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eggjen's review against another edition
4.0
This was a story that kept me on my feet trying to guess what would happen next. My eleven year old is supposed to read this next month and I'm debating reading it with her instead of having her read it on her own so that we can discuss it in real time, because as much as I found it engaging, I'm concerned that the frequent discussions of seppuku might be distressing for her. It's important to the plot, but still pretty distressing.
lynz454's review against another edition
5.0
Read it with my 13 year old. We loved it. Kept us engaged and laughing. Funny, great characters, good story telling and plot. My son wants to keep reading the series, so he must really like it.
arielastrombeck's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
medium-paced
3.25
extra points for being so out of pocket
justicepirate's review against another edition
2.0
I read this book to my 11 and 13 year old sons. While it was a very interesting story about the way of the Samurai and how they lived, I think the issue you need to understand when allowing your kids to read it is that there is a LOT of talk about suppuku, when a samurai has shown dishonor and kills himself. They show it as a good thing rather than horrific, which bugged me. Also there is definitely one pretty gory detail in this book. I suggest your kids are teens when they read this and understand a bit about suicide, is all.
coffeedragon's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this book when I was in eighth grade and I still enjoyed it now that I'm in college. There's something about the characters that really pulled me in, especially Tomomi who was the 'bad guy.'
bookgirl4ever's review against another edition
5.0
Seikei would rather be a Samurai rather than a merchant's son. But when Seikei and his father are on their way to Edo on business, Seikei becomes wrapped up in a mystery and joins Samurai Judge Ooka on the journey to solve the mystery.
Interesting history and a complex mystery.
Recommend grades 5-8th.
Interesting history and a complex mystery.
Recommend grades 5-8th.
ezplonk's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting story, HORRIBLE writing.
"blah blah blah did this. He wore this. The palace looked like this. It had this."
SO BORING!
"blah blah blah did this. He wore this. The palace looked like this. It had this."
SO BORING!
kblincoln's review against another edition
3.0
A 14 year old son of a tea merchant, Seikei, gets mixed up in a murder and a samurai feud in the Japan of the Shoguns.
Seikei dreams of the impossible; becoming a samurai though he is born into the merchant class. On the Tokaido road, he witnesses a robbery and is sent as a spy to a Kabuki troop by a samurai judge.
I enjoyed the fact that the historical details weren't jarringly wrong; although I had to suspend disbelief quite a lot that a) the Judge Ooka would just overlook his merchant class and give him a sword, wooden or not and b) Nobody but Seikei thought the acrobatic leaping around of a beggar on the road suspicious and c) Seikei's father would just let him go off by himself so easily.
This was an entertaining and very educational book (for middle schoolers). I would definitely recommend it to young boys of my acquaintance.
Seikei dreams of the impossible; becoming a samurai though he is born into the merchant class. On the Tokaido road, he witnesses a robbery and is sent as a spy to a Kabuki troop by a samurai judge.
I enjoyed the fact that the historical details weren't jarringly wrong; although I had to suspend disbelief quite a lot that a) the Judge Ooka would just overlook his merchant class and give him a sword, wooden or not and b) Nobody but Seikei thought the acrobatic leaping around of a beggar on the road suspicious and c) Seikei's father would just let him go off by himself so easily.
This was an entertaining and very educational book (for middle schoolers). I would definitely recommend it to young boys of my acquaintance.
housedesignerking's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I was a tad disappointed at first. The title gave me the impression that there was a real 'ghost'. It's not so much of a spoiler to say it isn't though, because what the 'ghost' really is turned out to make this story much more interesting and fascinating than I had anticipated.
I've always had a penchant for Samurai stories. Samurai Jack (randomly mentioned) was/is one of my all time favorite cartoons. As the creator said, he wanted to create something that both kids and adults could enjoy. It's been one of the shows that I've kept enjoying as I've aged. So I was actually rather excited when I figured out this was a sort of Samurai story. Admittedly, when I purchased this book, I was rushed out of the store, so one could say that this was one of my best accidental purchases, but I digress.
Seikei is the son of a merchant who endeavors to be a Samurai. His merchant father often mocks his interest as there is a tradition that the son must take up the occupation of the father. Seikei is so interested in being a Samurai that he has read up on them. Stories and facts. Mostly history of Samurai's. His father has taken him on a road trip and they are stopped by the Shogun's men (Shoguns were a commander of a force; hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867). Seikei looks out his window and sees the escapade unfolding. A man has taken offense to the Shogun's men but does not perish. When they are finally allowed through, Seikei's father takes room at Takaido Inn. In the night, a theft takes place of a red jewel and at first, a girl (that Seikei had spoken to the night before) and her father are the prime suspects because the jewel is found in their room. It turns out to be a fake and Seikei eventually speaks up about a 'ghost' he saw in the middle of the night when he could not sleep.Judge Ooka is called upon to aid the investigation for Daimyo (Daimyo; is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country) Lord Hakuseki, the one who had been stolen from. The jewel was to be a gift for the Shogun.
Judge Ooka calls upon Seikei to aid in his investigation. They travel to neighboring cities and Seikei is eventually left to 'follow the right path.' Finding himself traveling with a group of actors, the story unfolds.
I learned about the legend of the Jikininki, what a Yishiki is as well as a Shogun and a Daimyo. 5 Stars.
My note:
May 18, 2012:
Pg 75, 35.21% "not exactly sure what to make of this book. It seems to be more about a thief than a 'ghost'"
I've always had a penchant for Samurai stories. Samurai Jack (randomly mentioned) was/is one of my all time favorite cartoons. As the creator said, he wanted to create something that both kids and adults could enjoy. It's been one of the shows that I've kept enjoying as I've aged. So I was actually rather excited when I figured out this was a sort of Samurai story. Admittedly, when I purchased this book, I was rushed out of the store, so one could say that this was one of my best accidental purchases, but I digress.
Seikei is the son of a merchant who endeavors to be a Samurai. His merchant father often mocks his interest as there is a tradition that the son must take up the occupation of the father. Seikei is so interested in being a Samurai that he has read up on them. Stories and facts. Mostly history of Samurai's. His father has taken him on a road trip and they are stopped by the Shogun's men (Shoguns were a commander of a force; hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867). Seikei looks out his window and sees the escapade unfolding. A man has taken offense to the Shogun's men but does not perish. When they are finally allowed through, Seikei's father takes room at Takaido Inn. In the night, a theft takes place of a red jewel and at first, a girl (that Seikei had spoken to the night before) and her father are the prime suspects because the jewel is found in their room. It turns out to be a fake and Seikei eventually speaks up about a 'ghost' he saw in the middle of the night when he could not sleep.Judge Ooka is called upon to aid the investigation for Daimyo (Daimyo; is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country) Lord Hakuseki, the one who had been stolen from. The jewel was to be a gift for the Shogun.
Judge Ooka calls upon Seikei to aid in his investigation. They travel to neighboring cities and Seikei is eventually left to 'follow the right path.' Finding himself traveling with a group of actors, the story unfolds.
I learned about the legend of the Jikininki, what a Yishiki is as well as a Shogun and a Daimyo. 5 Stars.
My note:
May 18, 2012:
Pg 75, 35.21% "not exactly sure what to make of this book. It seems to be more about a thief than a 'ghost'"