Spring Tone Author:Kazumi Yumoto In response to her little brother Tetsu's question, "What's the scariest thing in the world?" Tomomi replies, "Monsters." Tomomi is afraid she is becoming a monster; she dreams it every night. It started after Tomomi, seeing how much her grandma was suffering, thought to herself that Grandma would be better off dead. Now Tomomi's body is changi... more »ng before her eyes -- into a woman, or into a monster? Tomomi would prefer to stop growing and turn away from unpleasant things, but her parents are engaged in a battle with their next-door neighbor and the dispute has overflowed into Tomomi's home, driving a wedge between her parents. Sustained by Tetsu's determination, Grandpa's wisdom, memories of Grandma's love, and her own philosophical leanings, Tomomi finally understands that the scariest thing in the world is hate, and faces the fact that, like it or not, she is becoming an adult, with responsibilities and choices. Kazumi Yumoto has created an exquisite portrait of a sensitive young woman struggling against her journey to adulthood even as she takes the first steps toward it.« less