Bruce Gargoyle's Reviews > Takeshita Demons

Ten Second Synopsis:
Miku, who loved hearing stories of Yokai from her Baba, has moved to England with her family. When a disappearing visitor knocks on the door, Miku is thrust into a dangerous situation, as Yokai of all types begin troubling the Takeshita family.

If you are a fan of fantasy and mild horror for middle grade readers, then this should be a delightfully dangerous change of pace, featuring, as it does, monsters from the rich and complex mythology of Japan. This opening book alone includes a nukekubi (a demon that can detach its head at night and send it out hunting), an amazake-baba (a demon that takes the shape of an old woman but brings sickness and disease if you let her in) and even some murderous curtains. And that's not the half of it.

If you are on the lookout for books featuring characters from diverse backgrounds, Miku and her family are Japanese, living in England. There are plenty of Japanese words and descriptions of various customs scattered throughout, as well as a glossary of the demons that appear in the story at the end of the book.

The plot is deliciously creepy without being outright scary and so is perfectly suitable for younger readers. As an adult reader I found it a fast and fun romp with a few spine-shiver-inducing elements. I read it over about three days in short bursts, so it's not an overwhelming read for independent young readers. Even though the protagonists are female, the action and monsters should appeal to young male readers also, making this a book that should be a winner for everyone!

Also, it's illustrated! Throughout the book there are single page illustrations that help to bring the monstrous demons to life.

I did have a few cringes at the plotting at some points. The heroines do overcome the demons at the end, but have a bit of help that comes along in quite a handy fashion. There are obviously parts of this book, such as the references to the Takeshita's house-spirit back in Japan, and the allusions to the powers inherited by the female line of the family, that will be expanded on further in later books in the series. This didn't bother me too much, because I already have the next two stories in my possession, but may be an sticking point for someone reading this as a standalone story.

The author also has a tendency to throw in apparently random occurrences here and there, such as the noppera-bo (faceless ghost) and the yuki-onna (woman of the snow). These characters don't end up having much to do with the story, so either they've been introduced to give the reader an idea of the variety of Japanese spirits getting around the place, or they might play a part in later books. Either way, their inclusion did amount to a number of red-herrings that ended up being a bit annoying because I wanted to know what their role in the story was going to be.

Overall though, this was a fun read and I can't wait to get stuck into the next in the series.