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Samurai Girl #1
The Book of the Sword
When I was six months old, I dropped from the sky -- the lone survivor of a deadly Japanese plane crash. The newspapers called me Heaven. I was adopted by a wealthy family in Tokyo, pampered, and protected. For nineteen years, I thought I was lucky.
I'm learning how wrong I was.
They say your life begins on your wedding day.
Here's what happened on mine: I lost the person I love most. I learned that everything I knew about my family was a lie. Now I'm being hunted. I must fight back, or die.
My life ended that day. The old Heaven is gone. I AM SAMURAI GIRL.
224 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2003
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487 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
August 9, 2025
★3.5 stars
☆This was a solid book, but there was much more that could have been explored. Apart from that, it was an easy read, and if I come across the second book in the series, I would read it.
☆I know the main character is supposed to be seen in the way she was, but she was so annoying at times and wouldn't stop crashing out for no reason like a 3 year old.
☆This was a solid book, but there was much more that could have been explored. Apart from that, it was an easy read, and if I come across the second book in the series, I would read it.
☆I know the main character is supposed to be seen in the way she was, but she was so annoying at times and wouldn't stop crashing out for no reason like a 3 year old.
January 23, 2012
One night, I was flipping through channels and came across the TV series Sammurai Girl (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1091234/). Unfortunately, it was at the tail end of the series so I couldn't follow what was going on. Luckily, I discovered that the TV series was based on the book which I was able to get through my library.
Disappointment pretty much covers what I felt about this book. I'm sure if I was in Heaven's place where my wedding ceremony is interrupted by an assassin, I too would be pretty shell-shocked too and make dumb mistakes. But that's not what really bugged me about the book. It's the fact that once Heaven finds "sanctuary", she spends all of her time training to be a samurai instead of seeking answers that could help to explain what's going on. She seems so blasé about her predicament, especially when her father tracks her down and slips an envelope underneath her door. Gee, I don't know. I think I would freak out that the person I'm trying to run away now knows where I now live. But oh no, this only gives Heaven an opportunity to go out shopping/partying (I really can't remember).
Sigh. Like I said. Disappointed.
Disappointment pretty much covers what I felt about this book. I'm sure if I was in Heaven's place where my wedding ceremony is interrupted by an assassin, I too would be pretty shell-shocked too and make dumb mistakes. But that's not what really bugged me about the book. It's the fact that once Heaven finds "sanctuary", she spends all of her time training to be a samurai instead of seeking answers that could help to explain what's going on. She seems so blasé about her predicament, especially when her father tracks her down and slips an envelope underneath her door. Gee, I don't know. I think I would freak out that the person I'm trying to run away now knows where I now live. But oh no, this only gives Heaven an opportunity to go out shopping/partying (I really can't remember).
Sigh. Like I said. Disappointed.
May 27, 2018
I was expecting a fun, quick read about a Japanese main character who learns to kick butt. Instead I got a slog about a very naive girl who doesn't learn much (outside of some sweet samurai moves from her love interest) and who constantly (and exclusively) references American pop culture because she's "seen a lot of American movies."
Why is a sheltered Japanese girl even getting married in LA? The book never bothers to offer an explanation, so I'm just going to assume it's so Heaven can run around for pages and pages with no one to turn to. And so the author(s) (because apparently "Carrie Asai" is a pseudonym for a group of them) don't have to do any actual research on Japan. (By the way, "Heaven" is just as weird of a name in Japanese as in English. Japanese people don't tend to name their children random English words. *rolling my eyes*)
I have no desire to read the other 5 books in this series, which is just as well since the reviews I've read suggest they only get worse and never satisfactorily answer the questions presented in this book.
Why is a sheltered Japanese girl even getting married in LA? The book never bothers to offer an explanation, so I'm just going to assume it's so Heaven can run around for pages and pages with no one to turn to. And so the author(s) (because apparently "Carrie Asai" is a pseudonym for a group of them) don't have to do any actual research on Japan. (By the way, "Heaven" is just as weird of a name in Japanese as in English. Japanese people don't tend to name their children random English words. *rolling my eyes*)
I have no desire to read the other 5 books in this series, which is just as well since the reviews I've read suggest they only get worse and never satisfactorily answer the questions presented in this book.
