AUGUST 2023 - AudioFile
Chieko Hidaka narrates this contemporary retelling of the Japanese folktale "The Melon Princess and the Amanjaku." Twelve-year-old Melony wishes her Japanese-born parents would allow her more freedom, like the American families in her Oregon hometown. But she soon learns to be careful what she wishes for when an innocent- seeming demon woos her and then disrupts her life. Hidaka's slightly nasal voice fits this young protagonist. She smoothly switches between English and Japanese and delights the listener with playful tunes when Melony and her mom sing while they sew. An author's note is also included. A great choice for a family car ride. S.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
"Eminently readable. An engaging tale of morality, friendship, and identity that blends relatable tween angst with deliciously creepy Japanese folklore. Highly recommended for middle grade collections." — School Library Journal (starred review)
"A satisfyingly scary story about pushing boundaries." — Kirkus Reviews
"Brown delivers an evenly paced speculative tale whose anticipatory atmosphere sows tension." — Publishers Weekly
"A fresh take on the 'be careful what you wish for' motif." — Booklist
"Brown's eerie tale is a suspenseful, just-scary-enough story of the supernatural." — Horn Book Magazine
AUGUST 2023 - AudioFile
Chieko Hidaka narrates this contemporary retelling of the Japanese folktale "The Melon Princess and the Amanjaku." Twelve-year-old Melony wishes her Japanese-born parents would allow her more freedom, like the American families in her Oregon hometown. But she soon learns to be careful what she wishes for when an innocent- seeming demon woos her and then disrupts her life. Hidaka's slightly nasal voice fits this young protagonist. She smoothly switches between English and Japanese and delights the listener with playful tunes when Melony and her mom sing while they sew. An author's note is also included. A great choice for a family car ride. S.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2023-04-24
A shape-shifting demon takes over an Oregon girl’s life in this chilling tale.
Twelve-year-old Melony is sure life would be better if her strict, overprotective parents gave her the same freedoms as other kids, not to mention cool clothes and a new phone, and if her real name, Uriko, wasn’t fodder for bullies. Melony’s parents have lived in the U.S. for years, and she hates the way they constantly talk about Japan and how things were different there. So Melony fights back by being the opposite of the “good girl” she’s supposed to be—and it feels amazing! Unknowingly, this opens the door for an Amanjaku, a demon who feeds on a person’s most base desires. At first, Melony is drawn in by its playful nature. But as time goes on, its horrifying true nature begins to sour everything good, including Melony herself. Can she realize the error of her ways and save her family and friends before it’s too late? Based on the Japanese folktale “Urikohime to Amanjaku,” or “The Melon Princess and the Amanjaku,” this modern Japanese American version is woven throughout with intergenerational, as well as cultural, tension and specificity. This well-paced story uses foreshadowing to create suspense and build anticipation while exploring themes of independence and autonomy so important to tween development. Blurring the lines of reality, it relies on psychological elements, rather than leaning on blood and gore, before ultimately leading to a safe, comforting homecoming.
A satisfyingly scary story about pushing boundaries. (Fiction. 9-12)
