Kazumi Reads

Plot Summary:
Two years ago, Pierce Oliveras died. While in the Underworld, she met a face she had met quite some ago. She actually met him at her grandfather's funeral when she seven years old and he did something no one could do--he resurrected a bird. After drowning in her own pool, Pierce gathered her courgae to speak with him and, although he didn't remember her at first, he gave her an option: get on the boat over the River Styx or stay by his side. Not knowing what to do, she foolishly agreed to be by his side, which meant she would be with him for an eternity. Afraid and clueless, Pierce tried to escape only to be brought back to life when the paramedics revived her. When she regained consciousness, she realized that she brought something from the Underworld with her--a rare diamond necklace that would protect her from evil. Even though she is alive and well, her life took a turn for the worse when two unspeakable things happened to her, which not only forced her to leave Connecticut, but brought an end to her parents' marriage. Now a resident of Los Huesos, Florida, Pierce is trying to regain some sort of normalcy except for the fact that her savior/captor still watches over her. John, her Hades, has never stopped looking out for her, which begs the question: why does he stick around?  Under the impression that Pierce wants nothing to do with him, he is still there. What's worse is that an invisible force has been creating trouble in Los Huesos and Pierce is forced to come to terms with her feelings. Unfortunately, her life is about to become more complicated when The Furies, themselves, descend upon her to seek revenge and John makes an incredibly rash decision. Hades and Perspehone definitely didn't have it this bad. 


Critical Evaluation:
In this re-telling of Hades and Perspehone, Meg Cabot puts an impressive twist on this classic tale. If readers are not familiar with this tale, they will get a brief insight to the ancient love story where a God fell in love with a mortal. However, the story behind John and Pierce is a lot more complicated, especially when Pierce was the pawn to kick start and long time feud. What's great about this story is that it's really easy to get into and it is hard t put down because of the narrative. Cabot uses flashbacks wonderfully where she reveals Pierce's past that not only put her in the present, but reveal her true purpose. Furthermore, the location of this novel is sheer genius because there is no better place to put the mouth of the Underworld than the steaming, unpredictable land of the Everglades. Although readers know a little about John Hayden, readers will be wanting more other than the fact that he was a victim of foul play and just happened to find the lost necklace of Hades. Honestly, I have never heard of this necklace until I read this story. After surfing the internet, I saw a great example as to what the necklace may have looked like. I am not so sure about the myth of warding of evil, but my research will have to continue. This series is definitely definitely darker than most of works, but the plot, which, in itself, is based on a classic tale of treachery and compromise that is bound to spark all kinds of interest. Bring on the sequel: Underworld.


Information about the Author:
According to her website:

Meg Cabot is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of books for both adults and tweens/teens. Born and raised in Bloomington, Indiana, Meg also lived in Grenoble, France and Carmel, California (the setting for her bestselling Mediator series) before moving to New York City after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Indiana University.

After working for ten years as an assistant residence hall director at New York University (an experience from which she occasionally draws inspiration for her Heather Wells mystery series—two new books in the series will be out in 2012 and 2013), Meg wrote the Princess Diaries series, which was made into two hit movies by Disney, sold over 20 million copies, and has been translated into 38 languages.

Meg Cabot (her last name rhymes with habit, as in “her books can be habit forming”) currently lives in Key West with her husband and two cats.

Genre:
Teen Supernatrual Romance
 
Reading Level/Interest:
Grades 9 & up
 
Books Similar to Abandon:

• Everneath by Brodi Ashton
• East by Edith Pattou

Awards & Recognition:

From Amazon.com:
“Cabot shows the dark side behind the bling-blingy superficial worlds.” —Teenreads.com

"[The] strong, amusing voice, the plot twists, and the possibility of romance will draw mystery and chick-lit readers alike." —ALA Booklist

