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Thomas Randall
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The Waking: Spirits of the Noh Paperback – June 7, 2011

by Thomas Randall (Author)
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 12 ratings
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Kara Harper is finally starting to fit in at her boarding school in Japan-after all, nothing bonds you with your classmates like having an ancient demon put a curse on you. Hoping life can go back to normal now that the monster has been laid to rest, Kara joins her friends Sakura and Miho in putting on a play for the Noh drama club. It's the story of the Hannya, a snake demon who inhabits the body of a beautiful woman. When a few members of the Noh club go missing, Kara fears that the real Hannya has been awakened by the curse. Then Miho is abducted, and Kara must find her before the Hannya exacts her terrible revenge. But the demon is wily and may be hidden in the last place anyone would think to look.

Previous page
  1. Reading age
    12 - 15 years
  2. Print length
    272 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    7 - 9
  5. Dimensions
    5.21 x 0.71 x 7.79 inches
  6. Publisher
    Bloomsbury USA Childrens
  7. Publication date
    June 7, 2011
  8. ISBN-10
    1599902516
  9. ISBN-13
    978-1599902517
  10. See all details
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About the Author

THOMAS RANDALL is the author of the popular children's fantasy series Adventures in Strangewood. He frequently vacations in places that exist only inside his own head.
www.thomasrandall.net

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloomsbury USA Childrens; Original edition (June 7, 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1599902516
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1599902517
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 - 15 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 9
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.21 x 0.71 x 7.79 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 12 ratings

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Thomas Randall

Thomas Randall

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Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
12 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kahlilah Benton
5.0 out of 5 stars very good book
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2021
Verified Purchase
i have no complaints about this book, just having a hard time finding part 3 the collection will reel you in the first 2 are very good.
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Trish
2.0 out of 5 stars don't read unless you have a Kindle.
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2014
Really sad to learn that the final book in the series is ONLY available on a Kindle ebook. Now I won't bother to finish this book. Too bad it is not in print form. I would have bought it.
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Iris
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2019
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Just what I was expecting
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SageoftheGhostFire
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Fun, A Solid Sequel
Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2012
Verified Purchase
"I'm sorry, sensei. This is ancient evil. We don't have time to wait for the modern world to believe in it."

When I read Dreams of the Dead (the first book of the series) I was instantly hooked. The blending of mystery, horror and Japanese mythology enthralled me. The fact that it was set in a Japanese high school made it one of my favorite reads in a long time. As it was I couldn't wait to jump into the second book, Spirits of the Noh.

I will immediately admit that Spirits of the Noh lacked a bit of the excitement and mystery that the first book had. There wasn't as much action either but it was still incredibly fun and I love the depth of the characters and how they interact with each other. And like the first book it brought ancient Japanese folkore into modern day Japan and it worked very well.

Taking place only months after the events of the first book, Spirits of the Noh is about Kara Harper and her friends as they try to return to a normal life despite having been cursed by an ancient and vindictive Japanese cat demon. When their art teacher Miss Aritomo decides to put on a Noh play about a dark serpent demon things once again get strange in Miyazu City with Kara in the thick of it all.

As I read the story one of the things I enjoyed most was learning about Japanese traditions like the Obon Festival and the story of Dojoji which is the story that the school play is based on. I also loved that the author included the iconic Japanese ritual of toro nagashi in which paper lanterns are set adrift on the water in order to guide the spirits of the departed back to the spirit world.

All in all I was pleased with the second book in the series despite the lack of mystery (you're basically told in the prologue which character is likely being possessed by an ancient Noh demon which takes the fun out of trying to solve the mystery along with the characters). I also would've liked a little more horror and nightmarish premonitions which made the first book so entertaining but it was still a pretty chilling story.

A sneak peak of the final book in the series "A Winter of Ghosts" was included at the end and it was surprisingly spooky as hell. I can't wait to dive into what looks to be a good scary end to a very fun trilogy.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2016
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I love this series!!!!!!
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LDC
3.0 out of 5 stars A Let Down
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2012
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Realistically, compared to the first book in the trilogy, Spirits of the Noh is a 2.5. It lacks the mystery and the frightening imagery that made Dreams of the Dead so eerie. The book drags its heels getting started, and when the "big twist" is something TOLD to readers within the first few pages it's even more disappointing. I was about 70% done with the book according to my Kindle before Kara and her friends DID anything beyond talking. Kara and her friends figure out fairly early on what sort of demon in plaguing them, and the long discussions they have about it pretty much kill anything that might make the monster eerie. There's also a bigger focus on Kara's personal issues and the like that bog down the narrative and feel like they were just tacked on arbitrarily to provide some conflict and extra pages.

But what really might have killed this series is how goofy it all gets towards the end. The big climactic confrontation with the demon is just silly, chock full of lengthy diatribes, elaborate rituals that aren't scary, and by the end of it all far too many people are aware of the spirits to really carry the desperate vibe the other book had. It's not Kara and her three friends struggling against dark forces alone because nobody will believe them anymore, it's Kara, FIVE friends, and a handful of adults. This is only a trilogy; at the end of the second book, we should feel that the stakes have been raised, not that a big flashlight has been shone on all the creatures, stripping them of their mystery and menace.

Spirits of the Noh is a let down, especially compared to its tightly paced and frightening predecessor. I immediately bought it after finishing the last book, and I can't help but think it feels both rushed and scatterbrained. It felt like the series started out as a more constrained version of The Grudge, and wound up trying to turn itself into the hamstrung cousin of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
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Labrynth
4.0 out of 5 stars Worth the read
Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2011
Verified Purchase
This is the second book to The Waking Trilogy and was a good follow up to the first. Kara and her friends remain believable and interesting characters. We are still left with a few threads dangling, but it didn't concern me since there's an other book coming. We're seeing some expansion on the things that have happened and they will hopefully come to fruition. If you enjoyed the first book then you'll enjoy this one as well.
2 people found this helpful
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