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Tsunami Girl
Tsunami Girl is a powerful coming-of-age story of 15-year-old Yuki Hara Jones who gets caught up in the March 2011 Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. It’s about a young person trying to work out who they are, and where they fit - and trying to do this whilst surviving the trauma of a triple disaster of colossal scale, told through both prose and manga.
376 pages, Paperback
First published March 4, 2021
46 people are currently reading
990 people want to read
About the author
Julian Sedgwick
10 books23 followersJulian Sedgwick is a writer of many books for children, including the Mysterium trilogy, the Ghosts of Shanghai trilogy, and the graphic novel Dark Satanic Mills, cowritten with his brother, Marcus Sedgwick, and illustrated by John Higgins and Marc Olivent. Julian Sedgwick lives in England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
February 16, 2022
I found this very moving and very real in the sense that the characters felt like very honest depictions of real human thoughts and emotions.
Focus on anxiety, grief, tragedy caused by natural disaster (the earthquake, tsunami, and subsequent nuclear power station failure in Fukushima, Japan).
Appropriate for middle grades and up (based on the heavy subject).
Focus on anxiety, grief, tragedy caused by natural disaster (the earthquake, tsunami, and subsequent nuclear power station failure in Fukushima, Japan).
Appropriate for middle grades and up (based on the heavy subject).
May 14, 2021
A beautiful heartbreaking book about the tsunami in 2011. When everything went so terribly wrong.
So I got tons of emotions over this book, so I am sorry if it is a bit messy! I tried my best to get my words right, so I hope I did.
Meet Yuuki, a girl from England but her heart and family belongs in Japan. She goes on a trip to her grandfather to get away from everything. I liked Yuuki from the start, and could also understand that she wanted to get away. She has terrible panic attacks and other things and her parents (especially the mum) don’t seem to get it. Don’t seem to understand. She goes to Japan to be with her grandfather for a while and I just loved that she had that opportunity. That she had that chance. Then again, given all that happens in the book… maybe she would rather have stayed at home.
Given that the day after arriving a big earthquake (which was vividly written in a way that I could see it happen) hits the town and its followed by a giant tsunami that rages over the land (my heart was beating in my chest reading about how the water in the sea disappeared, how the school was hit, how everything went so wrong in just mere minutes). My heart just broke for everyone there. For everyone who survived. For those who weren’t able to escape. To families ripped apart. To radiation hitting towns (really building that stuff so close to people was just the dumbest thing ever, you would think that people have learned from Chernobyl, but I guess not). Houses gone. Everything. We see in bits and pieces how Yuuki survived, what happened in that moment, and how she got to safety. And then followed by her time in England while very strongly wanting to go back to Japan. Which I can imagine as she didn’t get to have closure.
I would have liked to see more of grandfather. Now we get just a small bit with him, we find out a few things here and there, but before we truly see more of him, get to know him more, the earthquake hits and the tsunami explodes over the land. I get that because of what grandpa had for Yuuki and it wouldn’t have worked with later parts then, but still I would have liked at least a day more. Maybe two. And not just because of grandpa, but also because I wanted to see more of the little town.
I am still not sure what to think of Taka and Yuuki’s relationship. We don’t see much of him in the earlier parts of the book, we see some flirting, some talking, but we don’t see him until afterwards, until Yuuki revisits the town. And in those later parts it just felt mostly like a brother/sister relationship with some dashes of confused jealousy. Given that Taka is a pretty big part of the story in the later parts I would have liked to have things a bit more clearer.
I loved the Japanese words dotted throughout the story, and I loved reading the descriptions of various places but also the folklore. The yurei, the rituals, Obon, and others.
The manga parts were great, they were a bit of fantasy mixed with seriousness and I loved how they popped up in the story. And yes, at times they made me cry (especially when we see grandpa and Half Wave together and grandpa not being ready to move on). There was one thing that was a tad odd, the story keeps talking about Yuuki having one plait, but in the manga parts she clearly has two of them.
I was superproud of Yuuki and how she went back to the little town. Despite the radiation, despite the hurt it may cause, despite her fear. I loved how she pushed on. How she wanted to find what her grandfather had left her. How she wanted to pay her respects to her grandfather. Find closure. My heart broke for her as the journey to her grandfather’s house wasn’t safe, and at times it seemed that she wasn’t going to be able to get there. Not to mention it got sadder when they finally reach the house and what Yuuki found. The revelations there. Secrets revealed. I can imagine that her grandfather wanted to show her this.
The ending made me very happy. It was a sweet way to end things.
All in all, if you are in for an emotional read be sure to check out this gorgeous book.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
So I got tons of emotions over this book, so I am sorry if it is a bit messy! I tried my best to get my words right, so I hope I did.
Meet Yuuki, a girl from England but her heart and family belongs in Japan. She goes on a trip to her grandfather to get away from everything. I liked Yuuki from the start, and could also understand that she wanted to get away. She has terrible panic attacks and other things and her parents (especially the mum) don’t seem to get it. Don’t seem to understand. She goes to Japan to be with her grandfather for a while and I just loved that she had that opportunity. That she had that chance. Then again, given all that happens in the book… maybe she would rather have stayed at home.
Given that the day after arriving a big earthquake (which was vividly written in a way that I could see it happen) hits the town and its followed by a giant tsunami that rages over the land (my heart was beating in my chest reading about how the water in the sea disappeared, how the school was hit, how everything went so wrong in just mere minutes). My heart just broke for everyone there. For everyone who survived. For those who weren’t able to escape. To families ripped apart. To radiation hitting towns (really building that stuff so close to people was just the dumbest thing ever, you would think that people have learned from Chernobyl, but I guess not). Houses gone. Everything. We see in bits and pieces how Yuuki survived, what happened in that moment, and how she got to safety. And then followed by her time in England while very strongly wanting to go back to Japan. Which I can imagine as she didn’t get to have closure.