“Bag the tiara and get out the gun ... Cabot delivers.” —Publishers Weekly

Plot Summary:
After claiming herself, Lena has found the solace and the relief she has been looking for ever since her sixteenth birthday. However, now that she has chosen to be both light and dark, strange things have been happening in Gatlin. Not only is is unbearably hot (hotter than usual), the fields are burned black, and the Lubber bugs are everywhere. What looks like the end of times for the mortal world is also affecting the Caster world where Casters are unable to use their magic properly and Lena's powers are more unpredictable than ever. Despite the possible end of the world, Link is getting use to his new life as an Incubus and Ridley is struggling without her powers, which makes him more confident and her more possessive and determined. Also, Ethan's father is recovering quite well and has decided to write a new book entitled Eighteen Moons, which instills great fear since Ethan and Lena know that the only person who communicates with that song is Ethan's mother, which begs the question: who is trying to communicate with Ethan's father? What's worse is that Ethan's dreams are becoming more vivid and dark and he is tarting to forget things he shouldn't.  With Abraham Ravenwood and Serafine on the loose, Ethan and Lena set out to find the truth behind Abraham's reappearance with the help of Marian and Liv. However, Ethan has other problems than Abraham Ravenwood--Marian has been accused of treason, which sets off a chain of events that reveal ever more treachery. In order to prevent the end of the world, Ethan and Lena must find the missing John Breed and find a way to bring order and balance between the mortal and caster world. The ending will leave readers speechless. 

Critical Evaluation:
In the third installment of the Beautiful Creatures trilogy, Beautiful Chaos delves into the history behind Serafine and the search for the mysterious John Breed. After her claiming, Lena's decision created a major problem where both the Caster and Mortal world are slowly falling apart; in other words, the delicate balance between Casters and Mortals has shifted where the Gatlin has turned into Moses' Egypt when Pharoh refused to let the Hebrews free. For the Caster world, their powers have be altered as if they are slowly losing their abilities to channel them properly. Although Lena chose to be both light and dark, this choice has caused a huge riff that even Abraham Ravenwood cannot fix unless he finds John Breed. The plot is literally filled with quite a few surprises that will not only add to the complexity of the story, but shed light an specific characters who have been severely misunderstood. I was very, very curious about the life of Izabel Duchannes (aka. Serafine), which, oddly enough, is quite the opposite of what we have seen thus far. It is actually possible to say that this horrible woman was once innocent and harmless; she was a person who actually loved and wanted nothing but to be a part of the Light .As Lena continues to uncover her mother's past, readers will hope that Lena will get the answers she has been longing for her whole life. However, the idea of John Breed was very perplexing simply because he is the key that Abraham Ravenwood is after. As a mutant/hybrid Incubus, John was purposely picked by Abraham for his powers. Readers don't learn a whole lot about his birth parents, but John lived a extremely unhappy life. The worst part about it is that John has no recollection of ever kidnapping Lena or hurting others; John, in many respects, has been an unwilling puppet for Abraham. What's great about John is behind the "jerk" facade, he develops a soft spot for Liv, which shows he is more than a "freak of nature." As readers get through the series, they realize that with every sacrifice, or decision, there is always a set of consequences. When Amma and Lena resurrected Ethan, they didn't realize that he would return with only one part of his soul. When Lena chose to claim herself as both dark and light, she created the rift between two worlds. When Ethan asked to Marian and Liv to help him find Lena, he didn't know that Marian would be tried for treason. It seems that no matter how noble, or terrible, our choices may be, someone is always going to suffer. However, what we also learn, is that with time, support, and love we can always get passed these decisions and find a way to make amends. This theme is constant throughout the series, which is not only hard to swallow, but very enlightening. The final installment, Beautiful Redemption,  readers may get the happy ending they are hoping for.

Information about the Author:
According to their website:

Margaret is a veteran of the video-game industry, and after working with Activision (now Activision Blizzard) and Westwood Studios (now Electronic Arts), Margaret became a cofounder of 7 Studios with her husband, Lewis Peterson. She has previously been nominated for Most Innovative Game Design at the Game Developers Conference.

