Ivy absolutely loved *Tessa Miyata Is No Hero*, giving it a perfect 5 out of 5, praising its seamless blend of Japanese mythology, friendship, and humor — along with a plot twist at the end that she never saw coming. She was especially charmed by the kitsune character Kit and so thrilled by the ending that she immediately jumped into the sequel. If you're looking for an unlikely hero story packed with mythical adventure and heart, Ivy says this one is a must-read!
Ivy's Review
Tessa Miyata is No Hero by Julie Abe follows Tessa Miyata as she navigates through mythical situations to protects her family. Tessa Miyata thinks she is cursed. She sees a white lady with a wolf that no one else sees and she has a bracelet with a nine-tailed fox charm on it that only she sees. As a result, she is known as the strange kid in her school, especially after her best friend, Allison, takes a video of her taking to the invisible white lady that for everyone else looked like Tessa was talking to a tree. When her grandmother who raised her from birth sends her with her sisters, Cecelia and Payton, to their other grandparents in Japan, Tessa is super excited. Ever since her sisters came back from Japan, they had been closer than ever, talking about Japan constantly. When Tessa gets to Japan, she has to stay in the house with her grandparents as her sisters explore. Finally, she leaves but only to fix the casing of a daruma, a round doll with one painted in eye, that has been in her family forever...and she has to go with a silent boy who she doesn't really know named Jin. Some boys take the daruma and break it, releasing the evil samurai god Lord Taira Masakado and a nine-tailed fox called a kitsune that has been in charm form for her whole life. Tessa, with Jin and the kitsune, Kit, who lost his memory, has to get weapons to fit Lord Taira. This book combines friendship, an unlikely hero, and Japanese mythology into a seamless favorite of mine.
This book got a 5 out of 5 because it was really good. I loved Kit and the idea of him and, this is rare, I LOVED the ending! The only problem I had about the ending was that is was the ending and so I was REALLY happy when I saw that there was a book two! But the ending for Tessa Miyata is So Unlucky (read it) was SO sad. <:(
If you like mythology related books with hints of humor and a big (or at least I thought it was big; I did NOT see that coming) plot twist at the end, you'll love this! Congratulations to Julie Abe, you've done it again!
About This Book
This thrilling and charming middle grade fantasy steeped in Japanese lore and mythology follows Tessa after she breaks a precious family heirloom, sending her on a wild adventure to save herself, her family—and all of Tokyo. 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.