A Thousand Steps into Night
by Traci Chee
Adventure
Fantasy
Supernatural
* * * Stars (Pretty good)
Miuko is unexpectedly cursed by a demon one night and has to flee from her home and try to find a way to break the curse before it completely consumes her. Her quest leads her far from home and gives her freedoms and experiences that she would never otherwise have had. When she finds herself in a position to change what happened that night, she discovers that she doesn’t actually want to go back to her old life, but she also feels responsible for the safety and well-being of those who aided and protected her, who will be victims of another demon’s wrath, if she can’t find a way to save them. There’s a plot twist about halfway through that then circles the story back to its beginning, where everything is rehashed (at times unnecessarily), but from another point of view. Fans of Japanese folklore, demons, and fantasy may enjoy this. For high school teens.
Reviewed by YA Librarian