La guerriera della spada del vento

Momo Arashima #1

by Misa Sugiura, Claudia Valentini (translator)

«Un bellissimo romanzo sull'amicizia.»
Publishers Weekly

«Un'avventura ricca di emozionanti colpi di scena, che prende spunto dalle leggende giapponesi. Impossibile smettere di leggere!»
Booklist

«Una storia divertente in cui si mescolano leggende, divinità e creature mitologiche, e in cui si parla di sentimenti e amicizia.»
Kirkus Reviews

MOMO DESIDERA SOLO
UNA VITA NORMALE,
MA NON SA CHE STA
PER ENTRARE IN UN MONDO
LEGGENDARIO


Momo Arashima ha dodici anni ed è cresciuta al suono delle leggende che le ha raccontato la mamma. Storie che vengono dal Giappone, la terra dove è nata, ma che ha abbandonato per gli Stati Uniti quando era ancora in fasce. Storie piene di animali magici – alcuni buoni, altri
meno… –, di dei ed eroi che combattono per la giustizia. Da bambina, credeva persino di riuscire a vedere alcune di queste creature, ma poi ha capito che la sua era solo immaginazione. E le è costato caro. Non tutti, infatti, apprezzano la sua fantasia e ben presto i compagni di classe cominciano a additarla come quella stramba. Persino Danny, il suo ex migliore amico, ora le rivolge solo battutine. Eppure, qualcosa sta per cambiare. Perché, proprio il giorno del suo compleanno, Momo ricomincia a vedere cose strane, come quando
era bambina. Forse quelle creature non sono semplicemente frutto della sua fantasia. Forse proprio lei, la stramba, è speciale. Quando la madre improvvisamente si ammala, Momo deve vincere la paura di non essere all’altezza e, in questo cammino tortuoso, potrà trovare degli amici con cui sentirsi invincibile e accettata.

L’esordio di Misa Sugiura ha conquistato i giovani lettori americani. Un fenomeno del passaparola iniziato nelle librerie degli Stati Uniti e approdato in tutt’Europa. Con La guerriera della spada del vento, Sugiura ci porta nel magico mondo delle leggende giapponesi, in un’avventura indimenticabile che insegna che niente è impossibile, se abbiamo il coraggio di accettarci per come siamo.


 

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Mythology, Adventure, Japan, Audiobook, Childrens

403 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 28, 2023

Reviews

[Rosh · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: A middle-grade fantasy with elements and entities from Japanese lore. Should have worked, but gives mixed results because of attempting too much. First of a planned series.

Story Synopsis:

Momo, a twelve year old with a hyperactive imagination and no friends, wishes for an ordinary life. But because of her dreaminess in school and her responsibility of taking care of her ill widowed mother, Momo finds herself struggling to go through her routine life. Until suddenly, routine life itself seems to turn crazy, what with death hags and a talking fox making an appearance. This leads to a reveal of a huge secret about Momo’s mother, whose health is turning worse. To save her, Momo finds herself on a journey across the earth to close a secret passageway, stop evil spirits, and save her mother. Will she be able to do it with only Niko the fox and Danny her ex-best-friend-now-selfish-snob for company?
The story comes to us in the first person perspective of Momo.

Middle-grade fiction is among my favourite genres, even more than YA, for the range and depth it offers. I had fully expected to love this book, but it ended up one of my rare mixed-bag MG reads.

The portrayal of the central characters is interesting. Momo is a typical teen, angry with the entire world with a constant "No one gets me" refrain. Too whiny for my liking, but children might *get* her character more. Her insecurities make her adventures daunting, but she grows courageous as the pages go by. This makes for a good coming-of-age narrative. Danny too was an unusual choice. The typical sidekick on adventurous missions is an encouraging best friend, so to see someone Momo is clearly not comfortable with but is forced to put up with was a different experience. Danny isn’t exactly a good role model for kids, but I suppose having perfect characters every time is also boring. Danny is more realistic in that sense. Niko the shapeshifting fox makes for a fun third wheel. The rest of the characters don’t get enough of a page space for us to know them well enough. Momo’s mother didn’t get the deserved character arc – it didn’t help to see the only parent in the story being so shakily portrayed despite having tremendous potential.

There are some relevant themes explored through the story. Bullying, family issues, standing up for oneself, not losing sense of your identity in a quest to fit in,… At the same time, the book also explores the impact of race on self-confidence, social standing and acceptance by peer groups. I felt that some part of this didn’t come out well, especially with Danny, who is shown as a Japanese-origin child adopted by white parents.

There are plenty of characters and artefacts from Japanese folklore. While I did appreciate the variety, the book seems to go overboard on this factor. Be it yuki, tengu, kitsune, kappa, kami, dragons, heikegani crabs,… the list is endless. There’s no question that the author has done her research well (and as an #OwnVoices work, it is quite authentic too, though modernised). However, it felt as if she had a checklist of Japanese lore elements, and she went ticking off the items until every single one had made an appearance in the story. This overabundance means that most of the lore elements find a nominal mention in the story without being sketched out well. This also leads to the book feeling highly rushed. The pacing is far too quick for any scene to stand out. Barely is one scene over when the next is ready with a fresh set of characters. A detailed focus on fewer fantastical beings/objects would have worked better for me.