A graduate of Amherst College, where she won the Knox Prize for English Literature, Margaret earned a master’s degree in English from Stanford University and completed coursework for a doctorate in American Studies at Yale University. Margaret was a teaching assistant in Romantic Poetry at Stanford and in Film Studies at Yale. She attended the Creative Writing program of the University of East Anglia, where she was mentored by the Scottish poet George MacBeth.

Margaret loves traveling the world with her daughters, who are épée fencers, and living in Santa Monica, California, with her husband and two bad beagles.

Kami grew up outside of Washington DC, wore lots of black, and spent hours writing poetry in her journals. She has always been fascinated by the paranormal and believes in lots of things “normal” people don’t. She’s very superstitious and would never sleep in a room with the number “13” on the door. When she is not writing, Kami can usually be found watching disaster movies, listening to Soundgarden, or drinking Diet Coke.

Kami has an MA in education, and taught in the Washington DC area until she moved to Los Angeles, where she was a teacher & Reading Specialist. In addition to teaching, Kami was a professional artist and led fantasy book groups for children and teens. She still lives in LA with her husband, son, daughter, and their dogs Spike and Oz (named after characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

Genre:
Teen Supernatural Romance

Reading Level/Interest:
Grades 9 & up

Books Similar to Beautiful Chaos:

• Everneath by Brodi Ashton
• Shiver by Maggie Steifvater
  

Awards & Recognition:
From Amazon.com:
"This richly imagined series has all the elements of a successful Southern gothic supernatural romance....The ambiguity of good and evil adds appealing complexity....Genre fans will love it." (VOYA ) 

Plot Summary:
Katsa is not like any other girl in the seven kingdoms. In her world, certain children, of gracelings, are blessed with gifts called graces where some are gifted with the art of music, dancing, cooking, etc. For Katsa, her grace is the art of killing; everyone knew Katsa was a graceling because of the color of her eyes: one green and one blue. When she accidentally killed her lecherous cousin, she thought her life was over and then her uncle, King Randa, took a chance on her. Rather than fearing her gift, he decided to use her as a weapon; whenever the kingdom was threatened, or Randa wanted someone dead, it was Katsa's job to see it through. Katsa never wanted her gift, nor did she want to have the responsibility to take human lives, but when she learned of the injustices that were occurring in the neighboring kingdoms, she decided to use her gift for greater good. With the help of her cousin, Prince Raffin, the head spy for Randa, Oll, and Giddon, a noble, she created The Council whose sole purpose was to protect the people from those who prey upon them. The riskiest aspect of the group's formation is that every meeting, every mission, and every detail must be kept secret and no one could tell King Randa. The latest mission from the Council is to retrieve the grandfather prince, Tealiff, from King Murgon. Although no one knows why the elderly grandfather of King Roc of Lienid would be kidnapped, Katsa and the Council set out to find those responsible. Although three of the neighboring kingdoms don't get along, the possibility of alliances forming to overthrow the other kingdoms is very likely. However, during the rescue mission, Katsa meets as a formidable opponent, named Po, who is not only the grandson of Prince Tealiff, but a powerful graceling just like her. The more she gets to know Po, she starts to realize her own vulnerabilities, which help her realize that she is not the monster that people make her out to be. As Po and Katsa set off to find Prince Tealiff's kidnapper, they not only learn the truth about a beloved King, they also learn the horrors that befalls those he ensnares.

Critical Evaluation:
Graceling is an amazing adventure filled with mystery, love, tragedy and triumph. Kristin Catshore has written an addictive story where the heroine is not only extraordinary, but incredibly insecure and vulnerable. Although this idea can be said about a lot of strong women, Katsa's experiences and skill convey just how complicated she really is. Known as lady killer, Katsa is seen as someone to fear. Although people avert her eyes, and her wrath, we, as the reader, have the chance to see Katsa as someone with good intentions, courage, and strength. Yeah, so she can break an arm with twist or snap a neck with a flick, she is finally given the opportunity to do something she never though she could do...control her power. I absolutely love the dynamic between the characters simply because they make up the family that Katsa never had. Her cousin, Raffin, is just downright adorable because he is the complete opposite of Katsa, which makes him endearing. Po, just like Raffin, is also the exact opposite, but in a good way. There is that age old phrase that opposites attract, but for Po and Katsa, that phrase doesn't do them any justice. For the first time in her life, Katsa is beginning to feel something more for Po than Raffin. Although she has said she would never marry or have children, Katsa forgot one major element when it comes to marriage and a family: love. Although Giddon proposed marriage to her, she refused because she didn't see her life as a queen and because she didn't love him. Granted, Katsa is a bit of a newbie when it comes to the opposite sex, readers see that she is falling in love with Po, which not only proves that Katsa is like any other human: she wants to love and be loved. What makes this book amazing is the character development, action, and plot twist so readers will be begging for the next book.

