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The Worst Ronin: 09/16/24
The Worst Ronin by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Faith Schaffer (Illustrator) (2024) is an odd page turner about two young women saving a village and sticking it to the man. Although the graphic novel is set in a pre-car, pre-train Japan, cellphones, television, the internet, and computers exist. It feels like a modern companion piece to Oh Edo Rocket. Chihiro wants to be a samurai but the presigeous academy has only ever accepted one girl. Now she's hired her to go to a village where children have gone missing. Even with texting, Chihiro is in the dark about the tragedy that has befallen her family in her absence. It's not the glamorous life Chihiro was expecting, nor is the ronin the dashing hero she expected. The war was hard on her and she has taken to drinking in excess to dull the painful memories. Despite the jarring inclusion of some modern technology the graphic novel is a roller coaster. It's a quick read that goes through humor, tragedy, trauma, and drama. Neither character is particularly lovable but you will find yourself caring for them by the time the novel is finished. Five stars Comments (0)
1997-2025 Sarah Sammis |