This is somewhat lengthy for a middle-grade book at nearly 400 pages, but the pace saves the day. There’s an extensive glossary at the end for the lore terms and characters.

As this is the first of a series, the ending completes the current thread without any major cliff-hanger, and gives enough of a clue for us to know where the story will proceed next.

All in all, a decent read but not a memorable one for me. The story could have been great but the writing choices brought it down. Of course, I am not the target reader for this title. Children who like adventure stories and reading about fantastical creatures from another culture might still enjoy this.

2.5 stars, rounding up.


My thanks to Random House Children's and NetGalley for the DRC of “Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.




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[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an interesting and fun start to a new middle grade fantasy series. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what the author is going to do with the next book. If you’re interested in knowing of my views, check out my video here: https://youtu.be/eyuviman2BE

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read the Rick Riordan books and always wished for the same thing but with the stories I grew up with, and here it is.

Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind takes Japanese mythology and brings it into the 21st century. Momo is a mostly ordinary girl who grew up with stories of kami, magical foxes and monsters like oni and kappa, but her mom taught her that these were real, and for a long time, Momo could see them. In an effort to fit in, Momo convinced herself that these visions were all fancy until her mom becomes gravely ill and she's forced to see all of it again.

I wish this book had existed when I was a child.

Thank you to NetGalley and Labyrinth Road!

[Belles Middle Grade Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVVVVVVEEEEDDDD this book so much! Wowza what a story! All Momo wants for her 12th birthday is an ordinary life--like everyone else's. At home, she has to take care of her absentminded widowed mother. At school, kids ridicule her for mixing up reality with the magical stories her mother used to tell her. But then Momo’s mother falls gravely ill, & a death hag straight out of those childhood stories attacks Momo at the mall, where she's rescued by a talking fox ... & "ordinary" goes out the window. It turns out that Momo’s mother is a banished Shinto goddess who used to protect a long-forgotten passageway to Yomi-a.k.a. the land of the dead. That passageway is now under attack, & countless evil spirits threaten to escape & wreak havoc across the earth. Joined by Niko the fox & Danny-her former best friend turned popular jerk, whom she never planned to speak to again, much less save the world with-Momo must embrace her (definitely not "ordinary") identity as half human, half goddess to unlock her divine powers, save her mother's life, & force the demons back to Yomi. Along with the amazing magical aspects, there are many relatable issues mixed in here as well. Momo herself is such a relatable, endearing character. Her, Danny, & even Niko have some incredible character growth as well. This has amazing story building also.
Everything we learn & see along the way with Momo & friends is so fascinating & intriguing. I was hooked from the start. Her mothers backstory, the danger currently happening, the mystery of certain things with Danny, & even Niko is just so intriguing & incredible (he has my whole heart lol). Such vivid detailed writing, & such an imaginative read & so atmospheric. Many twists & turns in here, along with so much danger, action, & suspense. Added with the very high stakes, race against time vibes-fast-paced edge of my seat read for sure. EPIC ending. So many questions answered (some with very surprising answers!), & now new questions to go with some of the unanswered Lol! Love it, & can't wait for more! This came out yesterday, & I HIGHLY recommend it! STUNNING cover by the amazing Vivienne To as well!💜

[Allie Genia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fuller review will be posted on my blog two weeks before publishing! Here's the link in advance: https://mziniganmshiiken.wordpress.co...

This book was A LOT of fun! I was really excited when I saw the cover on NetGalley (who provided me a copy in exchange for an honest review) - I haven't read a lot of middle grade fiction featuring Japanese stories, so this was really exciting! Momo is a character who is loveable and so easy to root for, and her adventures in trying to save her Mom and also the world were thrilling. Sugiura tells the story flawlessly, weaving hints about what's to come throughout that make a re-read extremely fun. It also sounds like this will be a series - I'm definitely looking forward to the next one! Momo's adventures will be at the top of my recommendations when it's published. I'm so excited to share her story with my patrons!

[☀️Carden☀️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you see this book, think Percy Jackson but replace it with Japanese mythology. Think of all the monsters and Greek gods, but instead, get ready to see Shinto gods, Tengu, foxes, and death hags.