November 7, 2007
When she was six months old, Heaven was the sole survivor of a plane crash and adopted into a wealthy family. When she’s nineteen years old and about to be married, the entire wedding part is attack by ninjas and her brother is killed. She is sent to find someone named Hiro who will teach her to become something more than a frightened somewhat spoiled rich girl. He will help her avenge her brother and become a samurai.
This book was definitely focusing on thrilling action, cheesey romance, and hoping to engage a significantly younger audience than nineteen year old girls. The illustrations throughout complimented the text and were in a very traditional sort of Japanese style. The actual writing was fast-paced and entertaining, but the story was broken up by pointless and short point of view shifts that added nothing to the tale itself. This book definitely does not hold up all that well on it’s own. Everything is left relatively open-ended with no real resolution in sight.
This book was definitely focusing on thrilling action, cheesey romance, and hoping to engage a significantly younger audience than nineteen year old girls. The illustrations throughout complimented the text and were in a very traditional sort of Japanese style. The actual writing was fast-paced and entertaining, but the story was broken up by pointless and short point of view shifts that added nothing to the tale itself. This book definitely does not hold up all that well on it’s own. Everything is left relatively open-ended with no real resolution in sight.
December 30, 2024
As part of my read-it-and-yeet-it project, I re-read this book that should have been left to die in the memory of my youth. It's unrealistic and the characters are stupid.
February 16, 2023
This book was absolutely entertaining and refreshing to read. I loved the character development through all of it, and all of the challenges Heaven went through to become the person she is now. I also enjoyed the relationship Heaven and Hiro had, it was completely wholesome and cute. I loved how they were there for each other and at the end when Hiro would go looking for her when she disappeared. I also loved the fight parts in there as well, it was nice to see some action and combat. I think this book kind of went for it right away, like during the beginning she knew what to do and she was lucky enough to find good people that helped her along the way. It was kind of at a fast pace in my opinion, but that doesn't make it a bad book. Sometimes it makes it more interesting and exciting, its better for it to be fast paced then it's dragging on, but it might feel like you missed some parts within the book. But overall this book was fun and exciting to read, I would give it a 4.5/5 & 5/5.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2020
Rereading books from my childhood. This series was one of my favourites as a kid.
Here’s what I liked about Samurai Girl - as someone who grew up as a Japanophile, the characters and world building of the novel drew me in at 12 years old. It still drew me in as an adult when rereading the series. Elements like the Yakuza and the samurai code add an air of mystery and action. It has all the defining elements of early 2000s young adult fiction - suspense, action and a love triangle.
As a young girl, I found our protagonist Heaven compelling. Her transition from a naive and sheltered existence into a crime fighting badass is really a coming of age story. Growing up, it was also refreshing to have a Japanese-American protagonist and a range of characters from different cultural backgrounds in a text written before it was trendy to do so.
The writing is a hallmark of the contemporary period in which is was written, with clunky perspective transitions at the end of each chapter. Still, not as poorly written at you may expect.
The negatives - there are gaping plot holes in much of the series, poor textual integrity and a lack of direction with the storyline. It all goes down hill after book 1. I’ve only recently discovered that “Carrie Asai" is a collective pseudonym for a group of writers who worked on the project - and you can tell. There’s a lack of consistency in the following books that suggests the story was passed around from person to person. The series ends abruptly without a resolution, likely because more books were planned but never written.
I have to admit my enjoyment level of Samurai Girl was probably 9/10 but I think my nostalgia played a heavy role in that. My rating above is generous. The series begins with some great characters and elements that are totally butchered by the end. Still holds a special place in my heart.
Here’s what I liked about Samurai Girl - as someone who grew up as a Japanophile, the characters and world building of the novel drew me in at 12 years old. It still drew me in as an adult when rereading the series. Elements like the Yakuza and the samurai code add an air of mystery and action. It has all the defining elements of early 2000s young adult fiction - suspense, action and a love triangle.
As a young girl, I found our protagonist Heaven compelling. Her transition from a naive and sheltered existence into a crime fighting badass is really a coming of age story. Growing up, it was also refreshing to have a Japanese-American protagonist and a range of characters from different cultural backgrounds in a text written before it was trendy to do so.
The writing is a hallmark of the contemporary period in which is was written, with clunky perspective transitions at the end of each chapter. Still, not as poorly written at you may expect.
The negatives - there are gaping plot holes in much of the series, poor textual integrity and a lack of direction with the storyline. It all goes down hill after book 1. I’ve only recently discovered that “Carrie Asai" is a collective pseudonym for a group of writers who worked on the project - and you can tell. There’s a lack of consistency in the following books that suggests the story was passed around from person to person. The series ends abruptly without a resolution, likely because more books were planned but never written.
