A review by jnishi
The Pearl Hunter by Miya T. Beck

4.0

This book was wonderful. I am so happy that I am finally beginning to see my Japanese culture (I’m 1/2 Japanese) portrayed in children’s literature. I loved the mythology and the characterization. I loved seeing how Kai grew as a person to the point that the Kai at the end doesn’t reflect who she was at the beginning at all. There are some deeply bittersweet moments that gutted me. That ending! Oh that ending! I understand why it had to be that way because magic always has consequences but it kind of broke my heart because of how much Kai changed. I love how strong Kai was as a character. She knew herself and you don’t always see that in MG lit. There’s the sweetest inclusion of that butterfly in the stomach first love/ crush feeling and the wee bit of romance was well balanced with the action and adventure. Now there is some mentions of suicide at the beginning of the story that caused some readers to rate this book lower. But keep in mind Medieval Japan was very much a Shame-Honour culture and in those days this wouldn’t be as crazy a thought as it rightly is now in our modern culture. So for Kai who feels such shame and regret for the death of her sister, taking into consideration the cultural context of the period, her reaction isn’t as shocking as we would find it today. Honestly a solid adventurous read.