"Ancestral magic, metamorphosis, and real-world struggles to fit in — this mythological fantasy adventure is immersive, inclusive and 100% exhilarating"
Written by A.J. Hartley with Hisako Osako and Kuma Hartley, Hideki Smith: Demon Queller sees an American teenager experience a transformational journey from high school humdrum to embracing his Japanese heritage — and his whole self — in a thrilling mythological fantasy that’s rooted in real-world struggles.
Caleb and his sister Emily are two of few half-Japanese students in their small-town high school. With his Japanese American mom resolutely set on adopting his dad’s Anglo ancestry, he doesn’t use his Japanese middle name, Hideki. A self-professed “loser’s loser” who can’t play football, Caleb’s life shifts up a gazillion notches when he accidently burns down his town’s sole historic landmark.
Soon after, in the aftermath of the burning, and an accident at the local fracking plant, Caleb and Emily discover a Shinto shrine in the Great Smoky Mountains. When strange new talents are unleashed in the siblings, they call on their maternal grandmother for help and discover their remarkable Japanese heritage. Heritage that requires them to master their new talents, or else…
Caleb’s self-deprecating narrative brings a whole lot of humour and relatability to the table. He’s a character readers will totally get on board with, gripped by his journey through ancestral myths and magic to find a fresh sense of self after a lifetime of being made to feel like he’s half of something. As such, Hideki Smith: Demon Queller delivers young adult readers a wealth of pertinent emotional and cultural themes alongside being a rip-roaring, myth-driven adventure.
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