I have to admit my enjoyment level of Samurai Girl was probably 9/10 but I think my nostalgia played a heavy role in that. My rating above is generous. The series begins with some great characters and elements that are totally butchered by the end. Still holds a special place in my heart.
July 1, 2008
Nancy Pearl recommended this series in Book Crush, and I remembered it when I found the first three at a book sale the other day.
Heaven is likable - she's a very Meg Cabot character, with pop culture references and slightly awkward exposition. Her name's a bit hokey, and I'm not sure I buy her complete transformation - in the space of days - from the obedient, sheltered daughter who was going to marry a guy she disliked to please her father to the girl who dresses up in skimpy clothing and goes clubbing with a friend she barely knows in defiance of the guy who not only took her in and is protecting and training her, but who she has a huge crush on.
Overall, though, a fun book, and a quick read.
Superficial note: the copy I bought has what is possibly the worst cover in the history of young adult fluff novels. It looks like the design team had 5 minutes until deadline, and finally just gave up and stole someone's picture off MySpace. Doubly odd, as there were interesting, manga-inspired illustrations throughout the book that could have easily been used as a cover.
Heaven is likable - she's a very Meg Cabot character, with pop culture references and slightly awkward exposition. Her name's a bit hokey, and I'm not sure I buy her complete transformation - in the space of days - from the obedient, sheltered daughter who was going to marry a guy she disliked to please her father to the girl who dresses up in skimpy clothing and goes clubbing with a friend she barely knows in defiance of the guy who not only took her in and is protecting and training her, but who she has a huge crush on.
Overall, though, a fun book, and a quick read.
Superficial note: the copy I bought has what is possibly the worst cover in the history of young adult fluff novels. It looks like the design team had 5 minutes until deadline, and finally just gave up and stole someone's picture off MySpace. Doubly odd, as there were interesting, manga-inspired illustrations throughout the book that could have easily been used as a cover.
April 7, 2015
I remember reading this book in ninth grade. As a mere naive fourteen year old this book was amazing and action packed! Now, as a twenty-five year old, I realize I should have listened to my friend's advice and left the book in my childhood. Maybe I'm strange, but if a ninja just killed my brother and the man I was getting training from left town for a night, I wouldn't go on a shopping spree for party girl clothes while ignoring warnings that the men who want to kill me are still in town. I've also never read a book that insists on constantly reminding you that the main character is literally the most beautiful girl in all of Japan and California combined.
February 22, 2008
This book is about,Heaven, she fell from an air plane crash when she was a little baby and got adopted by the Kogo family. For ninteteen years she thought she was lucky but on her wedding day she lost the person she loved most, learned that everything she knew aboaut her family was a lie, and that someone is trying to kill her. On her wedding day, she became Samurai Girl and ran to LA to find Hiro...
January 20, 2012
Oh, man, this is badly written! I couldn't do it. There are constant, unnecessary changes in point of view, the action feels awkward, and the dialogue is about as cheesy as you can get. This is certainly not the WORST thing out there, but the story itself just doesn't seem interesting enough to keep me reading when so much of the execution feels trite and melodramatic and unconvincing. I just don't have that kind of patience, I guess. I'm abandoning this and picking something else up instead.
September 14, 2013
I took a chance on this book and I'm glad I did. I liked the different writing styles used to get across different characters' points of view. The story is intriguing so far. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
February 8, 2019
Painful. So clunky that I looked up the author and was not surprised to find out that it's a work-for-hire pseudonym.
June 15, 2019
I'd first read this story in junior year of high school. I'd never finished it since it was a library book a friend had leant me, and I remembered liking what I'd read. So when I had coupons to use for Barnes and Noble, I figured I'd get myself a copy of this book and see how well it held up.
I enjoyed it. It was a fun read--not super deep by any stretch of the imagination, but fun all the same. Some bits of the story weren't as detailed as I felt they should be, and I could tell that the author really wanted us to know that Heaven was falling for Hiro, but I was more interesting in the political intrigue into who was after Heaven and why they were targeting her. Maybe this gets developed more in the future books (which I will be reading...eventually).
Overall not bad, it gets a 3.5 stars from me, because it's a quick, easy read that you don't have to think about longer than necessary, and you don't need to get deep into...unless maybe you want to.
