Book Blurb:
Yukio's two best friends are dead. Tormented and blackmailed by the Yakuza - the Japanese mafia - they have taken their own lives. Yukio is a kendo champion and he knows all the stories of the samurai. Heartbroken and furious, he is determined to avenge the deaths of his beloved Hiroshi and Miko. And so begins a deadly struggle between Yukio and the Yakuza, and between Yukio's capacity for love, and his thirst for revenge. Shot through with the beauty of Tokyo in spring, this is an unforgettable and uncompromising read.
Review:
This title is a bit of a strange one as it has all the feeling of a Young Adult story but with more adult themes explored within. As such recommending this has been quite difficult, not because I didn’t enjoy the story but trying to find the right age range really made this difficult as the subject matter isn’t one that should be introduced too early.
Within this book by Gregory Hughes is a story of emotional pain, bloody revenge set in the modern world that harks back to traditions of a bygone era as this tale is set in modern Japan. Written from the principle characters point of view we see it all from its seemingly innocent beginnings into its dark decent to its final conclusion.
It is well written with the lead character coming over quite strongly but when you add a world that few westerners will fully understand into the mix (let alone the YA market) its definitely a story that is not one I’d give them too early and would recommend that you read yourself before passing on. Don’t get me wrong, it is well written, the prose sharp but with the overall emotional turmoil within if you want to give a younger child a taste of Japan then I’d recommend Chris Bradford first.
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