Description
Book Synopsis**A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
**Recommended by the New York Public Library among its list of '50 Best New Comics for Adults' in 2023
What happens when the living risk their lives to save the souls of the dead?Every summer, in an isolated Japanese village, a celebration known as the
Festival of Shadows takes place. The villagers are entrusted to assist the troubled souls or "shadows" of those who died tragically, and to help them come to terms with their deaths and find eternal peace.
Naoko, a young girl born in the village, is given a year to save the soul of a mysterious young man. She develops strong feelings for her shadow—a handsome young man, an artist—but he seems haunted by a terrible secret. She has a year to find out what happened to him, to help him come to terms with his past, and if she fails, his soul will be lost forever…
As the year goes by, Naoko finds herself teetering between the worlds of the living and the dead. What is the terrible secret that seems to be haunting her shadow? And could she be risking her own life to help someone who has already lost his?
Naoko puts her own life on the line to save the soul of this man she loves, in an exciting, moving and beautifully drawn story that takes the reader on a journey from the beautiful Japanese countryside to glamorous Tokyo art world.
Trade Review"…a beautifully drawn graphic novel. It felt authentic and whimsical, which fit perfectly with the story. But this story isn't always playful…The story deals with grief and loss and what happens to us after…" --
Heather, Nine Bookish Lives, bookstagram"Hyper-detailed watercolor and ink art by Sento (
Onibi: Diary of a Yokai Ghost Hunter) painstakingly reproduce traditional Japanese elements such as shoji screens, tatami mats, kimonos, and housecoats, and portrayals of the shadows evoke a dreamlike blur. Via Naoko's romantic and intimate voice, Sento explores themes of grief, heartache, and loss, coalescing into a sensitively told supernatural tale. Ages 14 and up." --
Publishers Weekly"Atelier Sento, French duo Cecile Brun and Olivier Pichard, have once again delivered a beautifully illustrated tale of Japan, commenting on the power of place and intergenerational trauma whilst reminding readers of the consequences of rural depopulation and modernity.…Well suited for high-school and college readers interested in traveling to rural Japan with a brief stop in Tokyo." --
Booklist
