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ojdowdeswell's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
firefox's review against another edition
4.0
(Arc)
'Hideki Smith, Demon Queller' is one of those hard to describe books unless you read it yourself. The cover and the blurb is beautiful but the actual book had me changing my mind every two minutes. In some areas, I fell madly in love but in others I just felt like the story either went too quick or too slow.
'Hideki Smith, Demon Queller' is one of those hard to describe books unless you read it yourself. The cover and the blurb is beautiful but the actual book had me changing my mind every two minutes. In some areas, I fell madly in love but in others I just felt like the story either went too quick or too slow.
stitchsaddiction's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Hideki Smith, Demon Queller is an incredible read and AJ Hartley has brought a tale of modern day small town American living melded with Japanese folk horror perfectly to life.
What initially drew me to the book was the stunning artwork and the fact our hero, Hideki Smith isn't your traditional hero because pretty much everyone underestimates him or judges him for his race which is thankfully both written in a realistic manner but not overly done. As awful as it is to say this, the racism is done just enough, that your skin crawls and it's uncomfortable. Yet it works to ensure that he's someone acknowledged in a positive way until… sadly afterwards.
I absolutely loved how the author brings in the Japanese monsters of folklore and the overall magic from the arrival of Shinto shrine to the terror of Noppera-bō for example, that was a personal nightmare to me. (I do not like the idea of there being no facial features on a person, that's nightmare fuel!)
Everything about Hideki Smith, Demon Queller is brilliantly done and it's a book that I couldn't put down. The story is fast paced, and the folk horror will have you on the edge of the seat, because they're horrific. There's so much tension and the knowledge that Caleb (Hideki's American name) and his sister seem to have everything on the line as they try to quash the Demonic rising will make you fear for their safety and wish you could step into their world and aid them in every step of the way.
I highly recommend this book, it may well be designed for young adults but the genre will ensure it's a great read for all.
What initially drew me to the book was the stunning artwork and the fact our hero, Hideki Smith isn't your traditional hero because pretty much everyone underestimates him or judges him for his race which is thankfully both written in a realistic manner but not overly done. As awful as it is to say this, the racism is done just enough, that your skin crawls and it's uncomfortable. Yet it works to ensure that he's someone acknowledged in a positive way until… sadly afterwards.
I absolutely loved how the author brings in the Japanese monsters of folklore and the overall magic from the arrival of Shinto shrine to the terror of Noppera-bō for example, that was a personal nightmare to me. (I do not like the idea of there being no facial features on a person, that's nightmare fuel!)
Everything about Hideki Smith, Demon Queller is brilliantly done and it's a book that I couldn't put down. The story is fast paced, and the folk horror will have you on the edge of the seat, because they're horrific. There's so much tension and the knowledge that Caleb (Hideki's American name) and his sister seem to have everything on the line as they try to quash the Demonic rising will make you fear for their safety and wish you could step into their world and aid them in every step of the way.
I highly recommend this book, it may well be designed for young adults but the genre will ensure it's a great read for all.
chrissypops's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Thank you to AJ Hartley and Netgalley for letting me read an ARC of Hideki Smith: Demon Queller.
Firstly, I'd like to address the cover. This is what drew me to the book. I love the colour palette that has been used and the style of illustration. Absolutely beautiful and I love foxes too,
The book itself centres itself in first person. Caleb, who doesn't see himself as anything special. In fact he's sees himself as a loser ( his words not mine!) who made one mistake and everything goes up in flames. Literally! After meeting his older sister in the nearby woods near their home, they stumble on a mysterious shrine of Japanese origin. Why has it appeared and why in the middle of North Carolina woods?!
The narrative and pace of this book grabbed me within the first few pages. I always have a soft spot for the underdog and Caleb won my heart within the first few chapters. Normally, when reading 1st person narratives, it takes me a good few chapters to get used to it. I felt that this perceptive really suited the book, looking out from Caleb's life, trying to find something he's good at. There are a couple of chapters from 3rd person and have a very distinguished voice from Caleb's.
