by Kristen Simmons

YA Horror, 2023 by Tor Teen, 272 Pages

What I Didn’t Like:

There are a lot of POV characters introduced in the beginning. The chapters are headed with their names, which is nice, but in the beginning I kept forgetting who they were. I caught on though and it was worth it to have a bit of all of them.
Japanese mythology is used but not really explained. Be ready to google! Although, if you want more explanation, the author’s note (which is at the end) can be read first. There’s some notes there.
Questions left unanswered, which I like, but I mention because some readers may find this annoying. Content warning, I guess.

Intriguing opening. Ghost stories are always fun! You can’t help but want to keep reading after an opening like that.
The Japanese myths are great if you don’t mind googling things you aren’t familiar with (or if you’re already familiar with them). I like the way they’re spun with a little interpretation and I found them fascinating.
Fast paced. They’re moving through these challenges (one character equates it to levels of a video game) and it all moves quickly. The story sort of flies by. Compelling and interesting.
Ending works both to solve the mystery/problem in this book and to give the idea that life continues. I, personally, like the kind of ending that keeps me thinking. Of course, in this case, I also like these characters enough that I’d read a sequel.

Fans of underworld mythology stories.
Fans of horror monsters, particularly if you enjoy the less common ones. This book is loaded with them.