Katana by Cole Gibson

Rileigh Martin would love to believe that adrenaline had given her the uncanny courage and strength to fend off three muggers. But it doesn't explain her dreams of 15th-century Japan, the incredible fighting skills she suddenly possesses, or the strange voice giving her battle tips and danger warnings.

While worrying that she's going crazy (always a reputation ruiner), Rileigh gets a visit from Kim, a handsome martial arts instructor, who tells Rileigh she's harboring the spirit of a five-hundred-year-old samurai warrior.

Relentlessly attacked by ninjas, Rileigh has no choice but to master the katana--a deadly Japanese sword that's also the key to her past. As the spirit grows stronger and her feelings for Kim intensify, Rileigh is torn between continuing as the girl she's always been and embracing the warrior inside her.

Goodreads Summary


The reader will be drawn in after the first chapter thanks to the main character's, Rileigh's, humor and wit.  Rileigh is just the average teenager who is concerned about her social appeal and status as well as what her friends are doing and how does she look in those cute shoes.  Well...she *was* a normal teenager.  When Rileigh and her best friend are attacked in a mall parking lot, she discovers that while some people have inner strength, she has an...inner samurai???  Kim, a shockingly good-looking Asian teenager, tracks her down and tells her to come to him when she wants more information after that stunt in the parking lot.  Kim, as the reader will discover, is a bit of a love interest...yet another plot point the reader can look forward to!

The novel develops from there, with Rileigh discovering just how much her inner samurai can do and why she has one.  Kim and Rileigh slowly begin to delve into a potential relationship even as Rileigh's own friendships begin to falter slightly as the secrets she finds herself keeping begin to pile on top of her.  Rileigh's best friend, Quentin, is a bit of a stereotypical "gay friend," but he infuses the novel with plenty of humor and may rival Rileigh as the favorite character.  Kim, with his stoicism and few words, will keep the reader intrigued and the other characters fit the novel perfectly. 

The plot itself is very fast-paced.  Rileigh goes from shoe-shopping to skilled fighting in a manner of weeks.  The samurai learn that there may be a traitor in their midst, but who?  This book is highly recommended to young adult/teen readers.

4 Stars

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