Momo Arishima is essentially your Percy Jackson from the start of the book: an outcast, doesn’t have many friends, and is the underdog. Like him, she grows up imagining things and doesn’t find out she’s a demigod until she’s twelve. Much like Percy did. She also gets attacked by a monster straight out of Japanese mythology, and goes on a quest to save her mom…

Alright, this just sounds exactly like Percy Jackson at this point:

- Momo is a Shinto demigod, while Percy finds out he is a Greek demigod
- she gets a sword and unlocks her powers
- Nico is like Grover 2.0, he’s a mythical sidekick that comes to aid Momo
- Momo imagines monsters and things from myths at a young age like Percy does

I will admit, the only reason why I wanted to buy this book and add it to my shelf was because the main character was a demigod. And yes, I know it’s silly, but I am still, and will most likely continue to be in my Percy Jackson phase. I wanted more adventure and mythology with a mix of urban fantasy and demigods, and this called out to me.

I liked Momo, she was brave and a little reckless. She was also relatable and I understand her need for friends. She mostly leads a isolated existence, taking care of her mourning mother and being treated like a freak at school.

I loved the adventure and the myths, it was nice learning about the different deities and important figures in Japanese mythology. It wasn’t very action packed, but it was still entertaining and fun. Out of all the middle grade books you can find that are similar to Percy Jackson, this one does a great job at providing that sense of humor and nostalgia from PJO.

[Squirrel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tried to enjoy this, but too many holes and gaps and random elements thrown together, in negative environments with negative messages.

About half-way through I realized the part I liked best was the cover art and the promise it gave, which the story does not deliver on. Not one great being, but endless fantastical characters, most with no introduction and little development. This is like walking through a huge toy store quickly. Oh, look! What does that do?

Written as a magical folklore adventure story, where typically self-destructive choices are repeatedly rewarded. (Getting into a stolen car with a stranger, driving into solid objects...but its magic!) This becomes a disjointed adventure, with lessons spelled out in heavy-handed prose.

The premise is lacking - a 12yo single child, with a single mom who is an actual Goddess, but never sees the need to tell her child? You know, that magical creatures might come after her? Staking the child's safety on the hope that trouble will just not happen?

The excuse for mother not sharing knowledge is, "I was forgetting", and also that her young child said she didn't want to hear after a while. So parenting doesn't include managing children who want to push off lessons? Maybe if Momo had been told the stories were actually about her life, that would have changed? As to forgetting, wasn't writing developed to record stories and information to share?

So many lessons I would not want a child learning from this story - breaking a promise to a deathly ill mother minutes after making it (leaving on her adventure.) Walking into stolen cars with strangers they've been told to stay away from. Getting a ton of gift cards from an unknown source and going out alone and spending them all? Sounds like a trap for something besides 'magic'. Really, a 12yo has that much freedom with that little sense? Even more fundamental, would a bullied kid be dumb enough to go to the mall, the biggest cool-kid hangout, alone after school?

The setup seems false to me, the characters not likeable, the scenes barely sketched out, and what was the reason Danny can understand and speak the magic language? Why, 8 years AFTER they were friends, is Danny 'coming along for the ride'? Encouraging Momo into danger?

The setups begged envisioning alternate approaches that could have been used in this tale - what if mother HAD told Momo about her heritage? What if mother HAD told Momo who the creatures she saw were? A child can go through a huge adventure and convince another God to change his curse...did her mother, the God's daughter even try that?

Kept noticing the bad parenting, and didn't find it significant to the story beyond serving as setups for situations. Danny's are absent and don't correct his being mean, grandfather banishes daughter and grandchild, mother doesn't explain the magical creatures Momo sees, or teach her how to keep them secret, or why, etc. Does this tale offer any role models for YAs to aspire to?

Why not use the story to teach YA readers how to make allies of the adults in their life? Instead the adults in this story are limited to being neglectful, inadequate, causing harm, or at best changing their minds to cause less harm, or sending envoys to help out. Here adults don't take adult roles protecting children, they are not partners.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these middle school books which take us into the mythologies of different countries and this book was no exception. This one is based mostly on an amalgamation of different Japanese traditions, including a variety of religions, folktales, and history, as well as some stories from Chinese, and Hindu stories. I was not familiar with any of it, but that didn't matter as the author spent enough time giving you context so that things made sense.

Momo is an outcast in her middle school, ranked by the mean popular girl in their school as the least popular person in their school. While some of the teachers might pity her, they do nothing to stop the bullying and teasing. Yeah, I wasn't a fan of that part. But Momo is partly an outcast because she sees things that are not there, from the stories that her mom used to tell her, and once you're labeled as "strange" you can never undo that. At least in this school. As an educator, this really hurt my heart and made me mad at their school, not to mention the other kids.

Momo also doesn't have friends because she's always taking care of her mom, who is not in good health. Her dad was lost at sea, presumably dead, although her mom has always said he's still alive. Momo disagrees but also doesn't want to upset her mom further.

We learn the gist of this in the first couple of chapters and then our story really begins. Without revealing spoilers, Momo is drawn into a quest with her former friend (now one of the most popular kids) and a talking fox. Yep, the adventure begins pretty quickly and from there, I was drawn into Momo's quest.

