Deadly Flowers

Reviewed by: Jill O'Connor - North Yarmouth Academy, Yarmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 7, 2017

Review

With the seldom-written about topic of female ninja, this book twists and turns and takes the reader on a heart-stopping, magical ride. The story is appropriate and entertaining for an audience of sixth grade and up. Kata has been training as a ninja, one of Madame Chiyome's "deadly flowers," since she was 3; it is the only life that she really remembers and one that she lives with the utmost seriousness. At 15, Kata is assigned her first mission. She must work with Saiko,a newly arrived recruit who is a warlord's daughter and seemingly unfit for a ninja's life. When the mission goes horribly wrong, Kata is saddled with Saiko, her 10-year-old brother, Ichiro, and a pearl containing the soul of a demon; a pearl which must be protected at all costs lest it fall into the wrong hands. With fast-paced action and many narrow escapes, Thompson weaves a story imbued with early Japanese folklore and paints a picture of life lived in the feudal towns during 16th century Japan. A page-turner and the set up for a second book. Highly recommended, especially to those girls who are told that only boys were/could be part of this stealthy, mysterious world.

Overall Book Score: very good