4 out of 4 stars
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Review of The Toki Girl and the Sparrow Boy Book 4 by Claire Youmans.
The book is set in Japan during the Meiji era. The fourth book of a series, the story is written in the third person and told through different characters.
First thing, first. I was scared that I have selected the wrong book. This is the fourth book of the series. I have not read the previous books. I find this book easy to read. It makes a great stand-alone novel. There is also a summary of the three previous books at the beginning of the novel along with a list of the characters. Summaries and the list helped me read the book conveniently.
The book is listed under the young adult genre. I think it is more suited under the children’s genre. This is a great book for kids. The book not only includes adventure, conflicts, and suspense but, it also provides information on Japanese culture and history.
I truly respected how Claire blended Japanese culture, folklore, fantasy, and history together to make a fascinating, yet a fictional story. The author fused the struggles that numerous Japanese individuals confronted during Western penetration into Japanese culture. I found the glossary at the end of the book to be useful in characterizing 2-3 Japanese words used in the book.
Additionally, I observed the characters to be well created and relatable. Claire gave enough information on the foundation of the characters, so it wasn't difficult to keep up with the story. Despite the fact that there was many characters. I didn't find any trouble to monitor any character. I likewise loved the delightful way the author put a lot of subtle elements into the characters and their identities. Each character had their own battles, yet they cooperated to conquer them.
Azuki, the main character, can transform into a Toki, a Japanese crested ibis, and her brother, Shota has the ability to transform into a sparrow. Together, they accompany Renko, the Dragon Princess. Three of them visit Tokyo to find an outfit for Yuta, the uncle of Azuki and Shota. They manage to buy some fabric in hopes of sewing together an outfit. Later they realize that it's not an easy task. Whereas, Uncle Yuta goes to visit the Dragon King who helps him on his journey to Tokyo. The purpose of this journey was to attend the conference. This conference tends to decide the change of education system in Japan. Yuta soon realizes that education system is not only change to occur. So, he decides to guide his family through the challenges that surround them. Amid his battle, Yuta is attracted to a lady that is by all accounts holding a mystery.
In general, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I found this book intriguing and unique. There were even pictures of Japanese work of art in the start of each part. The pictures appeared to relate to the story. Sadly, the majority of these photos were blurry. I noticed a few minor grammatical errors. I would suggest this book to the individuals who like reading adventure stories or are interested in Japanese culture.
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Uncle Yuta has an Adventure
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