Tessa Miyata is so Unlucky by Julie Abe

What worked:

The book is immersed in Japanese culture and the author includes several sections of information before the story even starts. They include a map, a description of the “magical side of Japan”, vocabulary for the magical and real worlds, and a brief recap of events from the previous book. The recap is told by a character since he’s heard “mortal minds are forgetful” and we might not remember earlier events. The author takes the time to make readers comfortable with the plot even if they haven’t read the previous book. The story moves back and forth between the godly and human worlds  as the characters compete in an immortal competition.

The cast of characters is a unique blend of mortals and immortals competing as “equals”. Tessa and her best friend Jin are the only mortals competing in the first Cycle in four hundred years. They are teamed with a minor god named Mimi and a minor spirit named Hachi. Mimi has a refreshing view of winning that contrasts with Hachi’s need to please his father. Tessa and Jin are God-blessed and they’ve entered the competition to save the Unlucky God named Kit. These three characters teamed up in the previous book but Kit will be demoted and transformed to ether if his team loses. The other seven teams of immortals have no respect for mortals and they combine their efforts to make sure Kit’s team is eliminated. This sets the stage for an exciting underdog story.

An underlying plot revolves around a secret group of rebels called the God Hunters. They want a separation between gods and the mortal world. Most of the immortals don’t believe the God Hunters exist but readers will suspect strange happenings during the Cycle must be connected to them. The immortals can’t explain why some competitors disappear for short times or temporarily lose their abilities during the competition. More information about the rebels is shared later in the book and the author presents a huge twist with one of the characters that will surely affect the next book in the series.

What didn’t work as well:

The author includes Japanese terms in the story but their meanings aren’t always clear from the context. Readers can utilize the glossaries found at the beginning of the book but the confusing vocabulary words might not be there.

The final verdict:

Tessa’s group epitomizes teamwork and support for each other as they struggle to save Kit. It’s admirable that Tessa is the team leader even though two of her team members have immortal powers. The book will appeal to lovers of folklore and Japan and I recommend you give it a shot!