While I was not happy with Danny at first, I liked that Momo, Danny, and Niko all worked through their own insecurities and they actually talked about issues like bullying/teasing ("I'm just joking, you just can't take a joke" is a trigger for me in these situations), changing your behavior and interests just to fit in, being Asian in a community where it's not that common and suppressing that part of you, dealing with anger in a healthy way, and learning to work as a team, leaning on each other, which takes time and trust, which is impossible if you are not truthful to each other, including yourself.

The ending was exciting and had our three main characters work through their interpersonal and intrapersonal issues, which I felt made them a stronger team. Because the story is not finished. I don't know if this is supposed to be a trilogy or something more, but I am excited about reading the next book, whenever it comes out!

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and the publishers, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[selina · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you to netgalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review.

momo arashima steals the sword of the wind was a fun read. it made me cry and had me so interested in Japanese mythology and how the author takes it in a modern setting. the characters are kids, so their emotions and behaviors are as messy as you can imagine, and i love it.

however, i truly believe that the writing can be a bit better. granted, this is an arc so maybe the final copy will have some changes. but for now, the writing holds me back from giving this a higher rating. moreover, maybe it's just me but the pacing of this is a bit off. there was too much going on until the climax but it was slow at the same time? i hope the sequel is better. lastly, this is just me as a reader and people might disagree w this, but there were some made-up references that left me confused and i found them necessary. i honestly think it would have been better if the references are based on real life, it would have been cool.

anyway, i still highly recommend this to everyone!! i reminds me of percy jackson series (i'm only comparing it to pjo bc i haven't read many MG books that are centered around mythology and supernatural -- i really should read more)

[Vicky Sp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Se anche tu ami le leggende Giapponesi allora devi leggere La guerriera nella spada del vento

Un’avventura ricca di azione suspence e colpi di scena dove leggenda e divinità si mescolano perfettamente regalando al lettore un romanzo che parla di di creature mitologiche, ma soprattutto di amicizia.

Ed è un’amicizia speciale quella che lega Momo a Danny, l’unico che riesce a capire le strane visioni di creature fantastiche che da anni accompagnano la vita della ragazza.

Un libro che ci ricorda che nulla è impossibile se abbiamo il coraggio e la determinazione di accettare quello che siamo.
Consigliato soprattutto come lettura fantasy per ragazzi

*Ringrazio la Casa Editrice per la collaborazione e la copia

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so much fun and the comparison book I would say that’s closest to my own writing. I really enjoyed the MG adventures coupled with Japanese folklore and mythology that’s weaved into a contemporary story with real teen and family struggles. I liked Momo, she is your typical early teen who is burdened with family responsibilities then confronted with a change to her life no one prepared her for. The characters, the unlikely friendships and thrilling adventure held me to the very end and waiting the sequel very soon! Highly recommended to fans of MG fantasy with cultural legend and folklore infusion - my jam!

[belle ☆ﾐ (thisbellereadstoo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

actual rating: 3.5 stars

ever since the death of her father, momo's mother had been emotionally absent from her. she didn't know that momo is having a tough time in school, with people making fun of her and bullying her for being different.

starting with momo's experience at school was saddening. she's always targetted by the more popular girls and even her once best friend joined in the fun. when she went on this adventure to save the world, danny's presence was an unwelcome one. throughout the book, there was development of their friendship. momo did bring up how upsetting it was when danny joined in the bullying with others and that it wasn't just fun and laughter. i think danny initially didn't get the hurt that momo felt but with time, there was improvement. as for niko, who doesn't want a talking fox right? from the start, there was something niko was hiding and it's about his magic. with her mother's life at stake, momo didn't think too much and plunged into this journey.

momo isn't the bravest of people but she tried her very best. there were moments when her spirits need to be lifted and when sadness overwhelmed her. despite everything, she always stand stronger in face of danger and obstacle.

the japanese mythology was really fun! i loved learning about the japanese lore in this middle grade novel.

overall, it was a good novel. since this is first of a series, i'm looking forward to exploring more of the world.

[Rini Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

i liked momo !! i liked that she got mad at people 🤭 her friendship with danny was kind of wonky ?? but i liked that too because you dont just become BFFs after a few days if you have that kind of history with each other 🥲
the stuff about japanese myths was sooo cool ! i learned new stuff 😋 but the actual sword stealing part was so short LOL i felt like the title was misleading a bit 😭 and im not a fan of plot twists in the last 20 pages 😬

[Lorelei Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children’s for this earc. As usual, these are my personal thoughts and opinions. I am not being payed to leave a good review.

This would’ve been a four star read for me if not for one thing that was thrown in there that makes it a 3.75 star. This is a minor spoiler so look for the “*” if you want to know where it starts and ends.

