wonderland, Yuki stumbles into an ancient Japanese competition.
Yuki Snow, a Japanese-American teenage girl, is unhappy with the changes in her life. She lives in a small town called Saint Dolores, and her mother, Hana, is now dating a man named Doug. To make matters worse, Yuki’s best friend, Julio, has feelings for Yuki’s former enemy. As part of a school project, she must interview an elder and meet a vendor at a Japanese antique store. While there, Yuki stumbles upon an old mirror that belonged to Sei Shonagon, a renowned Japanese author. This mirror can transport anyone to a fantastical world every 100 years. In this mythical world, Yuki becomes involved in a competition to save the world.
This book left a good impression on me. It provided a fascinating glimpse into Japanese culture while also drawing parallels to the whimsical world of Alice in Wonderland. However, the story’s pacing could have been quicker, as certain sections seemed to drag on.
The characters were quite memorable. Yuki, in particular, stood out with her passionate nature and gift for poetry, although her overly virtuous personality didn’t quite resonate with me. Hana played an admirable supportive role, while Doug injected humor into the story with his witty dad jokes. On the other hand, Julio didn’t receive as much spotlight as I had hoped.
Overall, this book would greatly appeal to fans of Alice in Wonderland, who are also keen on immersing themselves in Japanese culture.
My rating