Information about the Author:
According to her blog:

I grew up in the countryside of northeastern Pennsylvania in a village with cows and barns and beautiful views from the top of the hill and all that good stuff. I lived in a rickety old house with my parents, three sisters, and a scattering of cats, and I READ READ READ READ READ. I read while brushing my teeth, I read while chopping parsley, the first thing I reached for when I woke up in the morning was my book; the only two places I didn't read were in the car and in bed. What did I do then? The one thing I liked even more than reading: I daydreamed.

At 18 I went off to college-- thank you, Williams College, for the financial aid that made this possible-- and it almost killed me. College is hard, man, and the Berkshires are cloudy. A (phenomenal) year studying abroad in sunny Sydney revived me. After college I developed a compulsive moving problem: New York City, Boston, Cambridge, Austin, Pennsylvania, Italy, and even a short stint in London, where my showerhead hung from the cutest little stand that was exactly like the cradle of an old-fashioned telephone. The best phone calls are the pretend phone calls made from your telephone tub.

During my stint in Boston, I got an M.A. at the Center for the Study of Children's Literature at Simmons College. (Thank you, Simmons, for the scholarship that made this possible!) Grad school almost killed me, but I felt a lot more alive than when I was almost being killed in college. The Simmons program is stupendous. It got me thinking and breathing YA books. It got me writing.

Genre:
Teen Fantasy, Teen Adventure

Reading Level/Interest:
Grades 8 & up

Books Similar to Graceling:

• Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
• Divergent by Veronica Roth 

 Awards & Recognition:

• 2009 William C. Morris Debut Award Finalist 
• California Young Reader Medal Award Winner
• Starred review Publisher's Weekly (7/1/2008)
• Starred review Kirkus Review (9/1/2008)
• Starred review School Library Joural (10/1/2008)

After burying Macon, Lena is plagues with grief and regret. Although Lena survived her sixteen moon/birthday without having to choose if she will be a dark or light caster, her powers, as a natural are growing rather quickly. For Ethan, this last year has turned his whole world upside down and it seems like he is losing everyone he loves, including Lena. Although Ethan's father was able to get the help he needed to cope with his wife's loss, everyone, and everything, is changing. In fact, Amma has even stopped doing her crossword puzzles and drowns her sorrows in her cooking. It seems that ever since that fateful night, and Macon's death, an uncertain and disturbing series of events are making their way to Gaitlin. Although their relationship is at a stand still, Ethan refuses to give up on Lena and hopes that she will eventually bounce back. However, when a new caster, and Ridley make their way back to Ravenwood, its obvious they are up to something or Lena is not in her right mind. Furthermore, the visions have returned and without Macon to decipher the mystery behind, Ethan is on his own to uncover the mystery behind the Ravenwood curse. Not only does this task seem impossible, Marian could not be directly involved and Lena was not available, or willing, to help Ethan. Unfortunately, when Lena makes a rash decision to leave Gatlin with Ridley and John, a hybrid Incubus, Ethan not only feels abandoned, but leads him to think Lena no longer loves him. Unable, and unwilling, to let Lena go, Ethan enlists the help of his best friend, Link, and Keeper-in-Training, Liv, to not only go on a deadly journey beneath the Tunnels, but find the location of the Great Barrier. What they weren't counting on is the lethal group of incubuses, Serafine, and Abraham Ravenwood and their plot to force Lena to claim herself.