*My biggest issue with this book was at the end, Danny (and the other characters) blamed his white parents for how he turned out. I would’ve understood why they added it more if his parents were doing it on purpose because they were racist and wanted him to act white. I think that would’ve been perfectly understandable, but this felt random and like a last minute add. I’m sorry but Danny is responsible for his own actions with how he treated Momo and other people. Did how his parents raise him effect how he turned out? Absolutely. But the book even says that they really love him and were trying their best to raise him to be happy and successful. They weren’t purposely raising him to be “white.” They did what they thought was right. Parents are humans too and make a ton of mistakes so I felt that this part was random and uncalled for.*

On the other hand, I loved everything else. The characters were portrayed so well. Everyone had a unique personality. The setting was so fun and interesting. I loved all of the Japanese mythology and culture that we got to see. Suguiro does a fantastic jobs developing themes and I felt like they related to everyone. I especially related to the friendship problems Danny and Momo were going through because I experienced something very similar. The character development was on point, and the portrayal of middle schoolers was scary accurate. I honestly can’t wait to see what the author has in store because this was so magical, fun, and heartwarming.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the previous book I read, it would have been quite a surprise if it didn't go a bit downhill from here on. And Momo Arashima Book 1 is a nice book, but it's not on the same level as Adia Kelbara Book 1. Which makes looking at this book a bit difficult, to be honest, because if I hadn't just read a five-star book, I probably would have been more enthusiastic about this one.

I still liked it, though. Misa Sugiura weaves a great fantasy filled with Japanese myths. In the beginning, it was all a bit much - so many unknown names and stories! - but after a while, things cooled down, and most names were repeated often enough to start recognising them. Also, there's a ten-page glossary at the back of the book with some in-depth information on the mythological names mentioned in the book! Fellow authors, take note: That's how you do it!

The writing style of the book was okay, and the dialogues were too. There's a lot of puns and banter, but it felt a bit generic at times - the kind of stuff I've read so often by now. The style could have benefitted from a slightly more personal, different stylistic element, or something along those lines that makes it more stand out from the other books of its kind.

The story itself was fun, and Izanami's revelation surprised me a lot - I hadn't been surprised up to that point, but that was a nice twist. And believe me: It'll be a whole other plot twist than the other you're thinking of right now, if you're reading this. Apart from that: Even though that was the only real twist I came across, it was still very much an enjoyable story, with a lot of thrills in it, mixed up with some profound emotions and humour. Sugiura has balanced it out perfectly.

The main trouble is that there's not really a character for which I was rooting. Sure, Momo, Danny and Niko are fine and all that, but none of them really jumped off the page, and the same went for all the other ones. They're not memorable enough to make a profound, lasting impression. Something was missing, but I'm not sure what it is. After giving it some thought, I decided to I won't be continuing this series.

7.6/10

[Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

A good start to an interesting younger middle grade series steeped in Japanese mythology. Lots of adventure and great background information.

Momo is a good, wholesome character with a lot on her plate. A lot is expected of this young girl and that makes the setup feel a little unbelievable. Her mom is sick, but pushes too far to helpless, leaving young Momo to be responsible for far too much. This makes things a bit heavier than they need to be for a middle grade read. However, I did appreciate the inclusion of some difficult topics in the story, including peer pressure and bullying. I also liked that she was paired up with Danny, a willing sidekick who isn't always on the same wavelength as Momo. The extra tension present because of the history in Momo & Danny's relationship added some great depth to the story and teaches some good lessons that I think will continue to evolve through the series.

I liked Niko's character on the surface and appreciated that he was fairly sarcastic, but sometimes he veered a little too close to mean. As a result, some of the language used feels a bit whiny and occasionally too rude. I'm not sure this is a good example for younger readers and wish it would have been toned down just a bit. It wasn't overwhelming through the plot, so hopefully this will change a bit as the series develops.

There is a LOT packed into this read and that can be a little overwhelming. I really found a lot of interest in the mythology that was presented through the story and there are some incredibly interesting tales and characters. I learned a lot, but probably glazed over a little at the sheer number of mythological characters and monsters. A reread probably wouldn't be a bad idea prior to continuing the series.

A good start and I'm interested to see where this journey might go. I will be continuing the series.

[eve.lyn._.reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

*I've decided I won't write long book reviews for books under two stars unless it's a rant or I have a lot to say!*
<< *Every single person in this world can view a work of literature and have completely different thoughts and opinions. My opinion is not meant to offend you. If you do not want to see a review criticising your favorite book (or a book you enjoyed), then I recommend not proceeding with reading this review.>>
    I'm really disappointed to see another one of my anticipated releases of the year disappoint me. This book is perfect for fans of Rick Riordan's stories. I found myself just not liking this book. There was just nothing new about it—nothing that caught my attention or surprised me. It felt like it fell into all the generic plotlines and plot twists. Momo is not a bad protagonist, but she wasn't anything memorable for me. I disliked Danny a lot. He acted really immature and rude, with no filter whatsoever about what he needed to say at what time. The lessons were interesting about how peer pressure caused Danny to conform and hide most of his Japanese heritage. There were other interesting lessons about how toxic stereotypes such as "boys can't cry" and "boys can't be afraid," can negatively affect the way a person deals with their emotions. I believe that Momo and Danny had very realistic dialogue that felt very natural and real. The plot twists weren't bad, but they weren't anything out of the ordinary.
⛔PLOT
⛔🆗CHARACTERS
🆗 PLOT TWISTS

[Lizzy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dropped at page 134.

