A Thousand Steps Into Night
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that A Thousand Steps Into Night is a fantasy inspired by Japanese folklore by Printz Honor recipient Traci Chee. Female main character Miuko is cursed by a demon and travels the thousand-step highway to reach a temple where she can be cured of the curse before it turns her into a demon forever. Fantasy and real-world violence includes physical fights with biting, scratching, kicking, gouging, and punching. Weapons include knives, swords, and arrows. Blood and pain are mentioned but not described. Lots of scary fantasy creatures, and some large-scale destruction. There's a forced kiss, and a non-sexual kiss that transfers a curse. The only strong language is "damned." Demons and spirits in a gambling den drink rice wine; some drunken behavior shown. A minor character smells like wine in the morning. Separation from parents by abandonment and being kicked out of home, and oppression of women are strong themes.
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What's the Story?
In A THOUSAND STEPS INTO NIGHT, 17-year-old Miuko is fairly at peace with the knowledge that she'll never truly fit into the rigid expectations of her fellow villagers. She's too loud, too clumsy, and too plain to attract a husband, so she contents herself with helping her father run the village inn. That is, until she's cursed by a demon and starts to transform into a demon herself. She sets out on the thousand-step highway in hopes of reaching a temple where she can be cured before the curse becomes irreversible. But to get there she'll have to face demons, ghosts, tricksters, and even the mighty God of Stars himself.
Is It Any Good?
This epic fantasy inspired by Japanese folklore is gorgeously written and deeply realized. In A Thousand Steps Into Night, author Traci Chee builds a vast, vivid, detailed world populated with colorful, believable characters. Their page-turning adventures are filled with humor and suspense while Miuko discovers her humanity and self-worth.
Teens will relate to Miuko as she chafes against society's expectations, and longs for empowerment and the freedom to be herself. The made-up language with pronunciations and definitions in footnotes can be a bit overwhelming at first but taper off as the story picks up. The ending is sweetly satisfying, but leaves room for further adventures.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in A Thousand Steps Into Night. Is it too much? How is reading violent acts different from seeing or hearing it in other media?
Do you like Miuko? What are her character strengths and weaknesses? Is she a positive role model?
Why are fantasy novels so popular? What do we love about them? What are some of your favorites?
Book Details
- Author: Traci Chee
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Friendship, Great Girl Role Models, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Clarion Books
- Publication date: March 1, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 18
- Number of pages: 384
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: April 1, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
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We Are Not Free
Powerful tale of Japanese American resilience during WWII.
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Iron Widow
Compelling, violent blend of fantasy, sci-fi, empowerment.
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Forest of a Thousand Lanterns: Rise of the Empress, Book 1
Vivid dark-fantasy series off to a compelling start.
For kids who love fantasy and Asian characters
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