Critical Evaluation:
I have been this saying this a lot, lately, but I could not put this book down. I cannot express how much I love this southern-Gothic tale where secrets, magic, and danger lurk in every corner. Compare to some sequels that I read, I was really, really frustrated with the situation, which means that this story is only going to get more exciting. Lenna's characters is so grief-stricken that she literally convinces herself to leave everything because of the death of Macon. In fact, she is heartbroken that she takes it upon herself to leave everything behind to protect those she loves. Meanwhile, Ethan, who is just falling apart, refuses to give up on Lena because he knows, deep down, that something, or someone, is trying to convince Lena that she is bad. What he doesn't realize is that she is doing it out of love, which, to him, makes him more determined to save her because she was the one who brought him back to life. Readers will find themselves angry and frustrated because, like the main characters, we want Lena and Ethan to be together because love knows no bounds. However, we do get one very unexpected surprise in regards to forbidden love, which not only makes Lena and Ethan more determines to fight for their love, but bring an end to the nonsense between mortals and casters. I will re-iterate that the reason why I love this premise so much is because not only is the Civil War engrained in the community of Gatlin, it is also going on in the caster world. Civil Wars are never, ever worth fighting in any world since all it leaves is a path of destruction where people die and misery thrives. I am very, very excited about the next installment because with the re-appearance of Abraham Ravenhood, the battle is only going to get worse. I sincerely hope Lena, who claims herself both light and dark, will learn to control her powers.

Information about the Author:
According to their website:

Margaret is a veteran of the video-game industry, and after working with Activision (now Activision Blizzard) and Westwood Studios (now Electronic Arts), Margaret became a cofounder of 7 Studios with her husband, Lewis Peterson. She has previously been nominated for Most Innovative Game Design at the Game Developers Conference.

A graduate of Amherst College, where she won the Knox Prize for English Literature, Margaret earned a master’s degree in English from Stanford University and completed coursework for a doctorate in American Studies at Yale University. Margaret was a teaching assistant in Romantic Poetry at Stanford and in Film Studies at Yale. She attended the Creative Writing program of the University of East Anglia, where she was mentored by the Scottish poet George MacBeth.

Margaret loves traveling the world with her daughters, who are épée fencers, and living in Santa Monica, California, with her husband and two bad beagles.

Kami grew up outside of Washington DC, wore lots of black, and spent hours writing poetry in her journals. She has always been fascinated by the paranormal and believes in lots of things “normal” people don’t. She’s very superstitious and would never sleep in a room with the number “13” on the door. When she is not writing, Kami can usually be found watching disaster movies, listening to Soundgarden, or drinking Diet Coke.

Kami has an MA in education, and taught in the Washington DC area until she moved to Los Angeles, where she was a teacher & Reading Specialist. In addition to teaching, Kami was a professional artist and led fantasy book groups for children and teens. She still lives in LA with her husband, son, daughter, and their dogs Spike and Oz (named after characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

Genre:
Teen Supernatural Romance

Reading Level/Interest:
Grades 9 & up

Books Similar to Beautiful Darkness:

• Everneath by Brodi Ashton
• Shiver by Maggie Steifveter

Awards & Recognition:

Review quotes from Amazon.com

"The authors ground their Caster world in the concrete, skillfully juxtaposing the arcane, magical world with Gatlin's normal southern lifestyle. . . Fans will devour this latest book and plead for more." (VOYA, starred review )

"The southern gothic atmosphere, several new characters, and the surprising fate of one old favorite will keep readers going until the next book, which promises new surprises as "18 moons" approaches." (Booklist )

"This engrossing must-have sequel...will leave readers clamoring for the next installment." (School Library Journal )

"Readers eager to revisit Ethan and Lena's romantic tension and learn more about the Caster world and the Ravenwood family legacy will find satisfaction here." (Kirkus ) 