Momo Arashima is another “post-Percy" book that isn’t under Rick’s imprint. It’s not trying to reinvent or innovate the sub-genre and it doesn’t have to. However, I have read this story at least a dozen times before, and this is little more than an average rehash.

There was an obnoxious amount of telling (rather than showing) in the beginning chapters, and a lot of the dialogue is little more than verbal exposition. Sometimes Momo and Danny would have amusing banter, but that’s about it for me.

As for Momo herself, well, I didn’t find her memorable at all. I’ve read protagonists like her in both Asian-authored fiction and non-Asian authored fiction. She’s just another tween who is unpopular to generate pity/sympathy, and hides her heritage. It’s an uninspired character foundation that only makes it easier for the author to convey exposition and terminology.

There’s a reason why Luz Noceda from The Owl House is so refreshing: Luz is the antithesis of the easy way out. She embraces her weirdness and feels no shame for her heritage, and uses them to her benefit. More protagonists like Luz please.

I was really hoping for more from Misa Sugiura, but this one is a pass.

[Hailey Sawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you get when you combine Percy Jackson and Japanese Mythology and stuff? A novel that was pretty cool.

(All Momo wants for her twelfth birthday is a normal life--a life like everyone else's. At home, she has to take care of her absentminded widowed mother. At school, kids ridicule her for mixing up reality with the magical stories her mother used to tell her.

But then Momo's mother falls gravely ill, and a death hag straight out of those childhood stories attacks Momo at the mall, where she's rescued by a talking fox . . . and "normal" goes out the window. It turns out that Momo's mother is a banished Shinto goddess who used to protect a long-forgotten passageway to Yomi--a.k.a. the land of the dead. That passageway is now under attack, and countless evil spirits threaten to escape and wreak havoc across the earth.

Joined by Niko the fox and Danny--her former best friend turned popular jerk, whom she never planned to speak to again, much less save the world with--Momo must embrace her (definitely not normal) identity as half human, half goddess to unlock her divine powers, save her mother's life, and force the demons back to Yomi.) ~ Blurb from Goodreads

The first two chapters were pretty good. They do a great job establishing Momo as an outcast at school, her sad, present day home life that requires her to grow up and take on the responsibilities her mother should have, and the happier life Momo used to have and how she lost it. It's a bit too reliant on telling and not showing, but it still gives the reader a very clear picture of who Momo is as a character and why she is the way she is without feeling overwhelming. The way she's characterized in these chapters also makes it easy to root for her and want to see her situation improve.

Danny was an interesting character. So prior to the events of the story, he and Momo used to be friends. But over time, their friendship fell apart and got to a point where Danny now actively bullies Momo along with the other kids. It's eventually revealed that his adopted parents are always busy and not even his other family members bother to check on him and that he was just going along with the other kids out of peer pressure and pressure from his adopted dad. Thankfully, he is able to rebuild his friendship with Momo over the course of the novel. I really like this. They could've made Danny some random, one-dimensional bully character, but I'm glad the novel decided to do this. It's a very layered and realistic portrayal of kids who find themselves in a situation like this.

Speaking of interesting characters, Niko was also cool. He's a fox that can turn into a human who's very good at thinking under pressure and tries his best to protect Momo, despite her mother not wanting him near her and despite Momo being difficult with him at times. I think my favorite scene of his is when he's trying to help Momo escape from the shikome at the mall. Not only is the escape scene in and of itself a fun, action packed scene, but it really highlights everything that makes him so cool and more.

I adored this novel's take on creatures like the shikome and the Tengu. So in this novel, the shikome is a "death hag" who wears too much makeup, dons goth-style attire like a black ball gown and matching stiletto heels, and who is hungry all the time, to the point where she gets super distracted by stray food. If this Yokai.com page is anything to go by, this novel's depiction of it is quite accurate. Not only that, but it seems as though aspects of more modern Japanese culture have been drawn upon, as the Shikome appears to be taking inspiration from the visual kei scene, almost as if it did so to be fashionable while staying true to itself. Also, I have to admit. I was not at all expecting the Tengu to be dressed like members of a motorcycle gang (let alone a Tengu named Gara being kind of a nerd), but it was still pretty cool. Oh and I cannot forget Susano'o. He's presented as this aging punk rocker guy and while he does have his comedic moments, they do not at all take away from just how powerful and threatening he can truly be.

