Thanks to TBR & Beyond for the Review Copy. Get the Full Tour Here
About the Book:
A thrilling and charming middle grade fantasy steeped in Japanese lore and mythology, perfect for fans of the Zachary Ying series.
Tessa Miyata has never fit in. When she and her two sisters are told they will be staying at their grandparents in Japan, Tessa is thrilled. A summer in Japan could be her chance to go on an adventure worthy of impressing her classmates back home.
Her hopes are quickly dashed when, all too soon, she realizes that life in Japan is just like being in California: her sisters are old enough to go into Tokyo, while she can’t even go to the corner store by herself. Plus, her grandparents want her to stay home with the neighbor kid, thirteen-year-old Jin Uehara, who’s made it clear he’s too cool to spend time with a weirdo like her.
When Tessa is finally allowed to go to Tokyo, it’s only to join her grandpa’s retiree aerobic class with none other than Jin. Their disastrous forced hang out comes crashing to a halt when Tessa and Jin break the Miyata family’s precious heirloom—accidentally releasing the malicious samurai god Taira Masakado and discovering a hidden part of the city where gods and mythological creatures walk among humans—including their new companion, a mythical nine-tailed fox who may be more trouble than he is help.
Despite doing everything to avoid spending another minute together, Tessa and Jin must now work together to stop Taira Masakado before he traps them—and the rest of Tokyo—under his command, forever.
Perfect for fans of Rick Riordan and Graci Kim, this brand new fantasy adventure will grip readers from the very first page and never let go.
Book Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63076973
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tessa-Miyata-Hero-Julie-Abe/dp/0316448524/
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tessa-miyata-is-no-hero-julie-abe/1142799579
IndieBound: https://bookshop.org/p/books/tessa-miyata-is-no-hero-julie-abe/19396531
My Review:
This is a delightful book about the power of history, friendship, and being a little different. Tessa Miyata is a girl that was destined for something – even when she didn’t realize it. She is feisty and hopeful, and just wants to have what every 12 year old girl wants – good friends and to not be too awkward when she’s around boys. She looks up to her older sisters and she wants to be a good sister, daughter, granddaughter, and friend. But, it’s so hard because there is something different about her – something that sets her apart in the eyes of the gods and in the eyes of the people she enounters. Tessa will have to learn to accept her inner strength in order to save Tokyo – and maybe the world – from the darkness trying to overcome it.
Tessa and Jin’s adventures are age-appropriate and engaging, but kept this adult thouroughly entertained as well. I happily recommended this book to several friends with younger kids.
4 stars!
Julie Abe is the author of the EVA EVERGREEN, SEMI-MAGICAL WITCH middle grade fantasy series; the middle grade fantasy ALLIANA, GIRL OF DRAGONS; and the young adult novel THE CHARMED LIST. She has lived in Silicon Valley, spent many humid summers in Japan, and currently basks in the sunshine of Southern California with never enough books or tea, where she creates stories about magical adventures.
Author Links:
Website: https://julieabebooks.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/julieabebooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julieabebooks/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18697175.Julie_Abe
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julieabebooks