The Night Parade

by Kathryn Tanquary

"I thought you might sleep through it." The creature smiled.
Saki's voice was little more than a whisper. "Sleep through what?"
It leaned over. She stared into its will-o'-the-wisp eyes.
"The Night Parade, of course."

The last thing Saki Yamamoto wants to do for her summer vacation is trade in exciting Tokyo for the antiquated rituals and bad cell reception of her grandmother's village. Preparing for the Obon ceremony is boring. Then the local kids take interest in Saki and she sees an opportunity for some fun, even if it means disrespecting her family's ancestral shrine on a malicious dare.

But as Saki rings the sacred bell, the darkness shifts. A death curse has been invoked...and Saki has three nights to undo it. With the help of three spirit guides and some unexpected friends, Saki must prove her worth--or say goodbye to the world of the living forever...

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Japan, Mythology, Young Adult, Magic, Childrens

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 5, 2016

Reviews

[Mohadese · Rating 4 out of 5]

امتیاز من: ۳.۵
رژه شبانه برای دوست‌داران انیمه یه پیشنهاد عالیه.
فضای کتاب بسیار شبیه انیمه‌ی "شهر اشباح" هست.
فضاسازی کتاب برای من زنده و جذاب بود.
ترجمه هم بسیار روان و خوب بود.
قبل از این کتاب از فانتزیای ژاپنی "شعله در مه"و"سایه روباه" رو خونده بودم که فضای این دوکتاب بسیار شبیه همه.
اما رژه شبانه برخلاف دوکتاب دیگه امروزی‌تره. ساکی،شخصیت اصلی داستان، وارد دنیای افسانه‌ها و جادو میشه تا نفرینی که گریبان گیرشون شده رو باطل کنه و فقط سه شب وقت داره.
تقابل مدرنیته و سنت به‌خوبی توی کتاب دیده میشه، احتمالا اگه شما هم مثل من و ساکی عادت داشته باشید سالی یک‌بار به روستاهای قدیمی شهرستان‌های پدری یا مادری سر بزنید داستان براتون جذاب‌تر باشه و پیشنهاد می‌کنم این کتاب رو این‌بار همراه با خودتون ببرید و بخونید ^____^
پ.ن۱: رده‌سنی کتاب رو زده ۱۰ سال ولی به نظرم ۱۲ به بالا خوبه شاید بچه ده ساله درک درستی از کتاب نداشته باشه و متوجه یه بخش‌هایی نشه
پ.ن۲: برخلاف دوتا فانتزی دیگه که نام بردم این کتاب اصلا زمینه جنگ و مبارزه و... نداره و بیشتر داره روی فولکور ژاپن مانور میده.
پ.ن۳: سبک، یواش و دوست‌داشتنی بود.

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This adventure was a satisfactory journey into the realm of Japanese mythology with a Dickensian twist. Saki, the protagonist, finds herself dreading a week visiting her grandmother’s rural village to celebrate Obon. After a series of selfish decisions, she finds herself facing a death curse with three nights to find a cure. Assisted by three spirits (hence the Dickensian motif) she journeys along the Night Parade into a realm parallel to ours to learn how to save herself and those she loves. The imagery in this novel was fantastic as was the author’s knowledge and evident love for Japanese culture. The human characters were pretty flat, however, and really detracted from the beautiful story. The spirit characters were much better developed and worth the journey.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book so much! I loved the plot and the writing was awesome. I loved how much Japanese culture was in this book as well. I learned so much and I think that's really great, especially in a Middle Grade book.
I love all the creatures and the mythology.
I liked the characters and I really loved following Saki on her adventure.
I do like the concept of this book more than the actual execution. Saki was border line unlikable at times and while I understand why she was written so bratty, I wish that she wasn't. It was annoying to read about because I knew she was inevitably going to go on her adventure and come back a better person. I would have liked this book so much more if she had just been a nice person to begin with.
Overall, even though I had couple of issues with this book, I really enjoyed it. I really loved the creatures and the concept as well as the Japanese culture. I'm definitely going to pick up a hardcover copy when it's released.

[Lata · Rating 3 out of 5]

While enjoyable, this novel reminded me heavily of Studio Ghibli's "Spirited Away". Which was better.
Saki is annoyed to be spending a week with her grandmother during school vacation, where it'll be chores, almost no mobile reception, and just boring, boring, boring. She's resentful, borderline disrespectful, and slapdash in her efforts to prepare things for a festival. When she gets involved with some village kids and lets something evil loose, Saki has three nights, during the spirits' Night Parade, to fix matters. She encounters a variety of spirits each night with a different guide spirit each night: a fox, a tengu and a tanaki. While arguing with her guides, she inadvertently helps other spirits, and begins changing her attitudes and behaviours, becoming more interested in others and willing to give of herself.
Though the story moves quickly, and the spirits were interesting, I'd have to give this 3.5 stars as it was a little less engaging than I expected, probably because I found it difficult not to keep comparing Saki to Chihiru from the Ghibli's movie.