I'm gonna be honest. Shuten-doji's plan to steal Dojigiri (the sword that originally defeated him according to Danny) and end the world and stuff just felt very tacked on. Aside from the scene where the tengu steal Dojigiri in the Think of It as "Borrowing in A Time of Great Need" chapter, there is no real passion or energy thrown into anything relating to this plan. Hell, even the final showdown between Momo and Shuten-doji was extremely short, despite the fact that he's kind of built up to be the main bad guy. Also, the novel already had a dramatic and emotional motivation for Momo and the gang to go on their quest: Save Momo's mom and The Island of Mysteries from dying. Like, was that seriously not enough? Did this novel really need to give two different motivations for going on this quest? I feel like this novel could've just picked one or the other and it would've been fine. Beneficial even.

Oh, by the way, there are some major plot holes.

In the Foxes Like Pepperoni Pizza? chapter, there's a part that tries to explain why the wealth, farmers, and merchants god named Daikoku is depicted as female here when Daikoku is typically depicted as male, which goes, "Man, woman, god, goddess [...] Such limiting terms when the possibilities are limitless. For the first eight generations, before we came to the Middle Lands, we kami didn't even have genders. Do your research, child, and be open to the infinite, because I am one and I am all—though for now, I am female, so I will thank you to refer to me as such." While the idea in and of itself isn't bad, it's not a very developed one and as a result, just raises too many questions. For example, besides visiting the Middle Lands (a.k.a Earth and stuff), what exactly prompted the kami to have genders? Also, if the kami can apparently just change their form to whatever they want, why do they stick to just one form? Is it because it's the form they're most comfortable with? Is it because they're locked into a certain form for a certain period of time? Here's the kicker. In the No Offense, but How Does She Have Godly DNA? chapter, people believe that the shikome was a vulture and Niko says, "People are very committed to their version of reality." Had Daikoku used this as the reason for the discrepancy and stuff, it would make a lot more sense and play on a previously established element.

But the biggest plot hole comes from Hotei (the god of plenty, contentment, and happiness) and his bags. So it's clearly established that Hotei's rucksack and backpacks can produce whatever its owners need. However, one of the main obstacles Momo and the gang face is obtaining Kusanagi (a.k.a The Sword of The Wind), which is supposedly located in a temple under the sea. But, if the bags can produce whatever its owners need, couldn't Momo or whoever use the bag to obtain The Sword of The Wind? For that matter, Momo and the gang were originally trying to obtain Dojigiri, which got stolen by the tengu in the Think of It as "Borrowing in A Time of Great Need" chapter, which led them to seek help from the seven lucky gods (including Hotei and Daikoku). So in that case, couldn't Momo and the gang just use the bags to get both swords? As far as I know, there's nothing to indicate that the bags can't produce legendary items like the swords or anything. So what gives? It makes Momo and the gang look uncharacteristically dumb and makes the lengths they go to obtain these swords feel pointless. You know what would've fixed this? Just make the bags unable to obtain legendary items, citing that they're "Too hot to handle" or something like that.

Overall, Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of The Wind was a pretty fun, pretty clever novel with characters that I couldn't help but get invested in and I'm certainly on board with checking out the next entry.

Overall Grade: B

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun. I’m wondering why the author didn’t submit the book to Rick Riordan but it is also good to spread this genre around. We do need to find out more about others here in the USA, and other mythologies is a great way to do so!

Momo wants to help save her mother’s life so ends up on a quest to save the island that her mother is connected to. This is the first of a series so of course things aren’t all taken care of. She had two comrades to help her but everyone is hiding secrets as well. Including Momo, to be fair. This is more of a 3.5 but I rounded up. I might decide after a few days to round down. I do think I’ll read more of this series. But I also think I’ll have to read this again to be ready for the next book. Recommended.

[Ree · Rating 3 out of 5]

For an MG book, this was kinda slow at first. Still, it resembles a lot of those Rick Riordan Presents books (I'd gotten used to all mythology-based books belonging to that, so I'm surprised this wasn't a part of it...) - just more slow. Still, it covered important themes that I love like A girl who's more responsible and nervous (with a lot of anger! - sounds like middle school me)! Toxic Masculinity! And the importance of family bonds! and Differences! So yeah, I think I might be interested in the next book even if it wasn't really right for me.

Also, I have a sneaking suspicion about her dad, so... I wanna know about that lol

[Bloody Blogger Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be an honor to read. This is the kind of book that will spark young minds towards reading. The world build was great even before the paranormal occurrences begin. The characters were vividly portrayed and then the storyline takes off. Momo discovers that the stories he mother told her are true and with her fox hero the story engrossed me in it and it was a wonderful journey. I would highly recommend this book to all young readers and the young at heart. They will truly enjoy it.

[Rebecca Lowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Middle school appropriate. I liked some of the ways the author looked at bullying from both the perspective of the victim and also Momo’s understanding of why Danny behaved the way he did/does. It was a realistic, brutally honest, and not something we typically see depicted this way.

