It’s about time I talk about the first book I read for my challenge.
ルート２２５by 藤野千夜（ふじのちや）
Here’s a summary of it, which I have taken/translated from the インタネット:
Eriko, (14) and her little brother Daigo (13) get lost in a strange world while trying to return home. They soon find out that it is a parallel world. This world is very similar to their home, but a few things are just a little off. The scenery is different, but only subtly. A girl who is supposed to be dead shows up. There is still warm food in their house but their parents are nowhere to be found. A former friend of Eriko is apparently on good terms with her. In the end, will Eriko and Daigo be able to return to the real world where their parents are?
My thoughts
I loved this book. It was a very fast read as well. I finished it in about 3 or 4 days, and that’s including school, homework, and learning every word I didn’t know along the way.
One of the reasons it goes by so quickly is because it is dialogue-heavy. I imagine it would be pretty relatable for a lot of siblings, even though I couldn’t personally relate to it.
The story doesn’t really use difficult language. The main characters are in their early teens, after all. It’s really hard for me to discuss what makes this such a good book without spoiling stuff, but I’ll just say it’s a lot deeper than just a parallel world fantasy. Issues of identity, growing up, and relationships pop up often. I’d even go so far as to say that it is a story about growing up placed in a very unique setting.
My favorite thing about the book was probably the build up to realizing that they were in a parallel world. Eriko, in particular, is reluctant to believe it for a while. That part of the story reads almost like a mystery.
Now I want to see the movie version of it.
Have you read this book? Any other books by 藤野千夜? Feel free to recommend some below!