I would have liked to see more of grandfather. Now we get just a small bit with him, we find out a few things here and there, but before we truly see more of him, get to know him more, the earthquake hits and the tsunami explodes over the land. I get that because of what grandpa had for Yuuki and it wouldn’t have worked with later parts then, but still I would have liked at least a day more. Maybe two. And not just because of grandpa, but also because I wanted to see more of the little town.
I am still not sure what to think of Taka and Yuuki’s relationship. We don’t see much of him in the earlier parts of the book, we see some flirting, some talking, but we don’t see him until afterwards, until Yuuki revisits the town. And in those later parts it just felt mostly like a brother/sister relationship with some dashes of confused jealousy. Given that Taka is a pretty big part of the story in the later parts I would have liked to have things a bit more clearer.
I loved the Japanese words dotted throughout the story, and I loved reading the descriptions of various places but also the folklore. The yurei, the rituals, Obon, and others.
The manga parts were great, they were a bit of fantasy mixed with seriousness and I loved how they popped up in the story. And yes, at times they made me cry (especially when we see grandpa and Half Wave together and grandpa not being ready to move on). There was one thing that was a tad odd, the story keeps talking about Yuuki having one plait, but in the manga parts she clearly has two of them.
I was superproud of Yuuki and how she went back to the little town. Despite the radiation, despite the hurt it may cause, despite her fear. I loved how she pushed on. How she wanted to find what her grandfather had left her. How she wanted to pay her respects to her grandfather. Find closure. My heart broke for her as the journey to her grandfather’s house wasn’t safe, and at times it seemed that she wasn’t going to be able to get there. Not to mention it got sadder when they finally reach the house and what Yuuki found. The revelations there. Secrets revealed. I can imagine that her grandfather wanted to show her this.
The ending made me very happy. It was a sweet way to end things.
All in all, if you are in for an emotional read be sure to check out this gorgeous book.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
April 29, 2023
Très agréablement surprise par ce livre pour ados !
Le deuil est l'un de mes thèmes favoris dans la littérature et j'ai apprécié la manière dont il a été traité ici. Le deuxième thème principal est la culpabilité du survivant et j'ai trouvé que c'était également très bien amené.
Le personnage de Yûki était attachant, ses relations avec les différents membres de sa famille touchantes. J'ai ressenti beaucoup de compassion pour elle. (à savoir que Yûki souffre d'anxiété et a des crises de panique plusieurs fois dans le livre)
D'abord légèrement déçue que le livre soit écrit par un auteur britannique, j'ai finalement vite ressenti que les travaux de recherche avaient été pointilleux (ce qui est flagrant dans les remerciements de l'auteur). J'ai particulièrement aimé le fait que le livre aborde la catastrophe en elle-même ainsi que ses conséquences, que ce soit au niveau mental ou physique de la population. (D'ailleurs, un TW pour les personnes qui seraient comme moi un peu sensibles aux descriptions de catastrophes naturelles, le livre ne vous épargne pas.)
Un autre point que j'ai apprécié est la présence du folklore japonais que je trouve toujours hyper intéressant.
Deux petites choses qui m'ont moins plu (et c'est très personnel) :
- je n'ai pas été sensible aux parties manga (qui ne sont pas très nombreuses au final)
- j'ai parfois trouvé de trop certaines expressions en japonais. Que certains mots ne puissent pas être traduits (par exemple, pour le folklore), ça ne me gêne pas. Mais les mini expressions dans les conversations qui sont pour le reste en français, je suis moins fan. (alors que je comprends le japonais donc en soi, j'étais pas perdue)
En bref, une bonne lecture avec des thèmes que j'affectionne :)
Le deuil est l'un de mes thèmes favoris dans la littérature et j'ai apprécié la manière dont il a été traité ici. Le deuxième thème principal est la culpabilité du survivant et j'ai trouvé que c'était également très bien amené.
Le personnage de Yûki était attachant, ses relations avec les différents membres de sa famille touchantes. J'ai ressenti beaucoup de compassion pour elle. (à savoir que Yûki souffre d'anxiété et a des crises de panique plusieurs fois dans le livre)
D'abord légèrement déçue que le livre soit écrit par un auteur britannique, j'ai finalement vite ressenti que les travaux de recherche avaient été pointilleux (ce qui est flagrant dans les remerciements de l'auteur). J'ai particulièrement aimé le fait que le livre aborde la catastrophe en elle-même ainsi que ses conséquences, que ce soit au niveau mental ou physique de la population. (D'ailleurs, un TW pour les personnes qui seraient comme moi un peu sensibles aux descriptions de catastrophes naturelles, le livre ne vous épargne pas.)
Un autre point que j'ai apprécié est la présence du folklore japonais que je trouve toujours hyper intéressant.
Deux petites choses qui m'ont moins plu (et c'est très personnel) :
- je n'ai pas été sensible aux parties manga (qui ne sont pas très nombreuses au final)
- j'ai parfois trouvé de trop certaines expressions en japonais. Que certains mots ne puissent pas être traduits (par exemple, pour le folklore), ça ne me gêne pas. Mais les mini expressions dans les conversations qui sont pour le reste en français, je suis moins fan. (alors que je comprends le japonais donc en soi, j'étais pas perdue)
En bref, une bonne lecture avec des thèmes que j'affectionne :)
August 25, 2022
I good book showing the effects of natural disasters.
The book is about a young girl named Yuki who struggled at school and is now home schooled. During this time, she takes a trip to her grandpa in Osoma in Japan. This is when disaster strikes and Yuki has to face the inevitably and fear of the incoming tsunami.
Yuki was a good protagonist and relatable in many ways due to her anxiety, and struggle to fit in. I have never read a book like this, part manga part prose and it did appeal to me. It was very visual. I also liked the added theme of ghosts and it felt real and eerie at times.
The devastation caused by these natural disasters aren't just numbers in a geography book, they're lives. It was powerful in that way.
I am not too familiar with the Japanese language but it is such an interesting culture to me, and I enjoyed reading the glossary at the end of Japanese words.
Overall, a great book.