I enjoyed it. It was a fun read--not super deep by any stretch of the imagination, but fun all the same. Some bits of the story weren't as detailed as I felt they should be, and I could tell that the author really wanted us to know that Heaven was falling for Hiro, but I was more interesting in the political intrigue into who was after Heaven and why they were targeting her. Maybe this gets developed more in the future books (which I will be reading...eventually).
Overall not bad, it gets a 3.5 stars from me, because it's a quick, easy read that you don't have to think about longer than necessary, and you don't need to get deep into...unless maybe you want to.
December 14, 2018
I think that the book is a well written book. It talks about the life of a Samurai and how hard it is to lose trust with the people you thought you could trust. The character development of the main character wasn't quite as slow as I would have preferred but it was still okay. I really liked the book because it talks about Bushido, the way of the warrior. The main character was trying to accept death and it is very hard to. The book is something I would recommend to people who like reading these types of book.
April 11, 2019
A wonderful book. Indescribably good.
May 28, 2019
C-. fiction, teen, adventure, meh
November 17, 2020
honestly nothing groundbreaking in terms of story/writing, but i loved it when i was twelve and for that reason it’s getting three stars.
July 29, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. When I can visualize being with the characters I know it's a good book! I will be reading whole series to see where this all goes!
February 1, 2022
I definitely enjoy this book for nostalgia purposes. I wouldnt recommend it to anyone but that doesn't stop me enjoying it!
April 12, 2023
Enjoyable little book - teen samurai fiction, who would have thought!
February 11, 2021
Ok so this book is bad. Melodramatic, hormonal teen rollercoaster, unrealistic. And I'm a sucker for stuff like this. It's like popcorn reading. I know it's trash but I can't help myself. I can see why 13 year old me liked this book.
July 28, 2014
From the first sentence, I was hooked. The language and flow of the story is smooth and easily to follow. (Being slightly above 200 pages, it's a quick read as well.) However, Heaven is hard to relate to at the beginning. Having fell from the sky (literally) and being the sole survivor of flight JAL 999, she was taken in by the wealthy Kogo family. She grew up spoiled, knowing next to nothing about surviving on her own. Her wedding day is the initial event which signals to her that her life would change. After a ninja attacks her, killing her brother instead, she runs away from home, in search of answers. These answers which she's unable to attain Her brother told her to look for his friend, Hiro.
After going through the trouble of searching through L.A. and meeting strange people, Heaven finally finds him. While she thought he'd be an automatic ally, he turned out anything but. After some persuasion and guilty tripping, she manages to convince Hiro to train her in Bushido, the way of the samurai. She hopes that by becoming a samurai, she'll be able to protect herself as she looks for the low lives who killed her brother. Considering the circumstances, her initiative and plan seemed reasonable. I can't help but wonder why she set her goals only to training. I mean, how would she find the ninjas?
Meanwhile training, Heaven develops a crush on Hiro. Unlike most novels, nowadays, their care and interest for each other is visible yet they don't let it distract them from their goals, their purpose. In this way, Heaven suits as a better heroine. On the other hand, being a sheltered child, there's a lot she doesn't known and doesn't understand. Her ingenue is clear but so is her drive and motivation.
However, the people who went through the trouble of trying to kill her haven't stopped looking for her. It actually comes to the point where she chooses to leave, to stop endangering Hiro's life and to trust her father again. Another attack, this time harming someone else, has her questioning everything.
After all that action in the pre-last chapter, the ending doesn't satisfy as much as I expected it to. First of all, it was cliche. It fit considering the setting and the constant references yet I felt it could have been better. Second, it felt too calm, too serene after all she discovered, all she went through.
Though I initially believed it to be an action type book, it wasn't. Sure, some action occurred yet it wasn't the main focus. Overall, a good read. It shouldn't take longer than an evening on your coach to finish.
Being a series, any questions left unanswered, should be clear by the end of the sixth book.
Rating: 3 stars
Will I be reading the rest of the series? Of course.
Recommended for: People who like a little action mixed with their romance
Buy the book here: http://www.amazon.com/Samurai-Girl-Th...