[Abdollah zarei · Rating 3 out of 5]

حس خوب یه داستان به سبک میازاکی

[gio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ebook copy of this book via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/3.75

The night parade was a delightful read. It's smart, funny and such a well-plotted middle grade book that I couldn't help but like it a lot, in spite of it not being my favourite genre anymore.

I really liked that the book showed that the author knows what she is talking about. Not only the book itself is really cute, but the elements that were taken from japanese mythology were interesting. It's the main reason why I think that The night parade could definitely be enjoyable for older people as well. I mean, I'm quite sure that if I had read it when I was younger I wouldn't have understood some things, because the description of some creatures wasn't that simple.

I really liked Saki's three guides, they were so cute and funny. They are my favourite thing of the novel, I swear I'm like half in love with them (which is weird but...still).
The writing was good, not too simple but not too complex either, I think it just fit with the rest of the book. As I said I really enjoyed seeing these elements that were taken from Japanese mythology, it is something that I've always wanted to study, but never could since I was so focused in greek/roman culture. And this book had one of my favourite things ever: Tsukumogami (which proves that spending years watching Digimon isn't wasting time at all.)

So...if I were you I'd give The night parade a chance. Plus the cover is gorgeous. Plus Tsukumogami guys.

[Tasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm having a very hard time reviewing this book. While it certainly wasn't bad, I just didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped I would.
I found the main character, Saki, slightly annoying. Later on I realised, it might've been her age (13 years old). When starting the book I didn't realise it was a middle grade book but it makes sense.

I enjoyed the Japanese mythology and culture mentions. Some words had me a bit confused but luckily my Kindle was able to explain most of them to me.
Another thing I enjoyed was, that the book reminded me of a Studio Ghibli movie, especially Spirited Away. There was just something about the way this book was structured.

Overall I think this is a good book but it just wasn't for me.

[Anahita Solot · Rating 2 out of 5]

متاسفانه انتظار بالایی داشتم و حتی نصفش هم برآورده نشد. خسته کننده بود.
نباید از این کتاب انتظار ژاپنی بودن می‌داشتم.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being totally obsessed with all things Japanese I hoped that The Night Parade would be a book I loved and you know what it did not disappoint at all.

Saki travels with her family to her see her grandmother, a journey that she really doesn't want to take. As a teen she wants a mobile phone signal, wifi and Starbucks not traditional ceremonies and horrible local kids.

The family are their to take part in the Obon ceremony to honour their departed ancestors, during the festivities Saki meets the local "cool" kids who lead her astray within the grounds of the local shrine.

At the shrine the kids get up to no good trying to get in touch with the dead and generally disrespecting the dead which when Saki's parents catches up with her goes down like a lead balloon.

However all that messing about at the shrine has stirred to life an ancient curse and that curse is about to lead Saki on a night time journey through the most fantastical parade on earth with unorthodox guides who are not quite what they seem.

The curse could lead to her leaving the land of the living forever and she needs to follow her guides and her heart to lift the curse before it is too late.

This book is fantastic from the fantastical detail of the parade to the description of the wonderful food. Mainly though it is a nice read, Saki is a typical teen from the big city thinking everyone outside Tokyo is not worth bothering about, her journey on the night parade changes her forever.

A wonderful book that will transport you in to a magical parade.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Paniz Ashrafi · Rating 4 out of 5]

رژه شبانه داستانی فانتزی و ماجراجویی است که به منظور یادبود انیمه‌ی معروف شهر اشباح ساخته‌ی هایائو میازاکی، نوشته شده. با این وجود این کتاب داستانی متفاوت، قهرمانی تازه و شخصیت‌های جدید را معرفی می‌کند و درعین‌حال فضای جادویی مشابه شهر اشباح را در خود نگه داشته.
داستان ماجرای دختری به نام ساکی را روایت می‌کند که مجبور می‌شود در تعطیلات خسته‌کننده‌ای به خانه‌ی مادربزرگ خود برود تا در جشنواره‌ی سالانه‌ی اُبُن شرکت کند. ساکی به دلیل اشتباهی که مرتکب می‌شود مجبور به شرکت در رژه‌ی شبانه می‌شود تا نفرینی که به آن دچار شده را از روی خود بردارد. رژه‌ی شبانه مراسمی است که سه شب به طول می‌انجامد و اشباح از سرتاسر دنیا برای شرکت در این رژه دورهم جمع می‌شوند.
سه شبی که ساکی مهلت دارد تا از نفرین خلاص شود، سه راهنما به کمکش می‌آیند.
این دنیای جادویی و رژه به زیبایی توصیف شده و بهترین جنبه‌ی این کتاب دنیای اشباح است که منحصربه‌فرد و بدون ایراد تصویر شده. فرهنگ ژاپنی در این داستان به کار رفته که شامل موجودات افسانه‌ای و مراسم‌های جذاب می‌شود که به ظرافت ذکر شده.
قسمت‌هایی از داستان که به زندگی ساکی در بیرون از رژه اشاره می‌شود، خسته‌کننده هستند و همین باعث می‌شود که بیش‌ازپیش دنیای اشباح جذاب‌تر به نظر برسد.
مشکلاتی که ساکی به عنوان یک دختر سیزده ساله از سرمی‌گذارند برای مخاطبان این سن ملموس می‌باشد.
رژه‌ی شبانه راهی می‌شود که ساکی شجاعت خود را، حتی در دنیای واقعی، به‌دست بیاورد.
سرعت داستان بالاست و همه‌ی شخصیت‌هایی که ساکی در سفر خود با آنان برخورد می‌کند، به‌نوعی جذاب و منحصربه‌فرد هستند.

