

In no particular order, I like:

Interesting tidbits of Japanese culture and daily life.

The puzzle and mystery of the kami -- their motives, their nature, their relationships.

The puzzle of the kegare -- causality, origins, motives, etc.

The suspense of Mr. W's ongoing attempts to buy / extort the shrine and its environs. I hope for more depth and complication to his character.

The very human foibles of the various characters (including the kami), despite the supernatural themes.  I like that I find myself hoping that Akiko's mom gets her fondest wish, but through some route that she'd never have predicted.

I like that the pace isn't rushed, though I'd like that even more if the suspense aspect was developed a bit further.

One of my hats is Editor, and I appreciate that the prose is very well written and edited for a first draft. Polishing would be to improve an already good story, not fix it.

Cheers!  ~Ivo in Seattle