Plot Summary:
Nikki Beckett has finally returned home after 100 years in Everneath. During these 100 years, Cole, an immortal, has been feeding off of her emotions, ridding her of her availability to feel. When she finally awakes, Nikki has a choice to continue down the road to Everneath or go to the Tunnels where she will spend eternity in purgatory. However, the memories that have kept her alive all these years during the Feed, which, for most mortals is unprecedented, is the memory of her boyfriend, Jack, which gives her the will and way to return to this reality, but for only six months. Just like Persephone, who was swept away by Hades, Nikki finds herself face down in the Stop and Go mart, looking like an abandoned dog with no feeling. What Nikki doesn't realize is that during her escape, a Shade from the Tunnels has embedded itself into her, which will, eventually, bring her back to Everneath to endure an eternity of suffering. Although Nikki longs to be with Jack again, her disappearance, and re-appearance, has brought back a lot of pain and regret. However, Cole refuses to let her go. In fact, he takes it upon himself to enroll in her high school to not only taunt Jack, but to make warn Nikki that it's better to be in Everneath with him. What she doesn't know is that Cole has a secret agenda for Everneath, which involves war and rebellion and Nikki is the key to his ambitions. Knowing that her time is limited, Nikki has to make a choice: let go of her life and return with Cole or fight for the life and love she once had. The ending of this story is only the beginning.

Critical Evaluation:
I will not lie when I say that I absolutely, positively love Greek mythology. The moment I picked up Edith Hamilton's, Mythology, I have always been interested in Greek myths. When I saw that Everneath is based on the tale of Hades and Persephone, I was curious to see this played out during modern times and teenagers. Unlike the actual tale, Persephone was swept away instantly by Hades without any notice or choice. What I love about these "spins" is that readers actually get an insight into the thoughts and minds of the characters, which helps them see the thought-processes of these characters. Although Greek myths were written quite a long time ago, the modern story arc and use of prose leaving the tales rather stale. However, Brodi Ashton has managed to re-invent this story where the modern Persephone is given the opportunity to change her fate unlike the classical Persephone. Furthermore, this Persephone is much more complex, which makes her very, very human even though she is Forfeit. By intertwining another famous Greek myth (Orpheus and Eurydice), Brodi gives readers yet another alternative where Jack (aka Orpheus) chooses not to look back, but sacrifices himself to keep Nikki with her family, out of the tunnels, and free from Cole. Although the original Orpheus screwed up by looking back, Jack did the opposite by going forward. This story is about redemption, love, and courage where two young people will sacrifice everything to be together and, despite the whole gushy romance stuff, makes one heck of an entertaining story. In my opinion, Romeo and Juliet have nothing on Jack and Nikki and readers will be starving for the next installment, Everbound.

Information about the Author:
According to her blog:

Because of two parents who were Greek myth geeks, I grew up thinking the latest fashion trends were inspired by Aphrodite, and a good conversational opener was, “So, which mythological character do you most resemble?” Despite these social shortcomings, I found a great husband who’s always my first reader. We live in Utah with our two young boys, who still have no idea why I'm at the computer all the time.

I received a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Utah and a Master’s degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics.

Genre:
Teen Supernatural Romance


Reading Level/Interest:
Grades 9 & up

Books Similar to Everneath:

• The Space Between by Breanna Yovanoff
• Matched by Ally Condie

Awards & Recognition:

Review Quotes from Amazon.com:

"I was pulled under by this bittersweet, beautiful retelling of the Persephone myth. Ashton's lovely storytelling and strong-on-her-own-terms main character set this one apart. Wonderful!"--Ally Condie, author of the MATCHED trilogy

"Ashton's debut, is complex and intriguing. Drawing inspiration from such myths as Osiris, Orpheus, and Persephone, it explores the nature of loss and longing and what it means to be alive."--Publishers Weekly

"Enthralling and suspenseful, EVERNEATH is pure indulgent escapism!"--Becca Fitzpatrick, New York Times bestselling author of HUSH, HUSH and CRESCENDO

"The author brings a fresh, innovative concept to young adult fiction with well-developed characters and a fantastic plot line .... Libraries are advised to buy multiple copies-this one will fly off the shelves."--Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (Starred Review)


"The powerful emotions, moving and painful rebuilding of strained relationships, and star-crossed love story is sure to resonate with teen readers."--School Library Journal

Hello, everyone!