The book is about a young girl named Yuki who struggled at school and is now home schooled. During this time, she takes a trip to her grandpa in Osoma in Japan. This is when disaster strikes and Yuki has to face the inevitably and fear of the incoming tsunami.
Yuki was a good protagonist and relatable in many ways due to her anxiety, and struggle to fit in. I have never read a book like this, part manga part prose and it did appeal to me. It was very visual. I also liked the added theme of ghosts and it felt real and eerie at times.
The devastation caused by these natural disasters aren't just numbers in a geography book, they're lives. It was powerful in that way.
I am not too familiar with the Japanese language but it is such an interesting culture to me, and I enjoyed reading the glossary at the end of Japanese words.
Overall, a great book.
January 13, 2023
This book is so simple and yet so saturated with emotion. I am sobbing and I loved this book so much.
April 17, 2022
I liked this book and thought it was an uplifting read of hope in the face of adversity. The protagonist Yūki is relatable in many ways because of her age, her mental struggles and her trouble fitting in. The story it tells is also important because it pays homage to the 2011 tsunami.
The manga throughout was confusing at times and a bit interruptive to the story but was integral to building Yūki’s personality and the way it used Japanese language and culture was essential.
However, I found the way the tenses kept changing slightly unnerving and it was confusing at times, although I liked the use of the present tense.
Yūki as a character was inspirational, as was the way she dealt with the difficult situations she was in. I loved how she grew throughout the book and was in different mentalities in the different ’Parts’ and how this led to changes in her relationships with others. For example, as she gains confidence and determination, Yūki begins reluctantly defying her parents instead of avoiding possible confrontation with them. Her relationships with Taka and Joel are especially interesting because Joel starts to become her first friend in a long time whilst with Taka, she starts to feel as though she wants to explore a different kind of relationship.
Half Wave was my favourite part of the book because I loved how Yūki learnt he was basically the zashiki warashi (the ghost of her grandparents’ miscarried child) she played with when she was young. In a way, Yūki’s entire story depended on and revolved around him because the thing her grandfather needed to go back for after the earthquake was the doll.
Overall, I enjoyed the book but thought it was quite a slow read. The ending was satisfying and I loved Yūki’s character development.
The manga throughout was confusing at times and a bit interruptive to the story but was integral to building Yūki’s personality and the way it used Japanese language and culture was essential.
However, I found the way the tenses kept changing slightly unnerving and it was confusing at times, although I liked the use of the present tense.
Yūki as a character was inspirational, as was the way she dealt with the difficult situations she was in. I loved how she grew throughout the book and was in different mentalities in the different ’Parts’ and how this led to changes in her relationships with others. For example, as she gains confidence and determination, Yūki begins reluctantly defying her parents instead of avoiding possible confrontation with them. Her relationships with Taka and Joel are especially interesting because Joel starts to become her first friend in a long time whilst with Taka, she starts to feel as though she wants to explore a different kind of relationship.
Half Wave was my favourite part of the book because I loved how Yūki learnt he was basically the zashiki warashi (the ghost of her grandparents’ miscarried child) she played with when she was young. In a way, Yūki’s entire story depended on and revolved around him because the thing her grandfather needed to go back for after the earthquake was the doll.
Overall, I enjoyed the book but thought it was quite a slow read. The ending was satisfying and I loved Yūki’s character development.
April 23, 2022
honestly such a beautiful book. the perfect mix of manga and story and such compelling and a beautifully written story. i think this is such an underrated book that more people should know about
December 14, 2021
Esse livro mexeu comigo de um jeito inexplicável. Me identifiquei muito com a construção da identidade de Yuki. Seu olhar delicado e sincero para um mundo fragilizado após a tragédia causada pelo Tsunami no Japão e sua relação com o luto, a perda do avô e o resgate de suas origens são pontos que os autores trabalham de maneira sensível e inteligente. A narrativa híbrida (ficção e mangá) também é algo surpreendente. Uma leitura inesquecível.
May 8, 2022
I got quite emotional reading this, it was really powerful and I really enjoyed it.
April 9, 2022
4/5
A story covering the devastating impacts and effects of the 2011 Japan tsunami as you follow Yuki, a young and nervous girl struggling to find herself and closure.
I did like this story. It's a beautiful tale of finding yourself. In stories like these I think it’s important to ponder the characters emotions a lot which Julian Sedgwick does perfectly.
One of the things I love about this book is the plot development. It’s carefully consistent and gradually peels back layers as you go. The pace and development is slow, but this allows time to discover the emotional impacts on characters. Yuki’s character development is especially beautiful. In part 1 she is timid yet comfortable, in part 2 she is unstable and distraught and in part 3 she finds her inner braveness and love. It was lovely to see her shrink and grow according to the different issues around her. Everything was covered so this change in character never felt rushed. You could always understand why Yuki was a certain way and easily sympathise with her and her pain.
I also like how this book was in the present tense. It gives the atmosphere of it being in the moment and brings a sense of action.
The themes in this book are so delicately felt with and could easily be applied to real life. Yuki’s anxiety is beautifully transcribed. It’s a hard thing to put into words, to convey a feeling through a page, yet I think this book did it perfectly.
The theme of loss is also felt within this book. The desperation and hope for something is shown when Yuki and Taka go searching in the post- disaster zone - it’s truly heartbreaking. But from loss, love can come and I thought the relationship development between Yuki and Taka was so sweet and heartwarming. Sometimes romance can be presented as rushed and sexual all the time. But I like how Yuki’s relationship is presented realistically, as she struggles to express her feelings through her anxiety.
I loved the interweaving of fantasy and factual in this book.
One way this is done is with the Manga. This added context and authenticity to the book and helped to visualise characters.
There was also a refreshing amount of Japanese culture in this book. The Japanese words, settings and tales all transport you.
Also, I thought the idea of ghosts and heroes ( half- wave)throughout the book was great. The way it all links to loss and Yuki was wonderful.
The combination of these real and fictional elements make this book even more intriguing and show how sometimes in life we need a bit of magic and hope to keep us going.