برشی از کتاب:
ساکی نفس‌زنان گفت:«این‌طوری... عادلانه... نیست!» نتوانست بیش‌ از این نفسش را خرج کند تا منظورش را برساند.
روباه با صدای واق‌واق‌مانندی قهقهه زد. «عادلانه؟ چرا آدم‌ها اینقدر به فکر عادلانه‌بودن همه‌چیزن؟ اگه به کمک من نیازی نداری، هیچی جلوت رو نگرفته که گلوم رو نبری و پوستم رو مثل غنیمت روی دیوار خونه‌ت نزنی.»

[Cee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I don't know why I wasn't pulled into this book. It has so much that I like-- Japanese culture, Japanese folklore, fantasy elements, character development, etc. I guess I just wasn't feeling it?

Let's talk first about the characters-- or rather character. Saki is our main character who is going on this journey. We see what kind of person she is and she isn't the most likeable, although I really do pity her knowing what her alternatives to her given situation are. Finding a friend group is difficult and once you are in one you can't leave or be ostracized. During her development she takes huge risks which we don't see the conclusion of, which I was most worried about. Yet, there is development which makes her more "likeable." The other characters are pretty much background, except for the spirits who do play more active, but temporary roles.

Storywise this is somewhat like a fairy tale. There is a lesson to be learned, people change, and the relationship between humans and spirits is built upon. For the most part, I really enjoyed the story and the writing. I think it was well plotted and I enjoyed the... I can't think of what it is called, but scenes/actions are looked at differently in the spirit world-- kinda shadowing the real world and what happened. Anyhow, I enjoyed it.

I think my biggest problem is how technology is seen as the enemy. In a story where it is basically traditions v. modern tech, I get it, but I wish it did not need to be framed that way. People can enjoy traditions and older things while still taking part of technology. This is probably what really negatively affected my feelings for the book.

Honestly, I hated how giving up her phone is part of what made her develop into a better person. And "I'll send you letters!" instead of e-mails is stupid. You can draw, scan to the computer and send in an e-mail. I'm so tired of this mindset of how tech is the enemy.

Overall I think it is a good book. I would have preferred a glossary in the back of Japanese terms and spirit names, so that people might understand them better. Also, I really should have waited to read this in the summer since it is such a summer book.
This is a book I will definitely be recommending to other people, especially my friends who studied Japanese.

[Jared Millet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up as an ARC at the 2015 ALA convention and read the whole thing on the flights home. It knocked my socks off and made me immediately want to rewatch all my Hayao Miyazaki DVDs. That's a good thing.

Saki is a typical girl in middle-school obsessed with fitting in with her cohort and making sure she has enough bars on her cell phone. The last thing she wants to do for her summer vacation is travel out to her grandmother's place in the country for the ancient, traditional Obon festivities, which will necessitate being out of touch with everyone she knows except her annoying brother and doing lots of chores. In an attempt to fit in with the local popular kids, she gets tricked into a relatively minor act of desecration in an old cemetery which nevertheless invokes a Death Curse for which Saki is pulled for three nights into the spirit realm on a quest to set things right.

There is so much to recommend about this novel. First off, it's a wonderful adventure story, rich to overflowing with fantastical (and likable) characters. Also, Saki herself makes a great gateway for any children interested in Japanese culture. She's western enough that American readers can easily identify with her, and through her they can experience both traditional Japanese life and the richness of Japan's mythological landscape.

Saki is also an interesting character in her own right. She's neither a horrible, entitled brat, nor is she a goody-two-shoes. Instead, she starts right on the line between being a reasonably good kid and being insufferable, giving her emotional journey both a direction to go and danger to be avoided.

Loved this book. Now I've just got to figure out who to give my ARC to next.

[Maud · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had pretty high expectations. At the same time, whenever I read a YA/MG book based in Japan I always feel a bit disappointed. But nonetheless, I will continue my search for a good one!

With this one I thought that the world building was very interesting and a lot of fun. We follow a girl who has to work through this parade to lift a curse and the whole world (and story) feel very Miyazaki-esq. The world was definitely my favourite part of it.

The rest of it sadly felt a bit bland. I thought that the curse wasn't explained or worked out well enough until nearly the end. Because of this I never felt the same urgency that Saki felt to lift it.
The parts outside of the spirit world weren't really that interesting. It came down to the same thing over and over again (Saki doing something to piss off or disappoint her parents/grandmother). Those parts really dragged for me.
The worst thing about them might not even be the repetition but Saki's interaction with her friends and the local kids. There are some issues mentioned with Saki's friends back in Tokyo but it is never resolved and also never important for the story. At most, it just underlines how underdeveloped some of the characters and plot points actually were. Saki's interaction with the locals feels rushed, there is no base for some of the actions that they take (especially Maeda).

