Kamusari Tales Told at Night by Shion Miura is the second in her two-volume Forest series to appear in English, with the first being An Easy Life in Kamusari. Both books are written as Yuki Hirono’s first-person memoir. A recent high school graduate not cut out for university studies, Yuki is sent from Yokohama against his will to become a forestry trainee in a remote area of Mie Prefecture on the Japanese island of Honshu. Surrounded by trees, with no teenage companionship and no place to go even if he had friends to accompany him, Yuki lives with Yoki, a member of the forestry team, Yoki’s wife Miho, and elderly Granny Shige. As a immature, self-centered city boy who has lived his life trying to have fun, Yoki faces isolation and hard work that prompt a harrowing escape attempt before he accepts his lot and gradually begins to learn about the strange, puzzling, and sometimes dangerous village and forestry lifestyle.

By this second volume, Yuki has recently turned twenty and is now a regular member of the forestry team although still considered a relative beginner. He has also fallen for the only young single woman in the area, an elementary school teacher, six years his senior. While part of the story focuses on Yuki’s yearnings for romance and may not be considered appropriate for an age group that might easily enjoy the first book in the series, much of this second book delves more deeply into local stories—the lives of the villagers, their history, which includes a devastating tragedy, and the area’s legends and superstitions. Among my favorite parts of Kamusari Tales told at Night are Yuki’s stories of the snake god, the ancestor of the local people, of the devil stinger, the guardian deity of forestry workers, and of Inari, the fox deity, who metes out punishment to liars and helps people find lost objects.

Taken together, Miura’s Forest series is both a coming-of-age story and an interesting look at a traditional way of life and the people who strive to preserve it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Crossing for an advance reader copy.

Loved this. Heartwarming and touching while still being wholly entertaining to read. Yuki’s internal monologue was adorable at times. Nice to read such lovely thoughts from a main character. His retelling of the local tales was intriguing. Would like to read more about the local villagers including Grandma Shige.

Highly recommend this one for a comforting read.

Definitely did not sink in that this was the second book in the series until I was into reading the book. It was just okay. The tone of the characters didn't really stick with me - I was also not as invested in the plot as I would like... I might have to try reading and reviewing again after the first book in the series. But, based on this one, I am not sure if I would check it out either. Might be a good read for folks looking for a nice, gentle story - just wasn't my cup of tea!

When I started reading this ARC I didn’t know it was the second in a series, but I don’t think it was absolutely necessary to read the first one (I do intend in reading thou, I just need to see if I can find it), but its such a lovely book, is kind of a diary, but at the same time not a diary because the entries are not made everyday, now that I really think about it, it is more like letters, Yuki Hirano our mc, and the person who tells us the story, he was a city boy, and now is working in Kamusari village and he is a woodsman, still leaning his ways that is for sure, but there’s something that makes us go for more, he describes the people that are around him, his life, his absolute crush in the teacher Nao, how he is starting to belong in Kamusari so much, yeah, it was a nice book to take a respite from other books.

I highly recommend this book, and if you’re like me, and love Japanese authors, you’ll definitely feel that in the words of this book.

I got a free ARC from NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I loved reading The Easy Life in Kamusari. A cute village nestled in the mountains, with fun characters, a cute dog, and interesting festivals. What isn’t there to love? I’ll admit it, neither of these books are particularly fast moving, but are a very relaxing experience. All the beloved characters from the first one return in this one and most of them have an interesting tale of the region to share with Yuki. Some are more interesting than others, of course, but it was still an enjoyable read.The stories are a combination of myths, village history, and the history of the characters themselves. All of course told to the main character on different nights. We learn about Seiichi and Yoki’s parents, Yoki and Miho’s love, and of course the gods of Kamusari.

Overall, I would recommend this for fans of the first book, fans of slow slice of life books, and people interested in quirky little Japanese towns.

Thank you to Netgalley, Amazon Crossing, and the author for providing me with an eARC of this novel, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eArc of this book!

I liked this book, but not in the same way I liked the first book in the duology. The cool facts about forestry and seeing Yuki adjust to life in Kamusari were the things I thought made the first book stand out, and there's very little of that in this--it makes sense because Yuki isn't just learning every single day and he's already used to mountain living, but I wish there was at least a little more of that then what we got.

I also thought pretty much everything related to romance wasn't done very well, but it had very little to do with the first book, so it didn't bug me as much. In this, because of the smaller part of the story that Yuki's job and "new" life take, there's a lot more space to be filled, and that's almost completely filled with romance. I'm not too fond of Yuki and Nao's relationship as it is, and all of the little things about other characters' relationships kind of leave a bad taste in my mouth.

Overall, it's not bad, it just didn't live up to the first book.

I just honestly wasn’t a fan of this book. It was a little slow for my tastes and the plot was difficult to stay interested in. Just not for me!

A cute and sweet story about a boy in love with a girl, in the most remote part of Japan. A bit of Japanese folklore in there too.

In Kamusari by Shion Miura we get a slice of life from a small town surrounded by mountains in Japan. The book follows Yuki in his second year in Kamusari, as he finds out more about the town's past and traditions.

The writing style makes it easy to follow the story. I enjoyed learning about the traditions and superstitions of Kamusari. The chracters are complex and have flaws. You get to know them quite well in the span of the 190 pages.

I was taken aback by two things.
The way sex was talked about. It surprised me that it came up as a topic so casually. But I feel it was handled wrong. Then in the beginning it seems as if everyone who has sex is being judged for it. As Yuki grows his stigma does fade, which I was glad about.
The second thing that made me stop in my tracks, was how infidelity was talked about. In the case of Yoki it gets downplayed and Miho's jealousy and rage take the forefront. In general it seems like the male characters receive nothing but praise and their flaws are mentioned but overlooked. Cheating is brought up again in the end, but disregarded for the sake of discussing the definition of love.

