I loved this suspenseful, well-written, well-paced MG book that recasts a Japanese folktale about the princess who inadvertently sets loose a crafty demon. Melony is a believable MG girl who chafes against the restraints her immigrant parents place on her and wishes for more fun and adventure in her life. At first, the Amanjaku who appears in answer to that wish seems like the best birthday gift ever--but as time goes on, and the Amanjaku starts to reveal more of its real nature, Melony starts to understand what she has unleashed not only on herself but on everyone around her. A totally absorbing story.

I am admittedly not the biggest reader of middle grade books, but the over and the description sparked my interest. After reading a few really amazing middle grade books for middle grade march, I thought I'd give this one a try. We have a young girl named Uriko/Melony who is first generation American and is finding herself torn between her desires to be more American and her parent's conservative Japanese views. After a birthday wish for things to change, Amanjaku, a mischievous Japanese mythical character arrives. All is fun and games initially, but soon there are serious consequences because of his presence and Melony must make some tough choices.

The thing that I think this book does best is illustrate what it is like to be a first generation child and be torn between the culture you were born into and the one that your parents grew up with. Melony's desire for more freedom and to be more like her American classmates really resonated with me. I grew up in a community of mostly immigrant families and I saw this exact scenario play out quite often. Her desire for independence and trust really butts up against her parents' expectation that she be obedient and passive.

The Amanjaku was an interesting character, but I did find myself wishing the book had delved into his myth a bit more. He sort of arrives suddenly and Melony accepts him without much question. I know she's feeling rebellious and he feeds into that, but she's also a clever and thoughtful girl, so I'm surprised she didn't question things a bit more. I also was a bit confused by some of the things that happened toward the end. Perhaps, as an adult I see some holes that a younger reader might not pick up on as much?

I did really enjoy the exploration of Japanese culture and mythology. I loved the inclusion of social norms, expectations, foods, sayings, etc. It really helped me to understand who this family was and where the parents were coming from in restricting Melony.

All in all, if you are a big fan of middle grade books or have a middle grade reader who enjoys myths, I think this would be a fun read. I think it might be particularly poignant for children who are the kids of immigrants as they may relate to some of Melony's struggles.

*Thank you to Netgalley, Waka T Brown, and Quill Tree Books for this E-ARC. This in no way affects the objectivity of my review.

This is an interesting take on a Japanese folktale for middle grade readers. I don't feel strongly about the story one way or the other. While it's interesting to get a take on some Japanese mythology, the pacing was pretty slow for most of the book and the ending was kind of ambiguous and dissatisfying.

It would have been nice if the two last names that were used a lot were not Yoshimura and Yoshida. It could get confusing because they're so similar.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

This middle grade retelling is astonishing! I couldn't put it down and read it in a little more than a day. I laughed out loud, I screamed in horror, I gasped in shock. The story had a little bit of everything to bring you on an emotional roller coaster to the end. One of the things I like most about Waka Brown's writing is how real she keeps things with respect money, class, friendship, and school in a way that is respectful of young readers and meets them where they are. That is done so well here as the book looks at how we measure our lives in comparison to others, what do we do with the freedom we take, what we owe the people in our lives, and whether our choices reflect our true and best selves or how we're willing to be influenced by others. It is just amazing! Highly recommend! Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read early.

I enjoyed this book very much. I don't read a lot of middle grade or YA books, but some I am just drawn to. This reminded me of Coraline by Gaiman, a bit..The main character I fell in love with. Such a great book.

I will update the review with the link to on our blog closer to publication date.

I'd like to thank the publisher HarperCollins Children's Books, Quill Tree Books and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review

This was cute and a little creepy. It's a pretty young middle grade book, which I'm not the target audience for, but I still enjoyed it. Mostly, I was drawn in by the absolutely stunning cover.
I feel like I don't have much to say because I'm not the target audience. I enjoyed some of the creepy imagery and I did like the slow realization that the Amanjaku wasn't a blessing so much as a curse. The biggest problem I have with this is that the pacing felt off. I know being a middle grade read on the younger edge of the spectrum might be a bit limiting narratively, but I still think things could've been smoothed a little better transitionally.

