When I read Festival of Shadows: A Japanese Ghost Story by Atelier Sentô, Cécile Brun and Oliver Pichard, I had two feelings about it. The first was that it was horrible. The second was that it was amazing. These conflicting feelings are both real. This book is a book that I felt as much as I read. And all the feels I was having, got mixed and mashed together and made me not have a happy tummy. Yet, I can’t get over how good things were. I think that is what the creators want. They don’t want you to feel happy ever after. You need to like and dislike the characters simultaneously. Be confused and aware about all of it all at once.
The story seems simple, but there are too many twists and turns to count. The main part is that our main character is from a village that helps shadows, or spirits of the dead, find some peace. They take a year to help them in various ways and at the end the festival happens and the spirits can pass over. There is a small group of people who help each other, but they are growing older and dying themselves. Leaving only a few behind. One of which has no idea what to do as her first experience didn’t go well. And this second time around she becomes involved (too involved) with her Shadow. In fact so much so, perhaps she could really cause problems for everyone.
Yet, as much as I wanted her to follow the rules, I was rooting for her to have an ending worthy of the passion she was putting into things. I will say things don’t work out as you might expect, but that’s okay. It just was what one should have expected. There is a unique presentation, but also things are familiar and cozy. Yet, still also intense. Possible triggers include death, death of a parent, death of a child, attempted suicide, a suicide (both off page), and the Shadows themselves could prove to be sketchy as they are not always Casperesque.
It’s a mature read, therefore I’d say at least 14 and up, but even would go as far as saying adult only.