I wish this book was faster- at times it was tedious but did allow time for you as a reader to ponder over the characters. The lack of action is made up for with emotion. There wasn’t much atmosphere at times as well, but the manga did help with this.
Overall, I enjoyed this book- a deep and thoughtful read bringing a past disaster to life. A slow but rewarding book.
A story covering the devastating impacts and effects of the 2011 Japan tsunami as you follow Yuki, a young and nervous girl struggling to find herself and closure.
I did like this story. It's a beautiful tale of finding yourself. In stories like these I think it’s important to ponder the characters emotions a lot which Julian Sedgwick does perfectly.
One of the things I love about this book is the plot development. It’s carefully consistent and gradually peels back layers as you go. The pace and development is slow, but this allows time to discover the emotional impacts on characters. Yuki’s character development is especially beautiful. In part 1 she is timid yet comfortable, in part 2 she is unstable and distraught and in part 3 she finds her inner braveness and love. It was lovely to see her shrink and grow according to the different issues around her. Everything was covered so this change in character never felt rushed. You could always understand why Yuki was a certain way and easily sympathise with her and her pain.
I also like how this book was in the present tense. It gives the atmosphere of it being in the moment and brings a sense of action.
The themes in this book are so delicately felt with and could easily be applied to real life. Yuki’s anxiety is beautifully transcribed. It’s a hard thing to put into words, to convey a feeling through a page, yet I think this book did it perfectly.
The theme of loss is also felt within this book. The desperation and hope for something is shown when Yuki and Taka go searching in the post- disaster zone - it’s truly heartbreaking. But from loss, love can come and I thought the relationship development between Yuki and Taka was so sweet and heartwarming. Sometimes romance can be presented as rushed and sexual all the time. But I like how Yuki’s relationship is presented realistically, as she struggles to express her feelings through her anxiety.
I loved the interweaving of fantasy and factual in this book.
One way this is done is with the Manga. This added context and authenticity to the book and helped to visualise characters.
There was also a refreshing amount of Japanese culture in this book. The Japanese words, settings and tales all transport you.
Also, I thought the idea of ghosts and heroes ( half- wave)throughout the book was great. The way it all links to loss and Yuki was wonderful.
The combination of these real and fictional elements make this book even more intriguing and show how sometimes in life we need a bit of magic and hope to keep us going.
I wish this book was faster- at times it was tedious but did allow time for you as a reader to ponder over the characters. The lack of action is made up for with emotion. There wasn’t much atmosphere at times as well, but the manga did help with this.
Overall, I enjoyed this book- a deep and thoughtful read bringing a past disaster to life. A slow but rewarding book.
May 9, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Quotes:
Pg45 - ‘I guess a caterpillar can’t imagine being a butterfly. Or maybe it does…’
Pg171
Carnegie Shadowing Scheme: Tsunami Girl
I thought the basis on which ‘Tsunami Girl’ was written was done so tentatively and in such a beautiful way. The dedication of the whole novel was to share the stories and give respects to the people of the Odaka, Japan, who suffered the triple disaster of earthquake, tsunami and radiation in March 2011.
The whole book was based around a girl who, whilst visiting her grandfather in Osōma, found herself caught in the 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami. As well as delving into how she then dealt with her grief and shock afterwards. Each page of this novel was gripping and did every bit of justice for the stories of the people it was representing.
I think these generally invisible voices represented in this book will forever stay with me; one of the reasons I loved it so much is how you could tell every word had been contemplated over and over, in order to capture the story perfectly. I also loved the mix of manga/prose, bringing a new dimension to each of the characters and atmosphere, but especially the more supernatural parts of it. ‘Tsunami Girl’ has left me with a void of emotions, that could quite possibly never be touched again.
Quotes:
Pg45 - ‘I guess a caterpillar can’t imagine being a butterfly. Or maybe it does…’
Pg171
Carnegie Shadowing Scheme: Tsunami Girl
I thought the basis on which ‘Tsunami Girl’ was written was done so tentatively and in such a beautiful way. The dedication of the whole novel was to share the stories and give respects to the people of the Odaka, Japan, who suffered the triple disaster of earthquake, tsunami and radiation in March 2011.
The whole book was based around a girl who, whilst visiting her grandfather in Osōma, found herself caught in the 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami. As well as delving into how she then dealt with her grief and shock afterwards. Each page of this novel was gripping and did every bit of justice for the stories of the people it was representing.
I think these generally invisible voices represented in this book will forever stay with me; one of the reasons I loved it so much is how you could tell every word had been contemplated over and over, in order to capture the story perfectly. I also loved the mix of manga/prose, bringing a new dimension to each of the characters and atmosphere, but especially the more supernatural parts of it. ‘Tsunami Girl’ has left me with a void of emotions, that could quite possibly never be touched again.
November 8, 2022
I read this for a book club at work and this was an opportunity to delve into YA. I’ve given four stars largely as this felt a uniquely interesting book due to the subtle immersion into Japanese culture: not only was manga utilised as a means of story telling, but Japanese words were unapologetically used within the prose. Moreover, Japanese traditions were threaded throughout the story. It was very easy to read and although at times slightly fantastical, the general premise was interesting and resulted in me researching the 2013 tsunami and the subsequent nuclear disaster. I predicted much of the end of the book, but the images of the Grandfather clutching the windmill with Half Wave and the fox I found far more emotive than I thought would be possible with manga!
April 18, 2022
At school we are participating in the Carnegie Short List again, so we read all the books on the list and then vote for our favourite. This is the first book I was given off the list. I wasn't really sure what to expect, the book is mostly narrative but throughout there is odd pages of manga style cartoon strip drawings, I'm not usually a fan of manga, but these really did add a layer of depth to the story and I enjoyed looking at them.