[Andrea Rittschof · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the elements I appreciate the most in Misa Suguira’s book, “Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind” is the wonderful characters she has created. In the novel, I absolutely adored Momo Arashima, most particularly because she isn’t perfect. None of the protagonists are perfect. They exist in the gray areas, with all the wonderful imperfections and foibles that make them resonate and connect with readers, especially young readers. In the book, Momo and Danny used to be friends and as they journey together on this adventure, they find themselves bonding again but Momo remembers how alone and isolated she’s been and that makes friendship more difficult. All three of the main characters, Momo, Danny, and their fox companion Niko all have issues they struggle with and must overcome. 

Readers will also fall in love with the adventure. Misa Seguira has presented a world that is rich and full of depth, with care taken with the mythos and the culture of Japan. I like that in the midst of the main adventure, we also get snippets of Japanese lore. The story is engaging, the dynamic between the characters is complex, and the ending leaves room for more, a whole series of books with the characters. 

If you like books of a similar style, such as Rick Riordan’s young adult series, I think you’ll love “Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind.” It incorporates Japanese elements well and has Asian characters that will allow Asian readers someone they can connect with. The characters are complex and have depth with the book developing themes of bullying and peer pressure as well as learning to like yourself. Readers will love the ideas and the story.

[Lastblossom]

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's for an advance copy!

tl;dr
A fast-paced adventure for fans of preteen demi-gods featuring a relatable protagonist.

About
Momo Arashima is just trying to be a normal kid. But between seeing magical spirits who definitely aren't there, and her own general awkwardness, she's pretty sure she's stuck being the outcast forever. But when a magical fox shows up saying she's the only one who can stop the world from ending, she's going to have to learn to be anything but normal.

Thoughts
Wow! I wish I had this book when I was a kid, for a myriad of reasons, but most prominently, because it's a great adventure. It's fast-paced, fun, informative, and deeply relatable. The adventure moves very quickly, and with a bit of irreverence with an energy that will appeal to readers of the "pre teen demi-gods" genre. I also have a serious soft spot for stories about heroines with swords. Momo's struggles to fit in will resonate with any reader, but I appreciated the extra time spent on the difficulties of living in the diaspora. My heart really felt for Momo and Danny (and their parents) as they all did their best to figure out how and who to be. I also appreciated getting to peek into Momo's internal struggles with her own anger, and her attempts to learn how to channel it into healthy energy, rather than simply ignore it. While this book doesn't dedicate much time to that, the ending certainly implies we'll be getting more of it in the future, and I'm looking forward to it!

[Kris Reguera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Momo had me rooting for her and LAUGHING. She is so sarcastic and funny even during risky adventures with a talking fox! This book is unputdownable, fun, adventurous, intriguing and funny, an amazing new middle grade that I believe is the first in a series🤩 with Japanese representation and mythology. What an amazing fantasy! It had parts where it reminded me of anime that I really love, too, to top!

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strong entry in the “kid with connections to mythological creatures goes on quest with two friends” genre. Momo has kid problems and magic problems and sometimes they help and sometimes they reinforce each other; her friends also have problems that she doesn’t see until the end but that are seeded through out.

The ending was a bit pat but there are more coming so maybe those strings will get picked up and explored more. I will look out for the next one.

[Debb Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind by Misa Sugiura is an awesome book for an introduction to the Shinto myths and tales. Honestly that is what made me want to read it!

In the vein of other "demi-god/demi-goddess" books, Momo just wants to be a normal girl. She wants friends. She wants her mom to be well. And she wants to stop seeing thing that other people cannot--like a talking fox.
Unfortunately, Momo doesn't get what she wants as she goes off, rather hesitantly, on a quest with the fox and once-friend, Danny.

Middle Grade readers, especially, will feel empathy for Momo as she navigates the drama of school, becoming a teenager, and befriending and/or fighting monsters, beasts and gods. OK, maybe no the last part, but that sure does make the book fun!

This is a great read and once it picks up speed during the quest, it is impossible to put down.

Thanks to NetGalley and Labyrinth Road for the ARC. The opinions, however, are totally mine! Happy Reading!

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Indie Bookstore day, my preteen discovered this book @larkandowlbooksellers and quickly added it to our buy pile. After taking it to school and reading the first 1oo pages, she asked if we could listen to it on audio as a family. Her selling point was to describe it as being funny and adventurous as in the same style of Rick Riordan’s books. This turned out to be absolutely true!

I loved learning about Japanese mythology and lore through this action packed story. Kami, Oni, Kappa, the 7 Lucky Gods, Kitsune, Tangu and Shikome. My fav was Hotei (the god of happiness and plenty) and Izanami (the goddess of death).

Our protagonist is Momo, a twelve year old who learns that she is a Shinto demigod. She is joined by Niko, an adorable fox, and Dani, a former bestie. The trio set out on a truly captivating adventure where they try to save Momo’s mother and protect a portal to Yomi. Our family really enjoyed this book and we are anxiously awaiting to hear news about a sequel!

Sara Matsui-Colby was a fantastic narrator!!

[v1nce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice book for middle grade.
Waiting for the sequel
4.25 / 5
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