Summary
Longlisted for the National Book Award
From bestselling and award-winning author Traci Chee comes a fantasy perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli. When a girl who's never longed for adventure is hit with a curse that begins to transform her into a demon, she embarks on a quest to reverse the curse and return to her normal life, but along the way is forced to confront her true power within.
In the realm of Awara, where gods, monsters, and humans exist side by side, Miuko is an ordinary girl resigned to a safe, if uneventful, existence as an innkeeper's daughter.
But when Miuko is cursed and begins to transform into a demon with a deadly touch, she embarks on a quest to reverse the curse and return to her normal life. Aided by a thieving magpie spirit and continuously thwarted by a demon prince, Miuko must outfox tricksters, escape demon hunters, and negotiate with feral gods if she wants to make it home again.
With her transformation comes power and freedom she never even dreamed of, and she'll have to decide if saving her soul is worth trying to cram herself back into an ordinary life that no longer fits her... and perhaps never did.
School Library Journal Review
Gr 6 Up--Grace Rolek, who was part of the audio cast for Chee's We Are Not Free, makes her solo debut with this rousing Japanese-inspired epic. In fictional Awara, where demons, spirits, magical beings, oh--and humans--all coexist, 17-year-old Miuko is deemed "average by every conceivable standard," except for being "uncommonly loud." Out when she shouldn't be, Miuko gets infected with evil "rot, spreading slowly." Before she's consumed by malevolence, she's got to find the exorcising cure. Chee's detailed worldbuilding is enhanced with footnotes and pronunciation guides, crucial to Rolek's effusive narration. Admirably unflagging through exploits and adventures, Rolek is particularly memorable as excitable, unpredictable Geiki, a trickster magpie Miuko once rescued who will return her kindness manyfold--albeit not without well-timed, hilarious snark. VERDICT With Rolek as aural sidekick, Chee triumphs again.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Inspired by Japanese mythology, National Book Award finalist Chee's lavish, swiftly paced quest narrative follows plain, clumsy, and "uncommonly loud" Otori Miuko, 17, who lives with her innkeeper single father as part of the serving class in a crumbling village in the realm of Awara, where mortals exist alongside spirits and demons. When a dusk encounter with a malevolence imparts a spreading curse with both visible and invisible consequences, Miuko embarks on a two-week journey across Awara to break the curse before it consumes her. An endearing trickster spirit named Geiki contributes banter, camaraderie, and invaluable assistance as Miuko encounters demon-possessed princes, learns of a spirits hierarchy and the follies of gods, and faces injustice and peril at the hands of men and demons alike. Footnotes providing pronunciation as well as in-world historical and folkloric context enrich the text, and interrogation and analysis of gender, cultural sexism, and patriarchy add layers of contemporary resonance. Intricate plotting; a vivid, multifaceted cast; and immersive worldbuilding provide plenty for readers to sink their teeth into in this triumphant fantasy. Ages 12--up. Agent: Barbara Poelle, Irene Goodman Literary. (Mar.)
Horn Book Review
Miuko is clumsy and loud, two qualities that are deemed unfeminine in the (fantastical, Japanese-coded) society she inhabits. While running an errand outside the protective village gates, she meets a demon spirit who kisses her, causing a blue spot to appear on her foot, a sign that she herself is turning into a demon. Shunned by her father, she sets out with Geiki, a magpie spirit who can shapeshift into a boy, to ask the House of December how to reverse the transformation. At the same time, a malevolent spirit, Tujiyazai, who has stolen the body of a prince, wants Miuko to embrace her demon nature and rule the world with him. As the action progresses, Miuko's demon strength and fury make her unapologetic about championing other girls (as well as trans and nonbinary people) caught in restrictive gender roles. Amid the story's abundance of spirits and gods inspired by Japanese folklore, cheerful, thieving Geiki supplies a leavening presence, providing Miuko with a solid friend to rely on. What starts out as a relatively standard quest fantasy undergoes a number of unexpected and inventive plot evolutions (time travel?!) that force Miuko to make some high-stakes choices before landing her, effortlessly, in the emotionally gratifying conclusion. Anita L. Burkam March/April 2022 p.(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A terrifying encounter leads a young woman down a path of discovery, adventure, and looming destruction: Is this a curse, and will it bring a change in perspective? Set in a Japanese-inspired fantasy world with a pantheon of gods, spirits, and demons that are explained in detail in the plentiful footnotes, this novel follows protagonist Otori Miuko, who is a misfit in her small village. Part of the serving class, Miuko is ordinary in every way--except for being unusually clumsy, loud, and stubborn. A run-in with a demon changes everything (except her clumsiness). Cast out by her father and the priests, she searches for a cure for the violent and bloodthirsty urges taking over her body and mind. On her journey, she uncovers horrors and abuses perpetrated by both humans and demons and develops friendships in unlikely places. Midway through, the story turns in on itself with intricacy and complexity, expanding on the character development and worldbuilding as readers view a past scene from a different perspective. Empowered at times, powerless at others, Miuko comes across other women in dire situations, requiring her to question the cultural norms of what it means to be a female in an oppressive patriarchal society. Chee introduces a nonbinary gender designation, hei, through side characters and short historical references. A dark fantasy with welcome moments of levity, this story will charm fans of Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away. A captivating read rich in atmosphere. (Fantasy. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Chee returns to her fantasy roots with a Japanese-inspired adventure featuring 17-year-old innkeeper's daughter Miuko. In Awara, magic and reality live side by side, interacting regularly. When Miuko was nine, her unconventional mother deserted the family, leaving her husband to raise their clumsy, plain, and outspoken daughter, but after a demon curses Miuko with a spell that has her slowly morphing into a demon herself, she loses even her loving father's support. Fortunately, she has the company and friendship of Geiki, a shape-shifting magpie she saved from a group of mischievous fox cubs, to help her traverse the country in search of a cure. Chee's world building is resplendent with detail: language, history, food, clothing, and culture are all interwoven into a fast-paced plot that incorporates plenty of archetypal Japanese cultural elements. Especially appealing to many readers will be Miuko's fierce feminism; she frequently and bitterly notes restrictions women face compared to men, battling these societal mores in addition to impending doom. Fantasy readers intrigued by Japanese culture will be enthralled.
