Spirits of the Noh

May 15, 2011

With all the twists, turns and scares of a blockbuster teen horror flick, Randall's second offering in his Waking series rockets off at a breakneck pace through lingering curses, evil spirits and lush descriptions of Japanese culture.

Gaijin Kara Harper is assimilating nicely into her Japanese school and has closely bonded with the group of friends with whom she battled a horrible demon (The Waking: Dreams of the Dead, 2009). Kara and her friends belong to the school's Noh club, and they are thrilled to be preparing the school's first performance of a Noh play about the Hannya: a chilling tale of a snake demon that possesses a beautiful woman. However, when members of the club begin disappearing, Kara and her friends quickly realize that evil has again found its way into their school. Randall provides enough back story to give new readers an adequate jumping-in point, so familiarity with the first installment is not necessary. Fans teetering on the edge of the cliffhanger ending will delight in the knowledge (and short wait) that the final volume in the trilogy is slated for later this year. Using all the usual horror elements, Randall constructs a fine teen chiller complete with mean-girl drama, a dash of romance and the angst of teens who believe that adults do not understand them.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

October 1, 2011

Gr 7 Up-Kara, an American expat attending high school in Japan, again finds herself pitted against a demon from Japanese mythology that has come to life and is threatening her friends. Despite this inventive and intriguing premise, the narrative is often bogged down by an overabundance of explanations about the characters' motivations. Moreover, heavy-handed foreshadowing in the prologue diminishes any sense of tension as readers immediately know who and what are behind the attacks, and are merely left waiting for the characters to piece together the puzzle. Although the writing, characterization, and pacing leave something to be desired, the author's attention to cultural authenticity brings richness and texture to the story. Details of Japanese school life such as osoji, the students' daily ritual of cleaning their school, are seamlessly integrated into the narrative, and the traditions of Noh theater, so integral to the plot, are outlined with clarity and ease. Also, the beautifully described setting of Miyazu, home to one of the three most famous vistas in Japan, allows readers to expand their knowledge of the Japanese landscape beyond Tokyo. The paranormal aspects of the story and the excellent portrayal of both traditional and contemporary Japanese culture will draw in an audience, especially among manga and anime fans.-Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Library, CA

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2011
Grades 7-10 Life for Karaan American living in Japan with her fatherhas been so quiet that she is beginning to wonder if the demon who attacked her and her friends lacks the power to follow through on his curse. But after members of the school's drama club begin to disappear, it is clear that another malevolent force has set its sights on Kara's town. Dreams of the Dead (2009), the first book in the Waking trilogy, had a more leisurely setup, as it introduced Kara to life in Japan. In this second installment, Randall (aka Christopher Golden) dives right into the central mystery. The unique setting should attract Japanophiles, while the horror elements are just scary enough to grab readers who like spooky tales with a hint of folklore. A touch of light romance, a hint of family drama, and a smattering of teen angst all help season this fluffy but fun story. Not too horrific for a middle-school collection, this fast-paced read should see good circulation.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)