3.5 stars to be exact
I had very high expectations about this, maybe a bit too much, especially after I read the prequel which I really enjoyed.
It's not a bad book but it's not the best either and it didn't live up so much to the expectations.
I do like Katie and I think she has a better character than most YA cliché protagonist BUT this book does have a lot of cliché. I usually don't really mind them so much as long as they are not about insta love. And this is the case.
My major problem with the book was basically it because I didn't really grow to love the lovestory or care much about it... I cared more about the mythology and the story itself and I felt a little let down after the first half when I realized that the lovestory was going to be pretty much the main focus.
I liked the first half of the book a bit more but I still want to read the rest of the series anyway.
The idea behind it all was original and I wished she would have focused about that more than the romance but okay, maybe in the next book? XD
One last thing was the constant use of Japanese words. At first I didn't mind them but towards the end it was starting to get on my nerves because I understood the need to use them when talking about food or kendo or cultural stuff but was it really necessary to put entire phrases there to put the translation right next to it after?! What sense does it make? Not to mention the continuous use of "moshi moshi" and the "keitai" word which is the Japanese word for telephone... It wasn't really needed right? It can be confusing in the middle of the phrases especially if you're already reading in a language that is not your own, like in my case.
Anyway, still an entertaining read :3