Check out more of my reviews Jinxed Reviews.:
After going through the trouble of searching through L.A. and meeting strange people, Heaven finally finds him. While she thought he'd be an automatic ally, he turned out anything but. After some persuasion and guilty tripping, she manages to convince Hiro to train her in Bushido, the way of the samurai. She hopes that by becoming a samurai, she'll be able to protect herself as she looks for the low lives who killed her brother. Considering the circumstances, her initiative and plan seemed reasonable. I can't help but wonder why she set her goals only to training. I mean, how would she find the ninjas?
Meanwhile training, Heaven develops a crush on Hiro. Unlike most novels, nowadays, their care and interest for each other is visible yet they don't let it distract them from their goals, their purpose. In this way, Heaven suits as a better heroine. On the other hand, being a sheltered child, there's a lot she doesn't known and doesn't understand. Her ingenue is clear but so is her drive and motivation.
However, the people who went through the trouble of trying to kill her haven't stopped looking for her. It actually comes to the point where she chooses to leave, to stop endangering Hiro's life and to trust her father again. Another attack, this time harming someone else, has her questioning everything.
After all that action in the pre-last chapter, the ending doesn't satisfy as much as I expected it to. First of all, it was cliche. It fit considering the setting and the constant references yet I felt it could have been better. Second, it felt too calm, too serene after all she discovered, all she went through.
Though I initially believed it to be an action type book, it wasn't. Sure, some action occurred yet it wasn't the main focus. Overall, a good read. It shouldn't take longer than an evening on your coach to finish.
Being a series, any questions left unanswered, should be clear by the end of the sixth book.
Rating: 3 stars
Will I be reading the rest of the series? Of course.
Recommended for: People who like a little action mixed with their romance
Buy the book here: http://www.amazon.com/Samurai-Girl-Th...
Check out more of my reviews Jinxed Reviews.:
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2014
Reasons that I knew this book was going to be awesomely bad from the very start:
1. According to the inside cover, it's copyrighted to a corporation ("17th Street Productions, an Alloy company"), not the "author."
2. The back copy reads: "When I was six months old, I dropped from the sky -- the lone survivor of a deadly Japanese plane crash. The newspapers named me Heaven. I was adopted by a wealthy family in Tokyo, pampered, and protected. For nineteen years, I thought I was lucky. I'm learning how wrong I was. THEY SAY YOUR LIFE BEGINS ON YOUR WEDDING DAY. Here's what happened on mine: I lost the person I love most. I learned that everything I knew about my family was a lie. Now I'm being hunted. I must fight back ... or die. My life ended that day. The old Heaven is gone. I AM SAMURAI GIRL."
3. There are free removable tattoos (which read: SAMURAI GIRL) in the back of the book.
Reasons that I knew this book was exceeding my wildest expectations while I was reading it:
1. Page 8: "And this is the Beverly Wilshire, I reminded myself. This is where a powerful businessman fell in love with a hooker. Anything's possible here. For a second I wondered if I could find a Julia-Roberts-style prostitute for Teddy to marry instead."
2. The book includes occasional "diary" entries from Heaven's enemies: "If only she weren't quite so beautiful. Even when she's bedraggled, she looks like some kind of royalty. It's not as if she's at peace -- her inner struggle is so visible, and it makes her face riveting. It's been so long since I felt threatened by another woman, but she's grown so close to Hiro after only a month." (157)
3. FREE TATTOOS IN THE BACK
What a great bad book.
1. According to the inside cover, it's copyrighted to a corporation ("17th Street Productions, an Alloy company"), not the "author."
2. The back copy reads: "When I was six months old, I dropped from the sky -- the lone survivor of a deadly Japanese plane crash. The newspapers named me Heaven. I was adopted by a wealthy family in Tokyo, pampered, and protected. For nineteen years, I thought I was lucky. I'm learning how wrong I was. THEY SAY YOUR LIFE BEGINS ON YOUR WEDDING DAY. Here's what happened on mine: I lost the person I love most. I learned that everything I knew about my family was a lie. Now I'm being hunted. I must fight back ... or die. My life ended that day. The old Heaven is gone. I AM SAMURAI GIRL."
3. There are free removable tattoos (which read: SAMURAI GIRL) in the back of the book.
Reasons that I knew this book was exceeding my wildest expectations while I was reading it:
1. Page 8: "And this is the Beverly Wilshire, I reminded myself. This is where a powerful businessman fell in love with a hooker. Anything's possible here. For a second I wondered if I could find a Julia-Roberts-style prostitute for Teddy to marry instead."