The story follows Yuki, a teenager who has panic attacks and anxiety and has had a rough time at home, so she travels back to Japan to visit her grandfather, hoping to reconnect to him and gain some perspective. But then an Earthquake strikes, and soon after a giant Tsunami wave. Yuki then has to discover who remains, what secrets need to be uncovered and whether society can ever recover from such a huge disaster. This book is actually based on real life events which made it even more moving and somewhat terrifying. I felt so sorry for Yuki and the rest of the community who were affected by the Tsunami, and really hoped for an uplifting ending.
The book is beautifully written, a good mix of hope and despair, comedy and tragedy, the sort of book that will have you turning the pages desperate for more. There are a few spooky parts where Yuki returns to the heart of the disaster area, and there is talk of some spirits, but it made the book more exciting and chilling.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book, a really addictive read.
The story follows Yuki, a teenager who has panic attacks and anxiety and has had a rough time at home, so she travels back to Japan to visit her grandfather, hoping to reconnect to him and gain some perspective. But then an Earthquake strikes, and soon after a giant Tsunami wave. Yuki then has to discover who remains, what secrets need to be uncovered and whether society can ever recover from such a huge disaster. This book is actually based on real life events which made it even more moving and somewhat terrifying. I felt so sorry for Yuki and the rest of the community who were affected by the Tsunami, and really hoped for an uplifting ending.
The book is beautifully written, a good mix of hope and despair, comedy and tragedy, the sort of book that will have you turning the pages desperate for more. There are a few spooky parts where Yuki returns to the heart of the disaster area, and there is talk of some spirits, but it made the book more exciting and chilling.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book, a really addictive read.
October 21, 2022
A mesmerising and intricately woven book.
I was completely immersed by Julian Sedgwick's descriptions that I felt like I was experiencing everything in the book myself and truly felt sympathetic for Yuki and all that happened to her throughout the course of the book. Chie Kutsuwada's manga was beautifully illustrated and enriched the story even further. Overall a sad but wholesome and definitely worthwhile read.
I was completely immersed by Julian Sedgwick's descriptions that I felt like I was experiencing everything in the book myself and truly felt sympathetic for Yuki and all that happened to her throughout the course of the book. Chie Kutsuwada's manga was beautifully illustrated and enriched the story even further. Overall a sad but wholesome and definitely worthwhile read.
October 23, 2023
Beautifully written. Having seen natural disasters and the effects it has on people, having dealt with the covid-19 pandemic and given sad news to loved ones, I truly felt this book depicted disaster and the effects perfectly.
Whilst aimed at young children, it made me feel more aware and connected to myself and my own loved ones because you never know when the day comes you can't say what you wanted to say....
Beautiful book, illustrations are amazing! It's been a very long time since a book captured me so much that I had to read it slowly to fully appreciate the full content and what it was trying to tell me.
If you haven't read this yet, please do!
Whilst aimed at young children, it made me feel more aware and connected to myself and my own loved ones because you never know when the day comes you can't say what you wanted to say....
Beautiful book, illustrations are amazing! It's been a very long time since a book captured me so much that I had to read it slowly to fully appreciate the full content and what it was trying to tell me.
If you haven't read this yet, please do!
October 10, 2022
Apart from the cover, this novel is described as ‘Part prose and part manga…..’ so it caught my attention. I found it to be a sensitive read with an interesting use of illustrations to assist with the storytelling.
July 8, 2021
Absolutely brilliant! Only reason I've lost a star is because it had a slightly slow start, but I'm so glad I persevered. I love how all the threads came together in the end, some I hadnt even noticed were a thread to follow. A truly stunning book that had me thinking about how long it takes to rebuild a community after a natural disaster, something I thought I knew but I really didn't. A must-read.
October 5, 2025
couldn't get into it prob because too much is going on atm?
May 5, 2021
I’ve just finished this beautiful book that deals with grief and the resilience of humans with incredible sensitivity. I knew little about the 2011 tsunami and you can tell from the book how much research Julian Sedgwick put into the pages - it brought me to tears. Great blend of prose and the graphic novel.
July 24, 2025
This was not an easy read given that the events are still fresh in our memories. The story plays out around the survivor guilt experienced by two young people caught up in the devastation and the aftermath. Coming to terms with what happened is not easy and they both deal with it at a spiritual level.
A sensitive handling of an emotive episode.
A sensitive handling of an emotive episode.
May 15, 2022
The synopsis and idea of this book sounded so intriguing- a girl goes to visit her grandfather in Japan and becomes a survivor of the tsunami/earthquake which soon follows, based on real life tragedies that took place in Japan in 2011. I learned a lot not only about what these tragedies must have been like, but also about Japanese culture which was assisted with a glossary at the back of the book. The story kicked off with a series of beautiful chapters towards the beginning of the book covering when the tsunami took place, it was very intense and I couldn’t put the book down. I also felt the manga complimented the story really well here, bringing to life what was happening in a magical way. The book is advertised as having this manga integrated throughout, I was really looking forward to this element and did enjoy it, but would’ve liked to have seen a lot more of the manga. It seemed like it appeared at quite random points in the story- I see what was trying to be achieved, but it just didn’t work for me. I also had major issues with the pacing of this book, as the timeline felt like it was a bit all over the place and therefore hard for me to follow. There were definitely aspects of the story I enjoyed, such as Yuki and Taka’s relationship, and twists I didn’t see coming- but overall this was a very middle of the road read for me and I’m not sure I’d recommend it.
May 8, 2023
Perfeito, lindo, inteligente, aquece o coração... baseado num evento traumático real tratado com muito carinho 🤍
August 4, 2023
Je ne savais pas trop à quoi m’attendre avec ce roman, catégorisé comme jeunesse je ne m’attendais pas forcément à un sujet aussi bien traité.
Ici on parle du Japon, on parle du deuil, on parle des croyances des japonais, on a des pages de mangas.
Un roman qu’il était compliqué d’enchaîner (souvent le cas avec moi dès que je lis de la jeunesse, je ne sais pas pourquoi) mais terriblement intéressant.
On suit Yuki qui est 1/4 japonaise et qui va survivre à un Tsunami. Celui qui a eu lieu le 11 mars 2011 et qui a notamment été l’une des causes de Fukushima.