I love how AJ Hartley has mixed Japanese and American culture with the folklore that appears in this book. It's beautifully amalgamated with the fact that Caleb's Mum just wants to be a traditional American family whilst denying her Japanese roots,.
I also love the subtle reps in this book that makes it a very inclusive and respectful. Celebrating that we are all individual, different and special in our own ways. And sometimes how it's the people who sit on the fringes of our existence that become our allies and friends.
Even though this book is aimed at the YA bracket, there will be many an adult that will also enjoy reading this wonderful journey of self discovery, character development and Japanese folklore.
Firstly, I'd like to address the cover. This is what drew me to the book. I love the colour palette that has been used and the style of illustration. Absolutely beautiful and I love foxes too,
The book itself centres itself in first person. Caleb, who doesn't see himself as anything special. In fact he's sees himself as a loser ( his words not mine!) who made one mistake and everything goes up in flames. Literally! After meeting his older sister in the nearby woods near their home, they stumble on a mysterious shrine of Japanese origin. Why has it appeared and why in the middle of North Carolina woods?!
The narrative and pace of this book grabbed me within the first few pages. I always have a soft spot for the underdog and Caleb won my heart within the first few chapters. Normally, when reading 1st person narratives, it takes me a good few chapters to get used to it. I felt that this perceptive really suited the book, looking out from Caleb's life, trying to find something he's good at. There are a couple of chapters from 3rd person and have a very distinguished voice from Caleb's.
I love how AJ Hartley has mixed Japanese and American culture with the folklore that appears in this book. It's beautifully amalgamated with the fact that Caleb's Mum just wants to be a traditional American family whilst denying her Japanese roots,.
I also love the subtle reps in this book that makes it a very inclusive and respectful. Celebrating that we are all individual, different and special in our own ways. And sometimes how it's the people who sit on the fringes of our existence that become our allies and friends.
Even though this book is aimed at the YA bracket, there will be many an adult that will also enjoy reading this wonderful journey of self discovery, character development and Japanese folklore.
jknyx's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I thought it was a great exploration of mixed cultural identity placed in a fantasy world. It was an authentic representation of the mixed emotions and stress teenagers deal with. The plot unfolded effortlessly and the pace felt just right. I would 100% recommend this to anyone that wants a lighthearted book that still has substance.
herials's review
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Such a great quirk of a magical realism book. Starting in the Great Smokey mountains of North Carolina, but connecting readers to the mountains of Japan, I haven’t read anything else like it. I loved the Japanese mythology and lore woven in, the family dynamics, as well as having a male lead in a YA magical book. This appeals to everyone though!
143_liv7's review
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Thank you to NetGalley and UCLanPublishing for providing me with an ARC.
Hideki Smith, Demon Queller, is a book about Caleb Hideki Smith is an American-Japanese teenager growing up in a small and predominantly white town in North Carolina. He doesn’t really have any friends, and doesn’t fit in, his classmates constantly bully him due to his race.
Caleb and Emily find a shrine are filled powers they never had before. At the same time, something that was once trapped deep in under the mountain has been set free.
This book was amazing, I was instantly immersed. The world building was really well written. Although the characters seemed a bit one dimensional at times.
What really enjoyed was the use of Japanese folklore and how it intersected with American culture. The novel is constantly teaching the reader about Japanese folklore and words, by including these words imbedded in sentences, but always readily explained what these words mean. So not only an intriguing story, you will come out of reading this novel with knowledge about different yokai (the ‘demons’ in question that Caleb learns to quell) and Japanese words.
Although this is sold as children’s fiction and young adult, I think anyone can enjoy this novel. It is written in an easily accessible but interesting way, and had some genuinely chilling and disturbing moments as the yokai created havoc on the townspeople.
For anyone interested in Japan, and especially Japanese folklore, this book is a great choice.
I gave this book 3.5 stars