By Kosuzu Kobato and Meij. Released in Japan on the Shousetsuka ni Narou website. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Dawson Chen.
This is one of those books that I probably would not have picked up if I didn’t already know the author. Kosuzu Kobato has basically never written anything I’d dislike, This is also complete in one volume, so it’s a good book to take a flyer on. And, unsurprisingly, I enjoyed it. The plot, though, actually ended up being a lot quieter than I expected. There were dark hints in this book that the heroine has bad ayakashi causing her harm (which leads to a reputation of being clumsy). There’s the heroine’s tragic past, as well as the hero’s tragic past. And there’s these weird ayakashi showing up away from the main house and acting, seemingly, menacing. It felt like it was building up to a big confrontation, or perhaps a kidnapping and rescue, or that sort of thing. But that’s not what happens here, and it’s not the point of the book. This book is about accepting your past, and it’s also about accepting that you don’t need to have your entire future mapped out by the time you’re fourteen years old.
Haruka has recently moved to the town, and is still settling in at school, though she has made two best friends. She’s a relatively shy, reserved person, and despite being exceptional at ballet and cooking she seems to regard herself as lacking in something. Then one day she runs into (literally) Ayako, a woman who was biking and not watching where she was going. Going back to her home to bandage Haruka’s scraped leg, she then runs into Takumi, who she doesn’t know but who clearly goes to her school. As the book goes on, and she stops by Ayako’s house more and more, it becomes apparent that she can see ayakashi, the mysterious spirits that litter the house. Takumi can see them too, and that fact has caused him grief throughout his life. Can these two damaged middle-schoolers be the best things that happened to each other?
This book sneaks up on you – it doesn’t really get into anything supernatural until about a quarter of the way in, and even then, the ayakashi end up being more of a spice than anything else – the book is solely about its two leads. Honestly, there were times when it felt like we were going to get more – Haruka’s childhood featured her being hospitalized, and the description of how it happened made me wonder if it was going to tie in with malevolent ayakashi impulsively seeking to harm her or something. But no, it was just a garden-variety horrible human thing. But that’s fine, as the book really excels in the two kids slowly recovering and looking forward to the future again. Haruka recalls her past, accepts it, and is able to move forward in being a blushing girl in love. Takumi realizes that despite everything that happened with his family, his father is trying to support him the best he can – he’s just horrible at emoting. The end of the book has them essentially becoming a couple without naming it as that, which fits the reserved tone.
It’s just a sweet little book. I wish there were more of it, but there isn’t. It’s a good read about some serious kids.
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