I thought that the Night Parade was well done but with a main character who is very bland who wants to lift a curse that isn't fully explained until the end it is hard to stay invested while reading. It took me a bit more than a month to finish this which is way too long for a book this long (and with big font).

[La La · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! The Imagery was stellar and the story was relatable. This would make a wonderful anime. What a spectacular way to finish up my year in reading! I was approved for this eARC , via Netgalley, in return for an honest review. I will be reviewing this title on both my MG blog, Paper Dragons, and my main blog. I will add the link when it is posted.

[Deniz]

DNF
Just not for me
I really couldn't stand Saki
She was just way to self involved - I tried several time restarted the book on 3 occasions but I just can't get further than 20%

[Yzabel Ginsberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I received an ARC copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)

Although I didn’t find this novel exceptional as far as I am concerned as an adult (simple writing style and predictable character development), I think it would nonetheless make a good read for its intended middle-grade audience.

The story is easy enough to follow. A middle school girl (Saki) forced to spend a few days for a traditional ritual at her grandmother’s, far from her city friends, cell phone and usual activities. Her family’s fairly typical, with her parents and an annoying brother, and Saki immediately comes off as annoying, too, since it’s obvious she’s self-centered and somewhat whiny, and that she associates with people who’re only friends on the surface (out of cowardice more than real nastiness, though: she wants to be popular, and doesn’t dare risk alienating the Queen Bees, so to speak). Not a very likeable character, which however leaves room for growth once she realises that in the country just like in Tōkyō, she needs to cut the crap and stop being such a big baby.

This characterisation is somewhat problematic, in that, as said, Saki’s not very likeable, and possibly difficult for a reader to identify with, because she represents aspects we usually don’t want to acknowledge in ourselves, especially when we’re teenagers: she’s kind of a bully by association, but also weak and ready to do silly things just to avoid being rejected. Her development, in turn, becomes predictable: either she stays like that or she becomes a better person, by learning to pick her friends and stand in the face of the real bullies. (I wasn’t sold on the stereotypical bullies; she’s “friends” with one in the city, then meets another one in her grandmother’s village, and both situations being so similar somewhat made them a bit unbelievable and cliché.)

On the other hand, such an evolution is a positive one, and seeing a character progress and find her own path is always nice. The novel shows how Saki gets to grow up and respect many things she didn’t pay attention to before, including family bonds, through her adventures following the Night Parade. Another good thing is how she’s represented as a young girl/teenager first and foremost, and not as a “look, I’m Japanese” character.

I found the book to be quite reminiscent of a Miyazaki movie (more specifically Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi: the outhouse with the Filth Spirit, the girl having to solve problems in the spirit world in order to atone for a mistake committed in the human world…), but the blend in folklore creatures and myths was less harmonious, and too often felt simply described, rather than vivid (and there’s room for vivid here: some scenes were downright scary, and could have had even more of an impact with just the right amount of storytelling). I suspect it will work much better for younger readers, and not for someone who knows more already. Also, some creatures were called by their Japanese names (tengu, kappa…), while others were in English, like the fox and the ogres; I’m not sure about the reasons behind this choice. That said, the spirits Saki meets on her journey through the sanctuary are interesting, and amusing for some (oddly enough, the tengu more than than tanuki, probably because he was so serious and driven that he ended up sounding funny–gallows humour and all that).

The messages carried through this novel were to be expected: how the modern world intrudes on the ancestral, spiritual one; how younger people are glued to technology (cell phones…) and don’t pay attention to traditions anymore; how it’s so easy to let “bad” people influence us just because we don’t feel brave enough to confront them (too bad we don’t get to see how/if Saki confronted Hana in the end!). It was a bit heavy-handed at times, but that was something I could forgive, because all in all, Saki’s progress remained enjoyable to read about: both as a journey to repair what she had rent in the spirit world, and as a journey in learning to solve problems and expand her view of the world and people in general.

Final rating: 3 to 3.5 stars.

[Yeganeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

هیچ کلمه ای برای توصیف این کتاب پیدا نمیکنم جز اینکه خیلیییی کیوت بود. ^ - ^
باهاش سفر کردم به دوران بچگیم ، به انیمه های هایائو میازاکی و از همه بیشتر به شهر اشباح.
فضاسازی کتاب رو خیلی دوست داشتم‌. برای اینکه همه چی رو دقیق به تصویر بکشم و تو قلبم حک کنم صفحه ها رو چندبار میخوندم.
شیرینی کودکانه ای تو تک تک صفحه های کتاب قابل لمس بود و پر از مفهوم های قشنگ که قلب آدم رو میلروزند.
در کل عاشق کتابش شدم. * - *

[Shahrzad yaghoobi · Rating 2 out of 5]

