The Yomigaeri Tunnel

By Kelly Murashige

Book Overview

This speculative coming-of-age YA novel follows a teenager as she undertakes a magical journey to bring her deceased childhood friend back to life.

A poignant quest for hope with original, fantastical twists, perfect for fans of Dustin Thao and Ann Liang.

Monika can't bring herself to celebrate her last summer before college. She's still grieving the loss of the one classmate who didn't make it to graduation, a boy named Shun with whom she had a complicated relationship.

Then, during her final Japanese Club meeting, Monika hears about the Yomigaeri Tunnel. According to a local urban legend, those who venture into this mythological passageway undergo harrowing trials to confront their hidden secrets and worst fears. It's said that anyone who makes it through is rewarded with the ability to resurrect one soul from the dead.

Monika jumps at the chance to bring back Shun--but she's not alone. Sharp-tongued and fierce Shiori is hell-bent on reviving her mother and won't let anyone stop her. As Monika and Shiori confront the ghosts of their pasts, they have to decide: Are they friends, or foes?

With fantastical twists, this emotional, offbeat book about hope and healing is an essential read for anyone who's ever needed a friend in the darkness.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1641298391
• ISBN13: 9781641298391
• Release Date: July 2026
• Publisher: Soho Teen
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.81 lbs.
• Age Range: 14 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 9 and higher

Customer Reviews

Surprising

I did go into this thinking it was going to be a supernatural story with an adventure through a magical tunnel, bringing back a lost classmate. It turned out to be much a more serious (though still with supernatural bits) coming of age tale where the travel through the tunnel deals with grief, loss, and what shaped Monika through the years and how she would like to proceed on the cusp of going off to college. Plus, the connections with Shiori who also chose to travel the tunnel to bring back her mother. So, yeah, it is quite a roller coaster of emotions that goes far beyond a chance to bring back Shun though the way it tied all together at then end was well done and though it is not the expected happiness, it is satisfactory but bittersweet. It was a good book, though a bit deceiving and while I enjoyed it, I was expecting something a bit lighter. The cover it great though I liked spotting the items and remembering how they related to Monika's journey through the Yomigaeri Tunnel.