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A review by perilous1
Jet Black and the Ninja Wind by Leza Lowitz, Shogo Oketani
2.0
Originally reviewed for YA Books Central: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/21611-jet-black-and-the-ninja-wind
2.5 Stars
Rika Kuroi (Jet) has led an unusual and isolated life. Half Japanese and half Caucasian-American, she’s grown up on a Navajo reservation in New Mexico under the care of her mother and her mother’s boyfriend, J-Bird. Her mother has been relentlessly training her all her life, in secret wilderness sessions, to be a Kunoichi—a female ninja. But she has never hinted as to why. When her mother dies, it is feared that those who chased her from her homeland will turn their attention to Jet. And so Jet journeys to Japan, to Kanabe and her mother’s people, in search of the answers she was never given.
The book is written in third person past-tense, largely from Jet’s point of view, but sometimes alternating to include her cousin Hiro, her grandfather, and later on the mercurial Takumi. It picks up more of an urban fantasy feel as it goes.
What I Liked:
I won’t lie—the cover of this book was what first snared my attention. (As tough chicks with swords tend to do.) The premise then pulled me in, with its promise of mystery, cross-cultural intrigue, and of course… ninjas. I read the free sample provided by Amazon, and the vivid writing and rapid pacing gave that final push that made me want to request the book.
The font layout was uniquely attractive. Each chapter has not only a number but a name—written in both English and Japanese kanji. (The same is true for the six distinct parts the book is divided into.) The glossary of terms at the back is a smart addition, offering a quick and thorough reference for relevant Japanese words, terms, and historical figures.
What Didn’t Work For Me:
Unfortunately, a significant pacing slowdown seems to occur once the setting switches to Japan. (Something I couldn’t discern from the sample I’d read, as it ended prior to the end of Part 1, 32 pages in.)
Connectivity to Jet became increasingly difficult as the story progressed, in large part because readers never truly get to know her. What had she wanted to be or do when she reached adulthood? Was she completely friendless in high school? Does she have any hobbies or interests outside of the ninja training her mother pounded into her? Why is she bothered by small enclosed spaces? What mysterious illness killed her mother--And is she at all concerned of the same fate might befall her?
So many things about Jet are simply not addressed or fleshed out. Nor is there an explanation for why Jet is initially so weepy, whiny, and passive when she first faces danger Japan (her attitude being a hugely off-putting issue for some time.)
It was continually difficult to suspend disbelief over the villain’s motivations—particularly considering no one actually knows what the treasure is until the very end. The possibilities provided are wildly varied, straying off in convoluted directions that include conspiracy alternate histories for Judaism and Christianity (p. 117-119)—as if vaguely inspired by The Davinci Code. But these possibilities don’t satisfactorily justify why an already incredibly rich man would pump massive amounts of money, time, lives, and criminality into locating a treasure of unknown origin and value.
Other Detractors:
-Insta-love (Involving a bad-boy mercenary with murky motivations and little-to-no moral compass. Despite his participation in attacks and murder involving Jet’s family, she becomes irritatingly preoccupied with trying to save him from his own ambitions/greed.) The chemistry between them ended up feeling forced—“ninja magic” aside.
-Editing issues (More errors than I usually see in a non-ARC outside of self-published works—2 on page 86 alone. An instance of sudden POV shift mid-scene with no warning or transition (page 37), and some yo-yoing in and out of POV. (Example: Masakichi rubbed his nose as if trying to get rid of the smell. (We are meant to be in Masakichi’s perspective—he should know if he is trying to get rid of the smell or not.)
There was also repeated buildup regarding the villain’s infamous pet panther, only to have it seemingly forgotten in the middle of a big fight scene.
Final Thought:
A promising premise with lots of action, but the entirety didn’t quite cohere for me.
2.5 Stars
Rika Kuroi (Jet) has led an unusual and isolated life. Half Japanese and half Caucasian-American, she’s grown up on a Navajo reservation in New Mexico under the care of her mother and her mother’s boyfriend, J-Bird. Her mother has been relentlessly training her all her life, in secret wilderness sessions, to be a Kunoichi—a female ninja. But she has never hinted as to why. When her mother dies, it is feared that those who chased her from her homeland will turn their attention to Jet. And so Jet journeys to Japan, to Kanabe and her mother’s people, in search of the answers she was never given.
The book is written in third person past-tense, largely from Jet’s point of view, but sometimes alternating to include her cousin Hiro, her grandfather, and later on the mercurial Takumi. It picks up more of an urban fantasy feel as it goes.
What I Liked:
I won’t lie—the cover of this book was what first snared my attention. (As tough chicks with swords tend to do.) The premise then pulled me in, with its promise of mystery, cross-cultural intrigue, and of course… ninjas. I read the free sample provided by Amazon, and the vivid writing and rapid pacing gave that final push that made me want to request the book.
The font layout was uniquely attractive. Each chapter has not only a number but a name—written in both English and Japanese kanji. (The same is true for the six distinct parts the book is divided into.) The glossary of terms at the back is a smart addition, offering a quick and thorough reference for relevant Japanese words, terms, and historical figures.
What Didn’t Work For Me:
Unfortunately, a significant pacing slowdown seems to occur once the setting switches to Japan. (Something I couldn’t discern from the sample I’d read, as it ended prior to the end of Part 1, 32 pages in.)
Connectivity to Jet became increasingly difficult as the story progressed, in large part because readers never truly get to know her. What had she wanted to be or do when she reached adulthood? Was she completely friendless in high school? Does she have any hobbies or interests outside of the ninja training her mother pounded into her? Why is she bothered by small enclosed spaces? What mysterious illness killed her mother--And is she at all concerned of the same fate might befall her?
So many things about Jet are simply not addressed or fleshed out. Nor is there an explanation for why Jet is initially so weepy, whiny, and passive when she first faces danger Japan (her attitude being a hugely off-putting issue for some time.)
It was continually difficult to suspend disbelief over the villain’s motivations—particularly considering no one actually knows what the treasure is until the very end. The possibilities provided are wildly varied, straying off in convoluted directions that include conspiracy alternate histories for Judaism and Christianity (p. 117-119)—as if vaguely inspired by The Davinci Code. But these possibilities don’t satisfactorily justify why an already incredibly rich man would pump massive amounts of money, time, lives, and criminality into locating a treasure of unknown origin and value.
Other Detractors:
-Insta-love (Involving a bad-boy mercenary with murky motivations and little-to-no moral compass. Despite his participation in attacks and murder involving Jet’s family, she becomes irritatingly preoccupied with trying to save him from his own ambitions/greed.) The chemistry between them ended up feeling forced—“ninja magic” aside.
-Editing issues (More errors than I usually see in a non-ARC outside of self-published works—2 on page 86 alone. An instance of sudden POV shift mid-scene with no warning or transition (page 37), and some yo-yoing in and out of POV. (Example: Masakichi rubbed his nose as if trying to get rid of the smell. (We are meant to be in Masakichi’s perspective—he should know if he is trying to get rid of the smell or not.)
There was also repeated buildup regarding the villain’s infamous pet panther, only to have it seemingly forgotten in the middle of a big fight scene.
Final Thought:
A promising premise with lots of action, but the entirety didn’t quite cohere for me.