On le lit dans les remerciements mais on s’en rend aussi compte lors de la lecture : l’auteur a fait des recherches tout semble bien recherché et très graphique (au delà des page de manga of course)
Toute la notion du deuil et le chemin que doit parcourir Yuki était très touchant, j’ai aussi beaucoup aimé découvrir un peu plus cette croyance des esprits (yokai, funayurei).
J’adorai le Japon au collège et je regardais notamment beaucoup d’animé. Donc certains mots ont fait sens pour moi mais un glossaire est présent en fin de roman pour aider dans tous les cas.
En bref: une lecture qui ne laisse pas indifférente !
Ici on parle du Japon, on parle du deuil, on parle des croyances des japonais, on a des pages de mangas.
Un roman qu’il était compliqué d’enchaîner (souvent le cas avec moi dès que je lis de la jeunesse, je ne sais pas pourquoi) mais terriblement intéressant.
On suit Yuki qui est 1/4 japonaise et qui va survivre à un Tsunami. Celui qui a eu lieu le 11 mars 2011 et qui a notamment été l’une des causes de Fukushima.
On le lit dans les remerciements mais on s’en rend aussi compte lors de la lecture : l’auteur a fait des recherches tout semble bien recherché et très graphique (au delà des page de manga of course)
Toute la notion du deuil et le chemin que doit parcourir Yuki était très touchant, j’ai aussi beaucoup aimé découvrir un peu plus cette croyance des esprits (yokai, funayurei).
J’adorai le Japon au collège et je regardais notamment beaucoup d’animé. Donc certains mots ont fait sens pour moi mais un glossaire est présent en fin de roman pour aider dans tous les cas.
En bref: une lecture qui ne laisse pas indifférente !
May 31, 2022
I absolutely loved Tsunami Girl. It is quite different to what I'd usually read as I'd never typically pick up a book involving elements of manga/graphic novels, however I loved how Julian Sedgewick and Chie Kutsuwada combined prose and manga. I thought that the story was really powerful and I found it especially interesting to learn more about Japanese spiritual beliefs. I would definitely recommend reading Tsunami Girl, especially if your interested in learning more about Japanese culture and the effects of natural disasters on individual people.
June 12, 2022
Wow. A necessary book. A well-written book. A heartbreaking book. This hit the sweet spot where I both wanted to race through it because it was so good... and I wanted to slow down because I didn't think I could cope with there being an ending.
This is the story of Yuki, a girl from Cambridge who is struggling with anxiety. Her parents arrange for her to go and stay with her grandfather in the north of Japan, thinking that this might help her. Whilst she is there, the 2011 tsunami hits, changing everything in Yuki's world.
The book is a mixture of prose and manga, a technique which was really absorbing and heartbreaking, particularly in the scenes where the grandfather is displayed with the character Yuki used to draw when she was younger, Half Wave. I loved the fact that the manga extracts added something supernatural and imaginative to the story, allowing us to be in Yuki's head.
I have never read anything before that depicts a tsunami. The action in this book, as well as the aftermath, were described in really vivid ways. As a reader, I felt like I had travelled through the disaster, and it left me feeling bereft. For Yuki, but also for those who lived through the tragedy in real life. I have finished the story wanting to seek out more understanding- a mark that something has really hit a nerve.
There is a spiritual element to this story too. I usually find supernatural things quite off-putting but this fit so well with the beliefs held in Japan, holding my hand through a lesson on what those there believe about ghosts and memory. Everything tied up in a really relieving way, a way which I will try not to spoil here!
I hope that you go and give this a read. It's technically YA fiction but I think that adults will enjoy this just as much as teens. There is something to relate to (the love between two family members, the feeling of anxiety growing up) as well as something to open your eyes and empathise. I thoroughly recommend you give it a read.
This is the story of Yuki, a girl from Cambridge who is struggling with anxiety. Her parents arrange for her to go and stay with her grandfather in the north of Japan, thinking that this might help her. Whilst she is there, the 2011 tsunami hits, changing everything in Yuki's world.
The book is a mixture of prose and manga, a technique which was really absorbing and heartbreaking, particularly in the scenes where the grandfather is displayed with the character Yuki used to draw when she was younger, Half Wave. I loved the fact that the manga extracts added something supernatural and imaginative to the story, allowing us to be in Yuki's head.
I have never read anything before that depicts a tsunami. The action in this book, as well as the aftermath, were described in really vivid ways. As a reader, I felt like I had travelled through the disaster, and it left me feeling bereft. For Yuki, but also for those who lived through the tragedy in real life. I have finished the story wanting to seek out more understanding- a mark that something has really hit a nerve.
There is a spiritual element to this story too. I usually find supernatural things quite off-putting but this fit so well with the beliefs held in Japan, holding my hand through a lesson on what those there believe about ghosts and memory. Everything tied up in a really relieving way, a way which I will try not to spoil here!
I hope that you go and give this a read. It's technically YA fiction but I think that adults will enjoy this just as much as teens. There is something to relate to (the love between two family members, the feeling of anxiety growing up) as well as something to open your eyes and empathise. I thoroughly recommend you give it a read.
September 25, 2023
🙋🏻♀️
Ciao sognatori,
Yūki la nostra ragazza protagonista di questa storia è per metà giapponese e per metà inglese.
Si ritroverà a partire per il Giappone e a raggiungere suo nonno per stare con lui e per stare un po’ distante dai genitori.
Lei però soffre di attacchi di panico ed è per questo motivo che studia da casa e che ha pochi amici
Una volta che arriva a casa del nonno succede il disastro e da lì ha inizio tutta la storia…
Io a questo libro ho dato 4 stelline perché l’ho ritenuto un ottimo libro sopratutto per gli adolescenti
Sono rimasta molto molto colpita dalla scrittura, le parti in manga con le immagini disegnate mi sono sembrate anche molto azzeccate e perfette per far immergere ancora di più il lettore nella storia e per questo l’ho apprezzato tanto.
