This YA fantasy celebrates Japanese folklore and the legend of the Kitsune. Subtle cultural influences abound in the descriptions, but what really brings the atmosphere to life are the slightly accented performances of narrators Emily Woo Zeller and Brian Nishii. While Joy Osmanski’s portrayal of main character Yumeko is sweet and earnest, making her more relatable, her American accent distracts listeners from the setting of the story in a way that the other two performers’ deliveries do not. While the simplistic dialogue and slow pace of all the narrators make the story come across as meant for a much younger audience, the plot has plenty of exciting demon-battling moments to keep listeners’ attention. N.H. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Meet the Young Adults, the B&N Teen Blog’s swat team of awesome teenaged bloggers. YA literature is a strange and wonderful landscape of books that should be read by everybody, but each month we highlight the perspective of teens reading the best of the best books written for and about them. Check back monthly to see what they’re recommending […]
I know what you’re thinking: did they accidentally post an entire month’s worth of stuff in one week? But no, this week is just that jam-packed with must-read historical fantasy, horror, graphic novels, sci-fi sequels, fantastical feminism, touching contemporary, political thrillers, and more. Publishing is going hard this October, and you won’t want to miss […]
Whether the leaves are turning where you are, and even if you can’t feel the any-day-now chill in the air, fall is fast approaching. As the nights grow longer, the time comes to curl up with something a little dark—something a little sinister—like any one of these brand-new and forthcoming beauties.