Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind | 
so-soMisa Sugiura‘s fantasy novel for readers aged 9+ (the first in a series) showcases Japanese mythology and has strong themes of popularity, bullying, loneliness and assimilation with visual imagery that reminded me of Studio Ghibli films. However, emotionally the story didn‘t ring true for me - I never understood why Danny wanted to help Momo and her relationship with her mum didn‘t convince while the plot beats are too heavily structured for me.
so-soA good start to an interesting younger middle grade series steeped in Japanese mythology. Lots of adventure & great background information. Things a bit heavy for a middle grade read. However, I did appreciate the inclusion of some difficult topics in the story, including peer pressure & bullying. There is a LOT packed into this read. A good start and I'm interested to see where this journey might go. I will be continuing the series.
pickNGL, I think the execution for this book could have been better. The pacing was a little faster than I'd like but it's still a 4⭐ read! I love the adventures they go on, learning a bit about Yomi and other Japanese myths and creatures, and I thought that the "friendship" dynamic was very interesting #middlegrade #fantasy
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