Devo avvisarvi questo libro parla di un tema molto forte che non siamo abituati a vedere nei libri per adolescenti ma che secondo me è super pro e super delicato per far capire anche ai ragazzi il dolore, il lutto, la perdita ma anche la forza di rimettersi in piedi.
Un altro tema molto fondamentale che molto spesso colpisce i più giovani e il senso di colpa del sopravvissuto e ho trovato questo forte argomento portato con una tale delicatezza che mi ha quasi fatto commuovere.
Con la protagonista ho avuto una forte empatia perché l’ho subito presa sotto braccio e facevo come da sostegno per aiutarla a rimettersi in piedi e per aiutarla a riacquistare la fiducia e la forza in se stessa.
Penso che chiunque legga questo libro avrà un forte impatto diretto con la propria personalità e con il proprio io interiore e ne vale davvero la pena perché per quanto mi riguarda se lo avessi letto all’età di 15 anni penso che avrei compreso più cose in maniera diversa.
Quindi sono qua per consigliarlo a tutti voi e per invogliarvi a leggerlo
E per questo vi auguro una buona lettura
December 1, 2024
I found this book for sale at a local indie bookstores, and it sounded really interesting. I’m getting into Japanese fiction, and while this is written by an English author, he has been immersed in the study of Japanese culture for much of his life. I quite enjoyed the manga sections scattered throughout the book, though at times, I wasn’t quite sure what was going on. But all of a sudden, everything just clicked, and the manga segments really added a lot to the story.
Yūki is sixteen, and suffering from panic attacks that make going to school in the UK impossible. Her mother is half Japanese, and grew up in Japan before marrying a British man. Yūki spent time with her family in Japan as a kid, giving her plenty of immersion into the culture and the language. Because she’s having so much trouble in the UK, she goes back to Japan in March of 2011 to visit her grandfather. Unbeknownst to her and everyone in her granddad’s town, disaster is about to strike in the form of the earthquake and the subsequent tsunami. Yūki is swept up in the tsunami, but somehow manages to survive when her grandfather isn’t as lucky. Over the next year, she has to come to terms with her survival and the loss of her grandfather, as well as trying to navigate who she is as a person, both in Japan and the UK.
I quite enjoyed the discussion at times of formal Japanese versus a more casual usage. I’m not sure a lot of non-Japanese speakers realize that there are times you’re supposed to be super formal and polite, and there are entire verb tenses to use in those times. I also liked that there are a few different characters to start off Yūki’s name, and the one her parents chose for her is the one for “courage.” It fits her perfectly.
This was such a poignant novel. I didn’t expect to love it nearly as much as I did.
Yūki is sixteen, and suffering from panic attacks that make going to school in the UK impossible. Her mother is half Japanese, and grew up in Japan before marrying a British man. Yūki spent time with her family in Japan as a kid, giving her plenty of immersion into the culture and the language. Because she’s having so much trouble in the UK, she goes back to Japan in March of 2011 to visit her grandfather. Unbeknownst to her and everyone in her granddad’s town, disaster is about to strike in the form of the earthquake and the subsequent tsunami. Yūki is swept up in the tsunami, but somehow manages to survive when her grandfather isn’t as lucky. Over the next year, she has to come to terms with her survival and the loss of her grandfather, as well as trying to navigate who she is as a person, both in Japan and the UK.
I quite enjoyed the discussion at times of formal Japanese versus a more casual usage. I’m not sure a lot of non-Japanese speakers realize that there are times you’re supposed to be super formal and polite, and there are entire verb tenses to use in those times. I also liked that there are a few different characters to start off Yūki’s name, and the one her parents chose for her is the one for “courage.” It fits her perfectly.
This was such a poignant novel. I didn’t expect to love it nearly as much as I did.
August 1, 2024
Autrefois passionnée par les mangas, Yuki, 15 ans, ne crayonne désormais plus rien. Alors que son grand-père tente de lui redonner le goût du dessin, ils assistent à l'inimaginable : un gigantesque tsunami s'apprête à s'abattre sur la ville. S'ils fuient d'abord le danger, le grand-père de Yuki décide ensuite de faire demi-tour, seul. Mais les minutes passent, et il ne revient pas.
Cambridge, 2012. De retour en Angleterre, Yuki est toujours sous le choc. Tout le monde l'encourage à reprendre ses dessins mais elle n'en a pas envie. Une seule certitude l'anime : elle doit repartir au Japon pour comprendre ce qu'il s'est passé, il y a un an.
Un roman qui parle de sujets complexes mais en tout cas qui est merveilleusement bien écrit. Premièrement, le deuil de son grand-père et en second, la culpabilité de ne pas avoir fait plus, qui sont très bien représentés.
Le roman alterne entre réalité et imaginaire (folklore japonais), ce qui le rend d’autant plus intéressant. J’ai d’ailleurs été très surprise de retrouver le folklore japonais qui est un sujet que j’affectionne énormément.
J’ai éprouvé énormément de peine pour Yuki qui est un personnage très attachant. On ressent vraiment sa peine et sa culpabilité le long du roman.
Deux points m’ont un peu moins plu : les expressions japonaises qui sont à la fois nombreuses et pas toujours traduites, elles m’ont beaucoup ralenties malheureusement.
Et les parties mangas qui n’ont pas réussi à me convaincre. Ces parties avaient plus tendance à me déconcentrer de l’histoire.
Cette lecture ne laisse pas indifférent. C’était une jolie lecture.
Cambridge, 2012. De retour en Angleterre, Yuki est toujours sous le choc. Tout le monde l'encourage à reprendre ses dessins mais elle n'en a pas envie. Une seule certitude l'anime : elle doit repartir au Japon pour comprendre ce qu'il s'est passé, il y a un an.
Un roman qui parle de sujets complexes mais en tout cas qui est merveilleusement bien écrit. Premièrement, le deuil de son grand-père et en second, la culpabilité de ne pas avoir fait plus, qui sont très bien représentés.
