Kamizen – Fortress of Lost Memories Written by William Yamaguchi Dobson. Reviewed by Noah, Age 8

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I was sad when it ended as I missed the characters. I felt like I was part of the story

This was probably one of the longest books I have read by myself. It was captivating from start to finish. It was really interesting.

The book tells the story of Jonty finding his grandad’s lost memories. The story takes you on an adventure of Jonty’s grandad’s life giving Jonty an understanding of his past and his family’s history.

The illustrations are great, fewer than I am used to but they really helped me to picture what was going on in the story.

The story teaches the reader to try to keep hold of your memories, especially the good ones.

Once I had started this book, I could not put it down. The wild adventure it took my mind on kept me engrossed in the book, I finished it really quickly.

I was sad when it ended as I missed the characters. I felt like I was part of the story. It was an amazing book and I am so happy I read it. I would rate it 9/10.

About the Book

Illustrated by Sawa Oikawa in this debut novel readers get to enter a secret wonderland in the sky where Japanese legends come to life.

Twelve-year-old Jonty desperately wants an adventure but he knows it’s unlikely when he’s stuck at home for the entire summer.

But then he meets a talking bonobo in the forest at the back of his house who invites him to enter a magical world behind a Japanese Memory gate.

There, he will get to collect wild memories from the time his gramps was a famous primatologist.

and soon, his adventure begins

Behind the gate lies a world far more enchanting than back home.

In a world filled with mischievous Japanese beings called yōkai, Jonty must battle to collect the memories in a series of hair-raising trials.

But there is an evil sky pirate crew on board a ship who are hellbent on destroying the memories for good and they have bows and arrows.

Can Jonty battle the pirate crew before time runs out and the wadokei watch-clock strikes?

Author

William Yamaguchi Dobson

William Yamaguchi Dobson is a British-Japanese children's author and former barrister who was born in Japan and later moved to England. His writing draws heavily on Japanese folklore, manga, and the films of Akira Kurosawa, and his work has been recognized by competitions including the Commonwealth Short Story Prize and the Bath Children's Novel Award. His debut middle-grade fantasy novel Kamizen: Fortress of Lost Memories, is an adventure inspired by Japanese mythology that explores memory, family, and courage.

Reviewer Profile

Noah, 8

  • Reviews: 10
  • Likes: reading and Lego
  • Dislikes: cauliflower, cabbage and rude people
  • Favourite Book: Tom Gates by Liz Pichon
  • Favourite Band: Walk the Moon
  • Favourite Films: Star Wars

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