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kblincoln's review against another edition
3.0
A 14 year old son of a tea merchant, Seikei, gets mixed up in a murder and a samurai feud in the Japan of the Shoguns.
Seikei dreams of the impossible; becoming a samurai though he is born into the merchant class. On the Tokaido road, he witnesses a robbery and is sent as a spy to a Kabuki troop by a samurai judge.
I enjoyed the fact that the historical details weren't jarringly wrong; although I had to suspend disbelief quite a lot that a) the Judge Ooka would just overlook his merchant class and give him a sword, wooden or not and b) Nobody but Seikei thought the acrobatic leaping around of a beggar on the road suspicious and c) Seikei's father would just let him go off by himself so easily.
This was an entertaining and very educational book (for middle schoolers). I would definitely recommend it to young boys of my acquaintance.
Seikei dreams of the impossible; becoming a samurai though he is born into the merchant class. On the Tokaido road, he witnesses a robbery and is sent as a spy to a Kabuki troop by a samurai judge.
I enjoyed the fact that the historical details weren't jarringly wrong; although I had to suspend disbelief quite a lot that a) the Judge Ooka would just overlook his merchant class and give him a sword, wooden or not and b) Nobody but Seikei thought the acrobatic leaping around of a beggar on the road suspicious and c) Seikei's father would just let him go off by himself so easily.
This was an entertaining and very educational book (for middle schoolers). I would definitely recommend it to young boys of my acquaintance.
housedesignerking's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I was a tad disappointed at first. The title gave me the impression that there was a real 'ghost'. It's not so much of a spoiler to say it isn't though, because what the 'ghost' really is turned out to make this story much more interesting and fascinating than I had anticipated.
I've always had a penchant for Samurai stories. Samurai Jack (randomly mentioned) was/is one of my all time favorite cartoons. As the creator said, he wanted to create something that both kids and adults could enjoy. It's been one of the shows that I've kept enjoying as I've aged. So I was actually rather excited when I figured out this was a sort of Samurai story. Admittedly, when I purchased this book, I was rushed out of the store, so one could say that this was one of my best accidental purchases, but I digress.
Seikei is the son of a merchant who endeavors to be a Samurai. His merchant father often mocks his interest as there is a tradition that the son must take up the occupation of the father. Seikei is so interested in being a Samurai that he has read up on them. Stories and facts. Mostly history of Samurai's. His father has taken him on a road trip and they are stopped by the Shogun's men (Shoguns were a commander of a force; hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867). Seikei looks out his window and sees the escapade unfolding. A man has taken offense to the Shogun's men but does not perish. When they are finally allowed through, Seikei's father takes room at Takaido Inn. In the night, a theft takes place of a red jewel and at first, a girl (that Seikei had spoken to the night before) and her father are the prime suspects because the jewel is found in their room. It turns out to be a fake and Seikei eventually speaks up about a 'ghost' he saw in the middle of the night when he could not sleep.Judge Ooka is called upon to aid the investigation for Daimyo (Daimyo; is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country) Lord Hakuseki, the one who had been stolen from. The jewel was to be a gift for the Shogun.
Judge Ooka calls upon Seikei to aid in his investigation. They travel to neighboring cities and Seikei is eventually left to 'follow the right path.' Finding himself traveling with a group of actors, the story unfolds.
I learned about the legend of the Jikininki, what a Yishiki is as well as a Shogun and a Daimyo. 5 Stars.
My note:
May 18, 2012:
Pg 75, 35.21% "not exactly sure what to make of this book. It seems to be more about a thief than a 'ghost'"
I've always had a penchant for Samurai stories. Samurai Jack (randomly mentioned) was/is one of my all time favorite cartoons. As the creator said, he wanted to create something that both kids and adults could enjoy. It's been one of the shows that I've kept enjoying as I've aged. So I was actually rather excited when I figured out this was a sort of Samurai story. Admittedly, when I purchased this book, I was rushed out of the store, so one could say that this was one of my best accidental purchases, but I digress.
Seikei is the son of a merchant who endeavors to be a Samurai. His merchant father often mocks his interest as there is a tradition that the son must take up the occupation of the father. Seikei is so interested in being a Samurai that he has read up on them. Stories and facts. Mostly history of Samurai's. His father has taken him on a road trip and they are stopped by the Shogun's men (Shoguns were a commander of a force; hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867). Seikei looks out his window and sees the escapade unfolding. A man has taken offense to the Shogun's men but does not perish. When they are finally allowed through, Seikei's father takes room at Takaido Inn. In the night, a theft takes place of a red jewel and at first, a girl (that Seikei had spoken to the night before) and her father are the prime suspects because the jewel is found in their room. It turns out to be a fake and Seikei eventually speaks up about a 'ghost' he saw in the middle of the night when he could not sleep.Judge Ooka is called upon to aid the investigation for Daimyo (Daimyo; is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country) Lord Hakuseki, the one who had been stolen from. The jewel was to be a gift for the Shogun.
Judge Ooka calls upon Seikei to aid in his investigation. They travel to neighboring cities and Seikei is eventually left to 'follow the right path.' Finding himself traveling with a group of actors, the story unfolds.
I learned about the legend of the Jikininki, what a Yishiki is as well as a Shogun and a Daimyo. 5 Stars.
My note:
May 18, 2012:
Pg 75, 35.21% "not exactly sure what to make of this book. It seems to be more about a thief than a 'ghost'"
librariann's review against another edition
3.0
Ages 9+ (suicide/seppuku, a beheading)
Seikei has always wanted to be a samurai, but he is the son of a merchant. In 18th century Japan, your future is determined by who your family is. While travelling with his father, Seikei is the only witness to a theft. When the judge on the case demands Seikei help him solve the crime, Seikei gets to do things he never dreamed of - ride a horse and carry a sword - almost like a real samurai would. Soon, however, he finds himself in the company of a dangerous troop of kabuki actors. Can he help solve the crime without endangering himself?
Seikei has always wanted to be a samurai, but he is the son of a merchant. In 18th century Japan, your future is determined by who your family is. While travelling with his father, Seikei is the only witness to a theft. When the judge on the case demands Seikei help him solve the crime, Seikei gets to do things he never dreamed of - ride a horse and carry a sword - almost like a real samurai would. Soon, however, he finds himself in the company of a dangerous troop of kabuki actors. Can he help solve the crime without endangering himself?
elsanore's review against another edition
3.0
The Ghost In The Tokaido Inn is an intriguing mystery I read aloud to my 10 and 6 year old children for homeschool. While more violent than our usual fare, we enjoyed following young Seikei as he worked with Judge Ooka to solve a mystery, learning about kabuki theater, tea ceremony, and the samurai code of honor and its clash with Christianity.
Trigger warning: suicide, murder
Trigger warning: suicide, murder
merricatct's review against another edition
3.0
This is a book that we picked up at a used book sale some time ago, and I read it not knowing what to expect. It's definitely a young adult book, and I told my son that I think he'd enjoy it! I wouldn't mind reading the next in the series, especially if I'm looking for a quick read.
anliena's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
madcat29's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
aileenginny's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this story, it was very entertaining. The writing style is very simple and unsophisticated, but the story benefits from this simplicity because you are encouraged to consider the deeper meanings on your own.
tunacullen's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0