خب اول از همه بگم که من عاشق کتاب های فانتزی ژاپنی هستم برای همین وقتی موضوع کتاب رو خوندم سریعا کتاب رو خریدم بدون اینکه به رده سنی نگاه کنم. کتاب برای رده سنی بالای 10 سال هستش و برای رنج سنی 10 تا 13 سال کتاب جذابیه ولی برای من یک مقدار کودکانه بود.از نظر من کتاب در سطح متوسط ولی برای یک دور خوندم کتاب خوبی هستش ولی از آنجایی که کتاب اولین کار نویسنده هستش ایرادهای زیادی داره یکی از مشکلات کتاب یکدست نبودن داستانه. شروع کند کتاب و حجم زیاد اتفاقات و سرعت وقوعشون در آخر کتاب باعث میشه یکم به قول معروف رشته کتاب از دست آدم دربره. از طرفی در طول داستان وجود توصیفات زیاد در جاهایی که نیازی نبود و توضیحات کم در ج��هایی که نیاز بود از جذابیت کتاب کم کرده بود. با وجود ایرادهای زیاد کتاب نکات مثبتی هم داره از جمله وجود یکسری دیالوگ جالب بین ساکی و راهنماهاش البته من انتظار شخصیت های جالب تری به عنوان راهنما ها داشتم مخصوصا برای راهنمای دوم . شخصیت اصلی خیلی خوب نوشته شده بود و کاملا شخصیت ساکی به عنوان یه نوجوان امروزی قابل تصور بود. کتاب پر از پند و نکات آموزنده هستش مناسب کودکان.در آخر هم باید بگم ترجمه خانم سمانه افشار حاتم به شدت روان و دلچسبه.

[Eustacia Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I first heard about The Night Parade when Wendy at Literary Feline reviewed it … in 2016. Yes, this has been on my TBR list for four years! But it’s about Obon and Japanese culture so I was definitely going to read it sooner or later.

In The Night Parade, Saki is dragged from her friends in Tokyo to the countryside where her grandmother lives to celebrate Obon. Sulky and pretty much determined not to have fun, she falls in with some of the village kids and rings a sacred bell, invoking a death curse that has to be lifted in three days. If Saki doesn’t find the Moonlight Prince in time, she may never make it back to the human world.

It was great to see a book based on Japanese mythology. I really enjoyed characters such as the nine-tailed fox, the tanuki, the tengu, and even all the Tsukumogami. The concept of all the yokai gathering in a night parade during Obon was an interesting one and I enjoyed it.

I also liked Saki’s character. She’s a sulky teenager at the start of the book but the three nights in the spirit world has definitely had a good effect on her. I wish we could see more but I liked the changes that I saw – especially when it came to her interactions with a bully friend. Japan has quite a serious bullying problem so it was interesting to see it touched upon.

That said, there were a few things about the book I didn’t quite like, some of which is probably due to my nit-pickiness stemming from my time in Japan.

In terms of plot, I thought that the three night quest to find the Moonlight Prince too disparate. There’s a new guide each night and Saki essentially starts from zero so it felt like the second night could be cut out completely without the plot suffering too much. The first night helped set the scene and the third night was all about finding the prince but the second night felt superfluous.

As for language, some of the language felt unnatural. For example, Saki’s grandmother calls her “dear” and a tanuki refers to her as “sweetheart”. Those are perfectly natural in English but there isn’t really a good Japanese equivalent for them. I don’t know if my Japanese skills are on fritz but from my experience, pet names for children tend to involve using “chan” or a nickname based on their name.

I also didn’t quite buy that her parents would ignore Obon for so long. While I only live in Tokyo for a year (and another four in Fukuoka), Obon was a big thing among my classmates at university, in Tokyo and Fukuoka, and from what I understand, a big thing for the Japanese in general. It’s an opportunity to travel back to family and I find it hard to believe that Saki’s parents would just ignore it for years at a time.

Overall, this is a fun book that reminded me of Spirited Away. It’s great to see books that are written with Japanese cultures and although it’s been some time since it’s published, I hope that it can create demand for Japanese middle-grade books to be translated to English. I used to read some to practice my Japanese and there are some really fun stories out there.

This review was first posted at Eustea Reads

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young girl goes with her family to celebrate the night parade obon festival but when she accidentally desecrates her family's shrine with some local children, she is given a death curse. Can she lift the curse before its too late? Read on and find out for yourself.

This was a pretty good middle grade read about family, fairytales and more. If you enjoy these types of stories, be sure to check this book out at your local library and wherever books are sold.

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review

The Night Parade was a fun and enjoyable story. The first few chapters were a bit slow and made it a bit hard to get into the story as most of those take place in the real world and the main character Saki isn't too likeable, especially at first. But once the curse is set and Saki enters the night parade I really enjoyed this book.

Saki is a young girl who has to visit her grandma during summer vacation. Saki is not happy and would much rather be in Tokyo with her friend, who don't really seem nice to me, but hey what do I know. And she isn't happy to spend her time with her grandma which she finds boring and every chance she has she's off to check her phone for messages. And ugh it was a bit annoying, she didn't even try to enjoy herself. I guess it was realistic, but it wasn't fun to read about. Once Saki enters The Night Parade she changes a bit. She makes some mistakes and then later realizes that and set things right, which I thought was awesome. She still wasn't my favourite character, but how she handled herself during the night parade and towards the end of the story certainly improved my opinion of her.

