Simon Grey and the March of a Hundred Ghosts was an interesting story. It kept me interested until the very end. Would be interested in reading more from this author in the future.

I first saw Simon Grey and the March of a Hundred Ghosts by Charles Kowalski on Netgalley and was slightly put off that the story was set in 1600s as historical fiction is not usually my bag but how wrong was I this book kicked some butt. From the start of the story there was action where the main character Simon who could see ghosts found the only way to escape them was to go on voyage but not on this trip instead he was on a ship which was haunted. I'm not going to give any spoilers but action soon ramps up and Simon finds himself in Japan where he meets an evil monk, samauris and shoguns. I'm hoping there will be a series of books about Simon as I thoroughly enjoyed this book and so I am given it 5 stars.

The seventh son of an English family, Simon Grey became a cabin boy on a voyage to Japan in 1620. The ship was involved in a mysterious shipwreck, and he is able to see the yokai, the spirits, and monsters of Japanese mythology. While there had been some trade with English and Dutch ships before, the Tokugawa shogunate is less willing to have these people within the country. The Shogun's main advisor is also a magician interested in the secret of seeing ghosts and yokai and will do whatever it takes to steal the ability from Simon and Oyuki, the daughter of an English merchant that became a samurai years before.

Simon Grey and the March of a Hundred Ghosts is a fascinating story that is perfect for middle-grade readers interested in the mythology of other countries. Simon is on a haunted ship and has seen ghosts his entire life. This ability translates to the shadowy world of Japan, where monsters and creatures of myth travel throughout the countryside by night. He is very much a child, frightened of the scary-looking creatures and the adults that point, stare, and threaten. Oyuki can also see the yokai, which is why she is also imprisoned in the castle, and the two escape together. She is a bit more standoffish compared to Simon, who is the reader's entry into this world and country, but that is as much to protect her own secrets as it is her wariness around this stranger.

The travels through feudal Japan are vividly described, and I eagerly went on the adventure with Simon. He was put into dangerous situations that would be terrifying for any child, and he was clever and kind throughout the challenges that he faced. As one of the characters said, Simon is a friend to the yokai, and understands what it's like to be different and hounded for it. Children reading this will definitely be able to sympathize with him, and be on the edge of their seats throughout his travels. This is a start to a series starring Simon, and I look forward to reading the rest of them.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and this is my honest review.

This is a middle grade historical fiction, taking place in the 17th century, which is still the early phase of the Edo period in Japan.
Simon Grey is a English boy, who was born with the unfortunate (in his opinion) ability of seeing ghosts. For this reason, he tries to spend as much time out at sea as he can, as ghosts are inexistant there, unless they hunt the ship he's on. At the start of the story, he joins the crew of a ship headed for Japan, and thus starts his big adventure.

The book is a fun and light read, taking place at first at sea, but mostly in Japan. While we do not get a lot of information, we do get an idea of how Japan was at that time. And in particular, we meet a lot of Yokai, Japanese spirit beings which Simon can of course see, although they are usually invisible to humans.

It's obvious the author likes Japan, and has done his research. Though not being the target audience, I very much enjoyed this story, and am looking forward to the next volume.

I’m glad I had the chance to read this book. This is my first visit to Charles Kowalski’s work but hopefully not the last. He’s a talented writer and I liked how he wove the elements of this story together with poetic prose.

The premise was intriguing. The characters were interesting. The Japanese culture aspect was educational. But I just couldn't get into the story. All the way to the very end, which had a fitting ending and tied up nicely, I just kept trying to but couldn't get involved. That said, I have a few students who may find it a wonderful read, so will put it on the shelves.