Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This is one of my favorite series and was excited to see what was in store for Tessa and her friends in this book. You’ve got action and adventure along with trying to be true to yourself and finding your own way, even if doesn’t align with what others think you should be doing.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Tessa Miyata Is So Unlucky is a solid follow-up to last year’s Tessa Miyata Is No Hero. I love how it builds on the lore from the first book, and also develops the characters and their relationships in a beautiful way.
Tessa and her friends Jin and Kit are joined this time around by new additions, Tora and Ryu, who are guardian spirits who are meant to help with Tessa and Jin’s training at the Academy of the Gods. It was great getting to know these new characters and how they got along with the ones we already know and love. Tessa’s own growth is also wonderful, as while she faced trials and tribulations, she still tried her best to protect her friends.
I enjoyed the almost-episodic feel, with the story split into parts, with each one oriented around the various challenges Tessa and her friends face at the magic academy. There’s a lot of action and excitement that kept me engaged and flipping pages throughout.
This was a great sequel, and I’d recommend this series to readers looking for a fun middle grade fantasy.

A wonderful follow up to the first Tessa Miyata book. Julie Abe is a delightful writer who pulls me right into the story. Tessa and Jin must battle immortals if they want to keep their friend Kit, the Unlucky God, from being ended. They form a team with Mimi and Hachi, and of course, each of them brings something special to the team – something only they can do and something they need to personally realize or overcome.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for this DRC.
#TessaMiyataIsSoUnlucky #NetGalley

Tessa and Jin are enjoying their summer in Japan going to festivals and eating ice cream daily, but when messengers arrive to invite them to the Cycle, a competition in the city of the gods, they find themselves in a fight that means if they win they could become immortals themselves, but if they lose it means that Kit will disappear forever.

I loved Tessa, Jin, and Kit’s friendship in book one, and the new characters are excellent additions to their friend group. Tora and Ryu are so cute, origami guardians spirits that help Tessa and Jin throughout their training in thr Academy of the Gods. Mimi was such an inspiration: a powerful minor god who realized early on that winning isn’t all its cracked up to be and being true to yourself and your dreams is more important. Hachi, who likes to talk big, was the most insecure of them all, afraid to live up to his family’s expectations. I think all of them have qualities that everyone can identify with.

The Cycle itself was rather brutal, and ups the stakes from the first book. Not only are the gods lives at stake, but the contestants as well. Then adding the complications of the God Hunters just made it worse. I expected they would be behind some sort of sabotage during the competition but the twist at the end had me gasping (Jin!!!!).

Even though Tessa was devastated by the end she still rallied to fight and protect Kit and her new friends. I think this shows a great sense of maturity from book one Tessa. Its always great to see your favorite characters grow and thrive as the series continues. I cannot wait to see what Julie Abe has in store for them in the future.