There are a lot of eccentric spirits during the Night Parade, she meets a trickster fox with four tales, a tanuki and a tengu who guide her. She meets a snail who has lost her shell and gets involved in a gross bathroom issue. She meets ogre's and item spirits. And they all had their own motivations and personality quirks. It was fun to see so many characters, although it could be a bit overwhelming at times as there were so many characters and most only played a small part. I especially liked her three guides as those played a larger part and we got a better feel for them.

There are some characters who could've used a bit more depth, like her little brother. Who was a pretty cliché whiny brother who only wanted to play video games. There's also a plot line involving her friend back in Tokyo, which never gets resolved, although I guess it was more about Saki her involvement with it all, it would've been interesting to hear what happened or how things would change when she got home.

The Night Parade is filled with Japanese folklore and myths, lots of spirits are based on existing folklore creatures or yokai and it was very interesting to see the author her take of it. I think the concept of the night parade is also loosely based on a Japanese myth, but to me it felt that the take was original and there is some world building of the author her own doing as well. At times it could be a bit confusing with how the spirit world and the real world were intermingled or combined and where the one ended and the other began, but at the end things got a bit clearer and the rest is left in mystery, which was fine by me.

To conclude: The Night Parade is a fun and enjoyable book filled with adventure and a young girl who has to lift a death curse. There are lots of quirky and eccentric characters who she meets along the way and I liked how all the spirits were based at least partly in Japanese folklore and mythology. I didn't like Saki much at first and struggled a bit through the first few chapters, but she changes as the story continues and I started to like her more, I especially liked how she acted towards the end and she correct her mistakes and right her wrongs. All in all a fun and enjoyable story.

[Kimberly (Book Swoon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diverse and beautifully written, The Night Parade offers something wonderful to children's literature.

When I first saw the cover for The Night Parade, I fell in love with it. After reading it,
I had all those warm satisfied feelings you get of a story well told. A story filled with odd and strange creatures straight from Japanese folklore. Beautiful family traditions blended with dark enchantments, and young heroine, one that is a bit spoiled and self-centred, who ends up on a quest to right a curse she unleashes and along the way discovers the importance of family and honoring traditions. 

I like to challenge myself and read from various genres and age groups. The Night Parade ended up being a perfect choice as it introduces some of the most curious creatures and spirits from Japanese lore that I have recently come across. I was thoroughly entertained, enchanted even as the protagonist Saki maneuvers between a setting of present-day Japan and the world of spirits. 

If you can imagine the something along the lines of Spirited Away meeting A Christmas Carol, you might just get a glimmer of the fantastically odd and beautiful story The Night Parade is. Saki meets some unique characters, spirit-helpers, who try to assist her on her quest to unbreak a terrible curse she accidently invokes. They lead her to what is known as The Night Parade, and from there is only gets better, stranger and lovelier. 

People sometimes wonder why an adult would read middle-grade titles. Well, besides reading them with my children, I tell them it is for the lovely escape they offer and often, the wonderful values that you can find in them like hidden jewels. I miss that sometimes. The Night Parade completely delivered a fantastic read and what an introduction to new author Kathryn Tanquary's writing! 

Highly recommended!!

Notable Scene

As they stepped from the forest to the Pilgrim’s Road, Saki turned her head in wonder. More spirits than she could count stretched as far as she could see, filtering in from a dozen smaller trails. The fox sprang forward, and Saki leaped to catch up. If she focused on the dusty gravel at her feet and not the hundreds of pairs of eyes that watched her as she darted past, she might not be so afraid. The fox slowed with the rest of the traffic as another pair of trails joined the Pilgrim’s Road. Saki let her gaze wander over the procession of spirits climbing up from the other side of the mountain , giant boars with charms and wind chimes dangling from their silver tusks. But these weren’t even the strangest of the lot. 

The Pilgrim’s Road drew creatures of every color and shape. Some had the head of one animal and the body of another. Some looked more like rocks or trees than any breathing creature. Most, however, were nothing more than vague shapes that would fade in and out as if they were tricks of the light. “This is the crossroads,” the fox explained. “All of the paths converge here. This is where the parade truly begins.”

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My original review was posted to my blog at: http://www.literaryfeline.com/2016/01...

The Night Parade by Kathryn Tanquary
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2016
Fantasy (Middle Grade); 320 pgs
Source: NetGalley

I do not often read books that fall into the Middle Grade category, but this one intrigued me--and it came recommended by my friend and fellow blogger, Caspette of Narrative Causality. It was the setting (Japan) and the mention of Japanese mythology that convinced me to give it a try.

Saki is not happy about having to leave Tokyo and her friends to spend her break with her paternal grandmother. There is nothing exciting or worthwhile about spending time in a small village, preparing for an outdated ceremony like Obons, or so she believes. While in an effort to impress the village in-crowd, Saki bends to peer pressure and comes away from the experience embarrassed and bearing a death curse. She has three nights to lift it. Three nights, three spirit guides, and the Night Parade of spirits traveling to the ancestral burial site is nothing Saki has ever experienced before.