This sequel was just as charming and heart-warming as the first book. Written in diary form, we get to know the village of Kamusari through narrator Yuki’s eyes. Very enjoyable, thank you for the reading copy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Everyone once again Shion Miura leaves me in awe with her writing. As the first book focus on the premise but the 2nd purely focus on how Yuki adapts to his new rural surrounding afterward which kinda make me think of anime-vibe.

As much I enjoy the first book, of course, I LOVE THE 2ND BOOK ALSO. WITHOUT A DOUBT. Maybe it was a bit slow but if you're the one who enjoys a slice of life then we're on the same page indeed.

But I do feel this book gives me comfort. In fact, the writing style is also very understandable. I really would recommend this book who are looking for a different side and joyous moment.

I would like to thank the publisher for an advance eARC of this book, which releases May 10.

I have to start by saying I haven't read the first book, but I didn't feel like I missed out on anything. There are a couple of places where the narrator, Yuki, directs the reader back to the other book, which helps to know where you might be missing information.

Overall I thought it was a sweet story, explaining Yuki's life in the remote village of Kamusari. He talks about the other people who live there, and their stories and beliefs. Some of the language was very American sounding, but I'm not sure if that's the actual writing or the translation.

It was a quick, easy read, focused mainly around character - if you're looking for a book with a plot focus, this isn't it.

3.5 stars

I did not realise this was the 2nd book to a duology. Fortunately it could still be read as a standalone. The life and love and goings on in the lives of Yuki and the towns people of Kamusari. Lots of folklore and interesting small rural town tales. Everyone has a witty, quirky characteristic which i find endearing. I enjoyed this but will most probably catch up with book 1 to really feel the essence of it all.

This book gave me great comfort and a sense of hope and faith. As in “My Neighbor Totoro” the beauty of daily life, of simply living, the mystical in the countryside, are all overarching themes of this book. It is a reminder of the beauty to be found in every part of our lives. It truly is a slice of life book, there is no real climax or main event as we live with Yuki at this moment in his life. I did not find this to be a problem, the writing hooked me from the first page and I read it in a single sitting. I did not know that this was the second book in a series, but you do not need to read the first to attach to Yuki or understand this story.

All the characters flesh out this little forest village and have distinct personalities that make them endearing. I really enjoyed the format of journal entries and how it covers a span of months without being repetitive by only focusing on certain events. As a western reader the idea of the mystical being part of our lives even if just through tradition and cultural history is fascinating with a warmth to it; living in the US that is not present. As Ms Miura writes “There it was again, the fairy-tale side of Kamusari. Gods and humans and animals, all the same.” There is so much dismay in our world, take a breath and let this book give you some optimism.

I did not know this was the second installment of the series Forest by Shion Miura. However, I went through this book and didn’t really matter not knowing anything from the first.
This is an easy breezy type of book, super light and those type of boon you read after a heavy reading. The world building is so interesting that left me wanting to learn more.

“A quirk of fate had brought me to the village.” Kamusari Tales Told at Night by Shion Miura

3.5 stars. So this is book 2. Must admit, I like the first book better but then this is a continuation of Yuki’s life in Kamusari so still interesting to me. And it feels like a visit from a friend lives far away.

Thank you Amazon Crossing and NetGalley for the arc of this book. I had a nice visit with Yuki.

. A very chatty, easy writing style with likeable characters to care about makes this a very enjoyable, quick read. I am already intrigued by the cedar forests having read Kawabata’s The Old Capital. Now I want to know even more!

I liked the concept of this, a young man living in a village in the mountains of Japan, learning local folklore, and building his life there. I did not realise this was second in a series, but it didn't matter too much, I worked things out pretty quickly. The style is like a diary, and I am not sure how much is derived from the original text and how much is derived from the translation, but I found the tone a bit more immature than I would expect of a 20-year old, it more suited something I would have enjoyed as a younger teen. The inclusion of folklore was a highlight for me, the emotional immaturity of the romantic interactions the low point. Only spotted a couple of punctuation errors.
3* rating, I am not at all the intended audience but I am unable to put my finger on who is, and giving a mid-range score out of grace.

Shion Miura's "Kamusari Tales Told at Night" is a heartwarming and engaging sequel to "The Easy Life In Kamusari".

In "The Easy Life in Kamusari", the main character Yuki was fresh out of highschool. He had no plans for his future after graduating, so his parents decided to send him away to study forestry in Kamusari, a remote village in the mountains of Mie Prefecture on Honshu.

Unlike the first book, the second one focuses less on the forestry and more on Yuki and the way he's adjusting to his new life in Kamusari. Through Yuki's witty narration we learn the fascinating backstory of the village and its culture, traditions and folklore. The novel explores his relationships with the villagers and his love interest Nao in a lot more detail than the first.

This is a YA book written in diary form from the perspective of a 20 year old boy. It's a slice of life kind of book with a charming and humorous writing style.
I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an easy and entertaining read about rural life in Japan.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Kamusari Tales Told At Night follows the story of Yuki Hirano as he adjusts to living in the village of Kamusari, and learning to be a proper woodsman. He chronicles his life in Kamusari in each chapter, detailing significant moments.

I read this without knowing that it was actually the second book in a series so I didn't exactly have a blast reading the first few chapters. But as the story progressed, Yuki's unpretentious and simple manner drew me in, and I started caring about the different people he lived and interacted with in the village. It was fascinating to learn more about the culture that specifically belonged to the people of Kamusari.

This being a Japanese novel, it contained the usual themes of love, life, and tradition, and how they're all woven together in a way that ensures that the culture it belongs to really does go on.

I give this 4 stars.