 

Plot Summary:
Balsa is a great warrior whose mission in life is to save eight souls by working as a bodyguard. One day, as she passes through a new country, she ends up saving the life of the second Prince, Chagum. What looked like an accident, Balsa learns from Chagum's mother, the Second Queen, that the Mikado (Chagum's father)  is trying to kill his own son. The reason why the Mikado is doing this is because Chagum has been possessed by a water demon that could plague the land with a deadly drought. In order to save the people, Chagum must die. However, unwilling to sacrifice her son, the Second Queen asks Balsa to be the Chagum's guardian for the rest of his life. Although Balsa initially declines, she sees the Queen's desperation and reluctantly accepts her offer. After all, if she protects Chagum, he will be the eight soul to complete her mission. When Balsa and Chagum make their escape, they are hunted by elite warriors called "The Hunters" whose sole purpose is to retrieve the Prince and bring him back. While the entire kingdom mourns the death of the Prince, the head tutor, a star reader named Shuga,and the head star reader, are not convinced that murdering the boy is the right solution so they set out to find an alternative by researching a hidden text that reveals the legend that founded the kingdom. As time goes by, Chagum learns the life of a commoner, which is not only hard work, but enlightening and invigorating. Furthermore, he is making life long friends, which is something he has never had before. What Balsa did not count on is that she is slowly starting to care for this young boy, which forces her to reminisce about her own past and the man who raised her. As the story shifts from the past and present, Chagum learns about his destiny and Balsa faces the ultimate challenge of her life.
   

Critical Evaluation:
Moribito is a visually-stunning piece of work. I was completely blown away by the landscapes, the colors, and the use of technology. There were many times that I wish I could walk through my television so I could be a part of the city and the country. I have yet to read the manga, but I now I can't wait because the story is just absolutely beautiful. In many ways, I can relate to Balsa who is not only my age, but she is a strong, independent, and powerful woman who is willing to lay her life down for a complete stranger. The relationship between Balsa and Chagum is absolutely inspiring because although Chagum is not Balsa's child, she immediately accepts and treats him like he is her own. I truly believe that the nature of women is wonderfully portrayed because not only is Chagum an innocent child surrounded by treachery, he is in the exact same position she was fifteen years ago. Viewers will eventually learn about Balsa's past, which not only conveys why she took this mission, but how she will never, ever abandon Chagum. The action is amazing because it is not every day one sees the hero wielding a spear. I believe one of the warriors called the spear a weapon of a footman, which doesn't require skillful repairs; therefore, proving how formidable Balsa is. I also appreciate the fact that she is in appropriate attire for a warrior since other animes/manga tend to put their female characters in short skirts or wearing hardly any clothing at all. Balsa is beautiful, but, besides her pretty face, its her heart that makes he gorgeous.


Information about the Producer:
According to Wikipedia:

Kenji Kamiyama  was born on March 20, 1966 in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, is a Japanese anime director. He has worked regularly with the anime studio and production enterprise, Production I.G, such as his work on Jin-Roh, Patlabor, Blood: The Last Vampire, and for whom he has directed the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex anime television series, which was followed on into a second season, Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG and a TV movie, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society.

After working as a background artist for productions such as Akira and Kiki's Delivery Service, he joined Team Oshii at Production I.G, contributing the screenplay of Blood: The Last Vampire and working as animation director for Jin-Roh. In 2002 he made his directorial debut with MiniPato, followed by Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG. In 2007, after almost six years of work on the Stand Alone Complex world, he directed the TV series Guardian of the Sacred Spirit and Eden of the East.

Genre:
Teen Anime

Rating:
TV-14

Number of Episodes:
26


Anime Similar to Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit:

• Nabari No Ou
• Mushi Shi