What a delightful book The Night Parade turned out to be! I loved every minute of it. I lost myself in the pages and wished I could join Saki on her adventures through the spirit world. The vivid descriptions, the sometimes quirky and always interesting characters, and the world Kathryn Tanquary has created had me under their spell as I read this novel. The story may seem simple on the surface, but it is quite complex when you look at it more closely.

Saki is about twelve or thirteen years old, I think, and on the verge of becoming a teenager and yet still with the innocence of childhood. Like many young and old, Saki is struggling to figure out who she wants to be, having to deal with peer pressure, family obligations, and being true to herself. She is also seeking to find balance between the old and the new: tradition/spiritual and modern times. Each of the obstacles Saki encounters along her path to life, including the curse, help her learn more about herself and choose the direction she wants her life to go.

The mythical beings and spirits are part of what make this novel such a great book, in my mind. I do not know much about Japanese mythology, but this book made me curious enough to do some research. I quite enjoyed getting a glimpse into this part of Japanese culture, finding it both fascinating and humbling.

As you can tell, I was quite taken with The Night Parade. I even read parts to my daughter, when she was willing to listen. I can see her reading it when she's older--and me again too.

[Luna's Little Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the descriptions in The Night Parade and how Kathryn Tanquary built the world for the reader. Some of the spirits, such as the fox, were familiar but most of them I didn’t know.

In part The Night Parade reminded me of Spirited Away, with a young girl on an otherworldly adventure in the spirit world. Extraordinary and magical creatures around her and nothing quite as it seems.

I wasn’t quite as gripped by the book as I expected. Certainly there were moments that I loved but I didn’t connect with Saki as a character. As the story is completely focused on her, with all the other character being bystanders/helpers this was a bit of a problem.

The Night Parade has wonderful world-building for the reader, it’s vivid and Saki goes through many adventures. I enjoyed meeting all the spirits along the way.

[Rachel Bea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, imaginative story. I really disliked the main character at first but as her character grew up and learned some lessons, I liked her more. For me the book became more enjoyable when the Night Parade started and she began interacting with all the different spirits. The object spirits were my favorite! Even though this is juvenile lit, I think the story is dark and interesting enough to please young adults and adults.

[Mobina · Rating 3 out of 5]

امتیاز من : ۲.۵
از اونجایی که من به فرهنگ و مراسم های سنتی کشورهای مختلف علاقه دارم و دوست دارم راجع بهشون بخونم اوایل کتاب رو خیلی دوست داشتم و رسومات مراسم اُبُن برام جالب بود.
فضای کتاب هم خیلی شبیه به انیمه شهر اشباح بود طوری که اولش فکر کردم شاید انیمه اقتباسی از این کتاب باشه. محتوا و پیام کلی کتاب هم مثل اکثر رسانه های مخصوص بچه‌ها مهربانی و دوستی و اینجور چیزها بود و بنظرم اگه توی سن پایین تری میخوندمش بیشتر جذبم می‌کرد.
تا یادم نرفته بگم زیباترین لوگویی که روی یه کتاب دیدم برای این کتابه! فقط به نوع نوشتن عنوان با حروف فارسی نگاه کنید که چجوری به سبک خط ژاپنی نوشته شده.

[La Rayo · Rating 2 out of 5]

خب تو وحله اول اینکه رده سنیش خیلی پایین بود. مناسب ده سال و اینا بود.

دوم اینکه من چقدر کیف کردم با توصیفاتش.
توضیح صحنه‌ها خیلی زیبا بود‌‌.
نویسنده احتمالا توقع داشت ما با موجودات اساطیری ژاپن از قبل آشنا باشیم(نه که یکی دوتان!). برای همین زیاد توصیف نکرده بود موجودات رو و من به مشکل خوردم سرش.

ولی یکم با فرایند داستان به مشکل خوردم.
دلیل یه سری نتیجه‌گیری‌ها رو نمیفهمیدم.
اینجا قابلیت پیشرفت داشت.

اگر ده سالتونه بهتون توصیه میکنم

[Saba jahangiriyan · Rating 4 out of 5]

خب اول باید بگم که فضاسازی این کتاب رو شدیدا می‌پسندم. با فضاسازی جذابش تونسته فضا رو لطیف کنه و حتی توی مواقع ترسناک هم زیاد نمی‌ترسیدم. داستان به نظرم برای دوستان انیمه‌بین قطعا از من جذاب‌تر خواهد بود ولی مترجم به خوبی تونسته بود از پس ترجمه بربیاد و با پاورقی‌های درست و بجاش به خواننده کمک بکنه.
خلاصه که کتاب خوبی بود 😍

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

One summer, thirteen years old Saki was looking forward to hanging out with her friends in Tokyo and have fun, but her parents dragged her to the mountains to visit her grandmother. Stuck with her family, she had no choice but to do her boring chores and participate in the Obon festival. At the night of the festival dance, she met a group of village kids who dared her to join them for a game at the graveyard. Wanting to prove herself as part of the "cool gang", Saki sneaked away from her family to join them. But after that night in the graveyard, things were never the same again.

