The Very Unfortunate Wish of Melony Y..., Waka T. Brown
The Very Unfortunate Wish of Melony Y..., Waka T. Brown
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The Very Unfortunate Wish of Melony Yoshimura

Author: Waka T. Brown

Narrator: Chieko Hidaka

Unabridged: 6 hr 52 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/18/2023


Synopsis

2024 Oregon Book Award winnerIn this magical and chilling Coraline-esque retelling of the Japanese folktale “The Melon Princess and the Amanjaku,"" one girl must save herself—and her loved ones—from a deceitful demon she befriended.Melony Yoshimura’s parents have always been overprotective. They say it’s because a demonic spirit called the Amanjaku once preyed upon kids back in Japan, but Melony suspects it’s just a cautionary tale to keep her in line. So on her twelfth birthday, Melony takes a chance and wishes for the freedom and adventure her parents seem determined to keep her from.As if conjured by her wish, the Amanjaku appears. At first, Melony is wary. If this creature is real, are the stories about its destructive ways also real? In no time, however, the Amanjaku woos Melony with its ability to shape-shift, grant wishes, and understand her desire for independence. But what Melony doesn’t realize is that the Amanjaku’s friendship has sinister consequences, and she quickly finds every aspect of her life controlled by the demon’s trickery—including herself.Melony is determined to set things right, but will she be able to before the Amanjaku turns her life, her family, and her community upside down?

About Waka T. Brown

Waka T. Brown was the first American born in her family. She is a Stanford graduate with a master’s degree in secondary education. She’s currently an instructor at the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE), authoring curriculum on several international topics and winning the Association for Asian Studies’ national Franklin R. Buchanan Prize. She’s also been awarded the United States–Japan Foundation and EngageAsia’s national 2019 Elgin Heinz Outstanding Teacher Award for her groundbreaking endeavors in teaching about US-Japan relations to high school students in Japan and promoting cultural exchange awareness. She lives with her family in Portland, Oregon.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Hamed

معیار من برای کتاب های رده middle school کتاب پلی به ترابیتیا هست و درمقایسه، The very unfortunate... فقط یه ضربه کُشنده با ۵ ستاره فاصله داشت. شایدم کمتر. برای الهام از داستانهای فولکلور اول وفاداری به فولکلر و بعداً بسط دادن بهش باید رعایت بشه که اینجا بینقص انجام شد. به علاوه فضای وهم آور خاص ژاپن......more

Goodreads review by Jennie

Life has thrown some major curve balls at me and I needed something whimsical and captivating to help me escape. I was scrolling through the new releases on my Libby app and found this book. Yes, the cover is what got me. It's fantastic! I checked it out and was completely mesmerized by the story. I......more

Goodreads review by Mikala

The comparison to Coraline in the blurb snapped up my attention...and I was not disappointed 👌 This book is honestly surprisingly nuanced and deals with serious topics all while being told through a fantasy lens.. A really layered look at being around middle school age and the pressures of living in......more

This is my first contact with this author's work and I've become a fan. I grew up immersed in Japanese culture, sports (Kendo), and pop-culture, and anime, and I have a passion for their folklore and legends, but I'm not Japanese. I just always felt drawn to it. I can never refuse a good novel focus......more