2. The book includes occasional "diary" entries from Heaven's enemies: "If only she weren't quite so beautiful. Even when she's bedraggled, she looks like some kind of royalty. It's not as if she's at peace -- her inner struggle is so visible, and it makes her face riveting. It's been so long since I felt threatened by another woman, but she's grown so close to Hiro after only a month." (157)
3. FREE TATTOOS IN THE BACK
What a great bad book.
April 26, 2016
What sparked my interest in this book was the mini-series on (then ABC Family, now Freeform) television a few years ago; partly because I like to see how a book differs from its television/movie counterpart, but also the show felt unfinished. I plan on reading the others to see how it really finished.
What I found most interesting about the book compared to the show was how little time Heaven actually spent with Cheryl and Otto. I think the mini-series just glossed over all of Heaven's training and made her seem like a natural, without any need to practice.
I question the portrayals of Heaven's adoptive mother and Karen in the books versus the series, and I find myself wondering really how much creative license was taken to make the show more appealing.
Hiro seems very odd to me in the book. He lives in this tiny house in L.A. as a bike messenger/martial arts instructor (?). Hiro reluctantly agrees to help Heaven, but does nothing to earn the 100% trust he demands from her. I like his Americanized-counterpart in the mini-series better, who actually seems to be helping Heaven with her new found freedom, rather than Hiro who seems to smother her freedom - a repeat of her adoptive father.
Three stars may be a bit harsh, as I generally rate books better than the Hollywood counterparts due to the massive amount of creativity I have in created the world of the book; but I truly found the show better in some aspects of this book. I like that she had a driver/butler in the show who helped her and she felt a connection to, I like the character Jake over Hiro and I liked the rainy Pacific Northwest (pretty sure it filmed in Vancouver, BC, but it could have been Seattle) setting over glamour-flaged Los Angeles.
What I found most interesting about the book compared to the show was how little time Heaven actually spent with Cheryl and Otto. I think the mini-series just glossed over all of Heaven's training and made her seem like a natural, without any need to practice.
I question the portrayals of Heaven's adoptive mother and Karen in the books versus the series, and I find myself wondering really how much creative license was taken to make the show more appealing.
Hiro seems very odd to me in the book. He lives in this tiny house in L.A. as a bike messenger/martial arts instructor (?). Hiro reluctantly agrees to help Heaven, but does nothing to earn the 100% trust he demands from her. I like his Americanized-counterpart in the mini-series better, who actually seems to be helping Heaven with her new found freedom, rather than Hiro who seems to smother her freedom - a repeat of her adoptive father.
Three stars may be a bit harsh, as I generally rate books better than the Hollywood counterparts due to the massive amount of creativity I have in created the world of the book; but I truly found the show better in some aspects of this book. I like that she had a driver/butler in the show who helped her and she felt a connection to, I like the character Jake over Hiro and I liked the rainy Pacific Northwest (pretty sure it filmed in Vancouver, BC, but it could have been Seattle) setting over glamour-flaged Los Angeles.
February 17, 2018
I actually enjoyed this book I read it in like a day.
Why I picked up this book from the library: Synopsis!
***MY SYNOPSIS (FROM MEMORY - SPOILERS)***
The female protagonist finds out she has always been lied to about who she was and she is on the run. I remember she slept in different strangers houses and was constantly moving. I think I need to re-read this I remember really enjoying it. | Has action! Thus the title! :)
***REASON FOR MY ODD REVIEW***
MARCH 28, 2013 (Thursday) - 2:06 AM *JOURNAL - Writing old notes I wrote in a journal about books I read and wrote about years later after I read them... wanted to know what I remembered... and just so I could have this information for future re-reads or just so I can remember my thought or anything for future reference because I use to think I would remember a book years after I read it then I realize that's not always the case especially when the book doesn't leave a strong impression and even when it does you tend to forget curtain things... re-reading books made me realize that like I could remember how I felt while reading if anything, but sometimes not the story itself... as I re-read then I'll start remembering curtain things...
Why I picked up this book from the library: Synopsis!