When Saki goes to sleep, a spirit of the forest visited her and told her that she has a death curse. The only person who can reverse the curse was the Midlight Prince, who lives in a faraway castle. Saki joins the Night Parade, a time when the barrier between the human world and the spirit world is blurred and can be crossed, to visit the Midlight Prince and ask for his help. But there are tricksters, challenges, and grasshopper soldiers that will do anything to prevent Saki from reaching the castle at all costs.

This story was set in Japan during the Obon festival. It's a traditional Buddhist festival that commemorates one's ancestors. It is believed that during this festival the ancestors descend to visit their relatives.The book included some of the ceremonies people do during the festival, and it was really interesting for me to read about it.

Saki is a typical teenager who wanted to fit in with the popular crowd. She was concerned with pleasing the most popular girl in school, she needed to text her friends all the time, and she thought the festival was waste of time. Not to mention that the village where her grandmother lives was too far from civilization. Saki was also lazy; every task given to her was met by a lot of whining and complaining. When she actually begins to do her task, she does it half-heartedly and with shortcuts, she doesn't care about traditions or doing things the proper way.

Saki may not immediately strike you as a likable character, but she is believable. She is not nice and she thinks that people only tries to be nice to her because they feel sorry for her or they want something in return. I thought it's similar to how a lot of kids her age view themselves, especially if they are often bullied at school, or they succumb to peer pressure by pleasing other people in order to feel accepted. Saki was often concerned by her reputation, even in the village where she was only staying for a few days. She opted to hang out with the popular kids rather than the nice, friendly, and quiet girl.

Given her personality, I thought it was wonderful how slowly Saki began to learn that reputation and appearances are not everything. That friendship, working hard, and persevering despite failure are important aspects of growing up. Little by little, Saki began to grow more confident about herself and stood up to the bullies. It was refreshing to see her do the right thing and even appreciated her loving grandmother, volunteering to help without being asked to do so. She may not be completely a changed person by the end of the book, but she is leaving with a better attitude and humility.

I thought the beginning of the story was good. It gave us a picture of Saki's relationship with her family and who she was. The setting of the story was vividly imagined and the adventures were engaging to read. The spirits she met were diverse and unique, it was interesting to read how she interacted with them. It was a great combination of action (during the Night Parade) and some down time (during the daytime). The down time, I thought, was necessary for us to see how much Saki's travels had begun to affect her in real life.

This was a very engaging book. I don't usually pick up titles from the Children's section, but I thought this was a wonderful adventure that can be read by anyone, not just kids. It was whimsical and magical. The Night Parade was full of life and lessons to be learned. I do recommend it for everyone to try :)

[Mirhosseini AmirMahdi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Night Parade
By: Kathryn Tanquary
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Mythology
Rate: [4/5]

I believe it was the cutest book I ever read :D It starts with a creepy teen game and then you find yourself in a world of Japanese Mythology! Ghosts of every kind, beasts and creature you may just see in dreams and fantasy films.
The Night Parade is a 3-day Parade that if it doesn't complete in time, will cause chaos.
Although Tanquary is American, Due to living and working in Japan, dominated over Japanese mythology and because of her studies in Creative Writing, she wrote something I believe memorable.
I might suggest this to:
1. Spirited Away fans
2. Japanese culture fans
3. Anime fans
And also whoever like fantasy adventure :)


رژه‌ی شبانه
نویسنده: کترین تنکری
مترجم: سمانه افشارحاتم
نشر باژ
رژه شبانه اثری دل‌نشین بود برام. کاری که در کنار ترجمه‌ی واقعاً خوبش که حس متن رو هم منتقل می‌کرد، هیجانی جذاب و دل‌پذیر رو به خواننده منتقل می‌کنه.
فکر می‌کنم جایگاه رژه‌ی شبانه از چندین جهت در آقار ترجمه‌ای ایران جایگاه مهمی داشته باشه. اول اینکه شاید به جرئت بشه گفت اولین رمان فانتزی ژاپنی «مستقل» در ایرانه. دوم اینکه نزدیک‌ترین سبک رو به انیمه‌های محبوب به خصوص «شهر اشباح» رو داره و سوم اثریه که مخاطب در طول داستان همراه خودش می‌کشونه.
به عقیده‌ی من، رژه‌ی شبانه یکی از بهترین کارهایی بود که خوندم و این نه براساس ساختار داستان‌نویسی‌ش، بلکه صرفاً به‌خاطر زیبایی و دل‌نشینیه که به من منتقل کرد.
دوست ندارم وارد بحث ساختارشناسی‌ش خیلی بشم. کتاب خیلی می‌تونست ادامه پیدا کنه، پتانسیل بالایی داشت. شخصیت‌هاش اون‌ مقداری که نویسنده قصدشو داشت پردازش شده بودن و فضاسازی خوب‌ش در کنار توصیفات به جا و کافی، جذابیت کار رو بیشتر کرده.
رژه‌ی شبانه جزو لیست آثاریه که به نظرم باید همه بخونن.
امیدوارم به اندازه‌ی من لذت ببرید