Le roman alterne entre réalité et imaginaire (folklore japonais), ce qui le rend d’autant plus intéressant. J’ai d’ailleurs été très surprise de retrouver le folklore japonais qui est un sujet que j’affectionne énormément.
J’ai éprouvé énormément de peine pour Yuki qui est un personnage très attachant. On ressent vraiment sa peine et sa culpabilité le long du roman.
Deux points m’ont un peu moins plu : les expressions japonaises qui sont à la fois nombreuses et pas toujours traduites, elles m’ont beaucoup ralenties malheureusement.
Et les parties mangas qui n’ont pas réussi à me convaincre. Ces parties avaient plus tendance à me déconcentrer de l’histoire.
Cette lecture ne laisse pas indifférent. C’était une jolie lecture.
October 10, 2023
Ceci est l'histoire d'une fille prénommée Yuki.
Long cheveux tiraillés entre le noir et le brun, visage ovale, lunettes arrondies, elle est courage et fantôme tout à la fois.
Papillon guerrier dont le sang des samurai coule dans ses veines, elle retrouve le temps d'un été son grand-père sur les hauteurs du petit village familial d'où l'on peut apercevoir les bateaux de pêche au loin, si immobiles qu'on les croirait peints.
Ceci est l'histoire d'une vague, une vague de 10 mètres, une vague de 1000 ans. D'un océan très calme qui recule vers l'horizon et du silence des oiseaux, du Pacifique qui disparaît mais qui revient quelques instants plus tard dans un bruit sourd, menaçant comme un roulement de tonnerre.
Ceci est l'histoire d'une Hara qui se fait emporter par le bruit, la vibration, l'odeur de la terre et la mer mêlées. D'un petit renard, veilleur éternel, et d'un radeau de fortune. D'un super héros aux cheveux bleus, le bleu clair de la mer à Matsushima, qui les arrache au danger.
Ceci est l'histoire d'une enfant qui grimpait autrefois au mât totémique sous l'oeil complice de son grand-père, maintenant bouleversée par la vague, fille de tsunami, pas tout à fait vivante, mais qui n'oublie pas le bonheur sous les étoiles dans les cieux.
Qui n'oublie pas l'amour et le bonheur au-delà des vagues déchaînées.
Une histoire poignante de courage et de famille ponctuée par des planches dessinées façon manga de toute beauté.
Long cheveux tiraillés entre le noir et le brun, visage ovale, lunettes arrondies, elle est courage et fantôme tout à la fois.
Papillon guerrier dont le sang des samurai coule dans ses veines, elle retrouve le temps d'un été son grand-père sur les hauteurs du petit village familial d'où l'on peut apercevoir les bateaux de pêche au loin, si immobiles qu'on les croirait peints.
Ceci est l'histoire d'une vague, une vague de 10 mètres, une vague de 1000 ans. D'un océan très calme qui recule vers l'horizon et du silence des oiseaux, du Pacifique qui disparaît mais qui revient quelques instants plus tard dans un bruit sourd, menaçant comme un roulement de tonnerre.
Ceci est l'histoire d'une Hara qui se fait emporter par le bruit, la vibration, l'odeur de la terre et la mer mêlées. D'un petit renard, veilleur éternel, et d'un radeau de fortune. D'un super héros aux cheveux bleus, le bleu clair de la mer à Matsushima, qui les arrache au danger.
Ceci est l'histoire d'une enfant qui grimpait autrefois au mât totémique sous l'oeil complice de son grand-père, maintenant bouleversée par la vague, fille de tsunami, pas tout à fait vivante, mais qui n'oublie pas le bonheur sous les étoiles dans les cieux.
Qui n'oublie pas l'amour et le bonheur au-delà des vagues déchaînées.
Une histoire poignante de courage et de famille ponctuée par des planches dessinées façon manga de toute beauté.
January 13, 2025
PSA: If you feel that the Japanese words might break your immersion, there's a glossary at the end. All the words are explained there.
Now, review-wise... Wow. I didn't expect that something depicting serious trauma could read so cozy. The storyline is non-linear, which is not uncommon for East Asian stories so you'll probably do fine if you commonly read manga, but it might feel a bit jagged if you only do Western media.
In my opinion, it reads wonderfully. It all makes sense for the fact that it depicts a child who is already struggling with her mental health attempt to process a deeply traumatic event that is hard to place in the normal world.
Many people have survived car crashes, plenty of people survive various near-death experiences, but how many people share the triple trauma of a horrendous earthquake, a life-changing tsunami and then a cataclysmic nuclear incident? How many of those survivors might be in your age bracket? Yūki's story reads like a honest retelling of an experience that's difficult to put into words.
The interspersed manga panels add to the magical nature of the story itself. A superstitious ghostly presence among the written pages of reality's brutality. Half-Wave, accompanying us so that Yūki can tell her story.
All in all, I loved it. It was a brilliant recommendation by Mr B's Emporium of Reading Delights in Bath, and I strongly recommend that you try Temple Alley Summer if you enjoyed this.
Now, review-wise... Wow. I didn't expect that something depicting serious trauma could read so cozy. The storyline is non-linear, which is not uncommon for East Asian stories so you'll probably do fine if you commonly read manga, but it might feel a bit jagged if you only do Western media.
In my opinion, it reads wonderfully. It all makes sense for the fact that it depicts a child who is already struggling with her mental health attempt to process a deeply traumatic event that is hard to place in the normal world.
Many people have survived car crashes, plenty of people survive various near-death experiences, but how many people share the triple trauma of a horrendous earthquake, a life-changing tsunami and then a cataclysmic nuclear incident? How many of those survivors might be in your age bracket? Yūki's story reads like a honest retelling of an experience that's difficult to put into words.
The interspersed manga panels add to the magical nature of the story itself. A superstitious ghostly presence among the written pages of reality's brutality. Half-Wave, accompanying us so that Yūki can tell her story.
All in all, I loved it. It was a brilliant recommendation by Mr B's Emporium of Reading Delights in Bath, and I strongly recommend that you try Temple Alley Summer if you enjoyed this.
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