***MY SYNOPSIS (FROM MEMORY - SPOILERS)***
The female protagonist finds out she has always been lied to about who she was and she is on the run. I remember she slept in different strangers houses and was constantly moving. I think I need to re-read this I remember really enjoying it. | Has action! Thus the title! :)
***REASON FOR MY ODD REVIEW***
MARCH 28, 2013 (Thursday) - 2:06 AM *JOURNAL - Writing old notes I wrote in a journal about books I read and wrote about years later after I read them... wanted to know what I remembered... and just so I could have this information for future re-reads or just so I can remember my thought or anything for future reference because I use to think I would remember a book years after I read it then I realize that's not always the case especially when the book doesn't leave a strong impression and even when it does you tend to forget curtain things... re-reading books made me realize that like I could remember how I felt while reading if anything, but sometimes not the story itself... as I re-read then I'll start remembering curtain things...
November 2, 2008
I have wanted to read this book for a while and I have got to say that I was satisfied with how the first book turned out. Despite some of the differences that I have found between the book series and the television series, they each have a certain something in them that makes them unique.
My favorite character in this book is also the protagonist of the story. Her name is Heaven and she is definitely an inspiring character! At the age of 19, she finds out that she was destined for this predetermined life and she gets a chance to experience everything she had ever wanted to. Although she experiences some tragedy, she grows as a character because she knows that she shouldn’t dwell on things from her past so she just focuses on the future. She learns to be a stronger person—both emotionally and physically—and not only does she get a cool sword, but she gets to also become this hero that she had always dreamed about.
My favorite character in this book is also the protagonist of the story. Her name is Heaven and she is definitely an inspiring character! At the age of 19, she finds out that she was destined for this predetermined life and she gets a chance to experience everything she had ever wanted to. Although she experiences some tragedy, she grows as a character because she knows that she shouldn’t dwell on things from her past so she just focuses on the future. She learns to be a stronger person—both emotionally and physically—and not only does she get a cool sword, but she gets to also become this hero that she had always dreamed about.
January 29, 2016
This is the story of Heaven, a girl who is the sole survivor of a terrible plane crash. She is adopted by an incredibly rich family and eventually is promised in marriage to the son of another rich, and competing, clan.
Things go terribly wrong for her, though. Her brother is killed in front of her eyes. She might be a potential target herself. Running away helps for a short time when she gets help from a friend (Hiro) who trains her in bushido, or "the way of the warrior."
Other things go wrong for her and she must try somehow to cope with no longer being rich and having someone out to kill her.
This is a very interesting story. It's definitely not a happy-happy type of story, either. The characters are well written and the pace of the story is very quick. Definitely worth reading.
Things go terribly wrong for her, though. Her brother is killed in front of her eyes. She might be a potential target herself. Running away helps for a short time when she gets help from a friend (Hiro) who trains her in bushido, or "the way of the warrior."
Other things go wrong for her and she must try somehow to cope with no longer being rich and having someone out to kill her.
This is a very interesting story. It's definitely not a happy-happy type of story, either. The characters are well written and the pace of the story is very quick. Definitely worth reading.
March 26, 2013
Heaven was the sole survivor of a horrific plane crash when she was an infant. One of the richest families in the country, the Kogos, adopted her, and she's been a dutiful daughter ever since. However, when her adoptive father tries to marry her off to a rival family's playboy son, her entire life changes. When her brother is murdered by a mysterious ninja right in front of her, she runs from her adoptive home and begins samurai training. The sharp black and white illustrations don't encourage the eye to linger, and the text does not provide much insight into motivation or character development. The action of the story moves it along, and dramatic elements are present but undeveloped. Overall, an unsatisfying read. Ages 11-15. Recommended for additional purchase.
June 3, 2009
These books are reeeeeeeeaaaaaaaalllllllllyyyyy good!!!
For those of you who don't know, there was a TV mini-series based on these books last year on ABC family.
I absolutely fell in love with the show and decided to read the books. I'm on book 4 of 6 as of right now (and this page will probably always say I'm only on the 4th unless I decide to update my review on a whim)
but every single book is a page turner. filled with suspense, romance, mystery, and some pretty cool martial arts, Samurai Girl is THE series to read. I decided to read them over the summer, so I can just go from one book to the next (I read them in 1 or 2 days), maybe YOU should too.
For those of you who don't know, there was a TV mini-series based on these books last year on ABC family.
I absolutely fell in love with the show and decided to read the books. I'm on book 4 of 6 as of right now (and this page will probably always say I'm only on the 4th unless I decide to update my review on a whim)
but every single book is a page turner. filled with suspense, romance, mystery, and some pretty cool martial arts, Samurai Girl is THE series to read. I decided to read them over the summer, so I can just go from one book to the next (I read them in 1 or 2 days), maybe YOU should too.
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