2024 Oregon Book Award winner In this magical and chilling Coraline-esque retelling of the Japanese folktale âThe Melon Princess and the Amanjaku,"" one girl must save herselfâand her loved onesâfrom a deceitful demon she befriended.
Melony Yoshimuraâs parents have always been overprotective. They say itâs because a demonic spirit called the Amanjaku once preyed upon kids back in Japan, but Melony suspects itâs just a cautionary tale to keep her in line. So on her twelfth birthday, Melony takes a chance and wishes for the freedom and adventure her parents seem determined to keep her from.
As if conjured by her wish, the Amanjaku appears. At first, Melony is wary. If this creature is real, are the stories about its destructive ways also real? In no time, however, the Amanjaku woos Melony with its ability to shape-shift, grant wishes, and understand her desire for independence. But what Melony doesnât realize is that the Amanjakuâs friendship has sinister consequences, and she quickly finds every aspect of her life controlled by the demonâs trickeryâincluding herself.
Melony is determined to set things right, but will she be able to before the Amanjaku turns her life, her family, and her community upside down?