This is an interesting story but it can be a bit frightening. I enjoy reading folklore from various cultures, so I appreciated learning about Uriko and the Amanjako. I was sad that I found Melony (Uriko) so unlikeable. It was hard to root for her because everything that happened to her seemed well-deserved.

The story got off to a slow start but ended quickly and confusingly. It was hard to determine what was real and what wasn't, and I had so many unanswered questions when the book ended. This doesn't seem to be a flaw because the book is very well written, but perhaps my inexperience with Japanese literature is showing and the structure of the book matches the way the tale would have been told.

All in all, I was excited to read this book and I don't regret it. It's certainly not a book I would recommend to everyone, but this book will have its fans.

I DNF’d it at 37%
This book is by no means bad, it’s just not for me. It’s a bit slow to get to the point for a shorter book. I think a lot of the conversations it brings up are important and well handled, and as someone who works with kids I can see them enjoying it, but I can also see them maybe getting bored of its pace. This is also evident for me by the pure fact that I started it on March 15th and still have not finished it almost a month later.

This story is excessively weird and uncomfortable. That being said, it's also compelling, and I was invested in the cast of characters. It's well-written but left me feeling dissatisfied (the ending is puzzling) and creeped out. I appreciate its emphasis on Japanese folklore and the struggles of growing up as a first-generation American middle-schooler, but I'm not sure if I would recommend this to a young reader unless they had a particular taste for scary stories.

A fantastic and fun retelling of the Japanese folktale “The Melon princess and the Amanjaku”! Uriko “Melony” is a twelve year old girl who wants nothing more than to have some more freedom and adventure but her parents are determined to be helicopter parents. But suddenly she finds that the Amanjaku has appeared and it’s determined to be friends with Melony with its ability to shapeshift, grant wishes, and understand her desires for independence... but everything has a price and Melony is going to find out there are sinister consequences to having everything she wants granted. Can she stop the Amanjaku before it’s too late or will she find herself succumbing to the demon’s charms as it turns her life upside down? This was such a fun read and I definitely think this would be a perfect read for fans of Coraline!

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, Quill Tree Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This book was delightful! I'm always on the look out for stories about young Japanese-American main characters for my daughter, and this book had such a fun fairytale element overlaid on top of a contemporary setting. The temptations Melony faces, the way she tries to justify her actions to herself--they read very realistically. Definitely a book I'll be passing on to my 11 year old to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books/Quill Tree Books for giving me access to this arc. Wow! What a book. At first when I began, I wasn't so sure about whether I was feeling it or not but then I continued and it was a wonderful story about assimilation and immigrant families along with generational tension and dealing with that along with your relationship to your parents and how children respond to that. Sometimes they don't act out, sometimes they do. And sometimes they cover the situation of other children around them.

I am not a parent but I believe the themes that were raised within these pages is so important for parents to discuss with their children. I know this is a book for children but I also believe it is a book for parents because it could help them to better understand their relationship with their children, if it resembles the relationship that Uriko and her parent's had in the beginning of this book. The world can be scary and we have seen that in the past few years but allowing your child to grow and learn is so important. As well as trying to meet your parents halfway and allowing them to understand how they make you feel.

I really liked this and how it ended. I will say I was admittedly a little scared as I read this, although I am an adult but Brown really succeeded at creating that eerie atmosphere within this book. I will be recommending this to my niece. I think she definitely needs this book right now! Thank you so much for writing it, Waka!

Fantastic spooky middle grade. The twists kept me turning the page and I loved the incorporation of Japanese folklore. Highly recommend this book for young readers who want a story that will make them keep the lights on.

A whimsical, beautiful story for teens. It really was similar to Coraline, just like the blurb had promised. I really liked the writing and the characters, the plot held my attention as well. I'll be looking out for more from this author.

Hey, Harper Collin, I appreciate the arc but would appreciate it more if you agree to the HC Union talks! Until then, I will be withholding my review! Thanks!

4/5 stars! This was a spooky, cool middle-grade read. Based on a Japanese folk tale, this book deals with growing up, hijinks with demons, and not being led astray. This was a fun and interesting read. Plus, the cover was really awesome to look at.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Thank you to Harper Collins for letting me read this early in exchange for an honest review.


This was an interesting read. A Japanese folk tale that reminded me of Coraline. Melony learns you can’t be too careful what you wish for in this spooky read.