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Anzu has just moved to a new town during Obon, a time for families to remember and celebrate their ancestors. Ever since her obaachan died, though, Obon has lost its magic. She doesn't feel much like celebrating anymore.
While avoiding holiday festivities, Anzu spots a stray dog down the street. A dog that seems to be staring right at her. But when she chases after it, she slips and falls down a ridge, losing consciousness. When she awakes, she’s in the Shinto underworld known as Yomi, a place she’s only heard about in Obaachan’s stories. The stray dog, she finds out, is actually the Gatekeeper of Yomi, and he warns her to return to the human realm before it’s too late.
Only, getting home is not as simple as she’d thought. Faced with the nefarious Queen Izanami of Yomi and a world full of creatures she’d once thought weren’t real, the race against the clock is on. She must break a curse, free the spirits of other lost children, and reach the gate home before sunrise…or be stuck in Yomi forever.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
May 7, 2024 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780593525319
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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June 1, 2024
Grades 3-7 Anzu never fit in at her old school. Her classmates insisted on calling her Anne, since, they say, her birth name is a "little weird." When her family moves, and she is given the opportunity to restart, she runs away after an awkward social encounter and mistakenly ends up in Yomi, the Shinto underworld, where a goddess is trying to convince her to stay forever. But Anzu slowly learns the truth about the goddess, as well as a recent string of missing children in her town, and she becomes determined to put things right. Comparisons to Spirited Away are inevitable but apt, and this wonderful introduction to some mythological figures and religious practices of Shinto offers a lovely story of magic and courage. The simplified, gentle manga-inspired artwork from Nguyen (Pilu of the Woods, 2019) has a modern folk aesthetic that elevates the overall piece. A glossary in the back discusses the yokai, oni, and deities that appear, sometimes going into how the book's characterizations and depictions differ from traditional legend. A sweet and engaging coming-of-age tale.COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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