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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Jolie Lam is a high school sophomore in San Jose, and she’s known for two things: her bizarre freakout at lat year’s swim meet, and her fortuneteller grandfather who has visions of dragons and earthquakes. Jolie is friendless and ostracized, made fun of by the girls she used to be best friends with. Her life takes a dramatic turn for the better when she saves the most popular girl in school during a haunting vision of her own.
As Jolie and Huong bond, they unlock long lost powers, forgotten memories, and ties to legendary queens of ancient Vietnam. This is just the beginning for Jolie as past and present collide over San Juan, forcing her to make a choice that could end up saving or destroying everything she holds dear.
Written by an author of Vietnamese descent, the MC’s heritage comes through clearly. I cannot speak to the authenticity of it, but it feels genuine from my perspective. The teenagers are written like teens, with all the angst and loneliness that goes along with being on the outside of the cool kids' group. I especially liked the way that traditional dragon lore mixed with modern society. There was just enough fantasy in the book to keep me engaged, and just a bit too much teen drama to make me not love the book.
The beginning third of the book jumps from modern time to “visions”, which took a bit of concentration to understand, and the time hopping in the last third of the book doesn’t make it much easier. It felt like there were three lines of plot going and all of them were being woven around one another until they all rushed to the predictable ending. It might just be me, but I am kind of over the high school heroes tropes. That aside, this is a good book overall, but would have benefitted from additional length and more depth.
*Thanks Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
*Thanks Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Suicide, Violence
Minor: Blood, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
A young girl learns to grapple with the mysterious visions and powers she is gradually acquiring while also trying to fit in at her prestigious high school in this urban fantasy inspired by Vietnamese mythology.
Jolie Lam is known as the class weirdo. Between her psychic grandfather and her psychotic break at a swim meet last year, no one wants anything to do with Jolie. That is, until she saves Huong Pham, one of the school's most popular girls, and Jolie's entire world begins to change. As Jolie and Huong's bond deepens, the two girls learn that their connection goes back generations and that there is more to their powers than first meets the eye. The girls begin to experiment with their powers in the hopes of determining just who they really are and just what it means to be a Lost Queen of ancient Vietnam.
For a while, I was seeing this book around literally everywhere. I usually love books based in Asian mythology, so I was stoked to learn that I was accepted for a book tour for "The Lost Queen." Unfortunately, this book seriously made me consider DNFing it, and that is quite the feat for me. I ended up sticking it out and it ended up going somewhere, but I didn't enjoy the ending enough to redeem this book.
The first hundred or so pages of this book were so confusing, jarring, and jumped around so much that I had a hard time following what was happening. I didn't care about literally anything in the book until almost page two hundred, and the main plot line doesn't start rolling until about halfway through this book. The pacing in this one is weird, I didn't find myself connecting with any of the characters, and the writing didn't do anything special for me.
This book was a super odd read because it was super confusing but also extremely predictable. In my opinion, the title and cover alone revealed too much and took away most of the wow factor that this book could have had. I don't even read the book flap summary before I start reading, and I still knew most of what happened in this book before I even opened the book.
I was expecting this book to be higher fantasy, so discovering that it was an urban fantasy was a bit of a letdown for me. This one is a little on me, but the cover just makes it seem so magical, and it wasn't nearly as fantastical as I wanted it to be.
I don't want to ramble about my dislike for this book anymore, so I'll cut it here. I hope that this one manages to reach that people that will enjoy it, but I found this one to be very disappointing.
Overall, "The Lost Queen" was a bit of a letdown for me. The beginning was confusing, the plot was predictable, and I couldn't bring myself to like any of the characters. I have no interest in pursuing the second book in this series and will try to put this disappointing read out of my mind as soon as possible.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was an anticipated release for me because it's inspired by Vietnamese lore, but I did not enjoy as much as I wanted to. The pacing was really off throughout the book; a majority of the book felt soooo slow but then the ending felt incredibly rushed and incomplete. I didn't feel immersed in the story because there was so much exposition and things explicitly spelled out for me rather than being gradually revealed. I didn't feel connected to any characters, and some of the girls really exerted mean girl vibes that it put me off reading. The dialogue was so unnatural and awkward, and some of it made the characters feel younger than they actually are in the book. I only really enjoyed Ong Noi and Ba Noi because they reminded me of my own grandparents and would honestly read a whole book about them instead. The legends and lore was interesting and nostalgic because I grew up with them, but they're given to us in separate sections rather than interspersed within the narrative. I'm just so disappointed in how I feel about this book. I wish I could love it because I've been trying to find more Vietnamese-inspired fantasies, but I can't give it more than a 2.5, rounded up to 3 because I did enjoy the lore and the grandparents.
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Teen, ColoredPages, and the author for providing the copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Teen, ColoredPages, and the author for providing the copy in exchange for an honest review.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
**Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group/Penguin Young Readers Group for this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Posted to: NetGalley and The StoryGraph
Posted on: 15 May 2025
3.4 (rounded down to 3) out of 5 stars.
I was so close to finishing this (68%) so I kind of hate that I just… couldn’t. I found the plot really interesting, the magic new and colorful (quite literally sometimes for those who have read it-), and the unraveling myth really intriguing (especially the way it was being revealed). I really think that this novel would fall well with people who enjoy the mix of modern and magic. There are dips into the past with these characters and stories that pertain to them/the plot, and the way it was all set up was really enjoyable for me.
Personally though, I found the characters began growing flat for me. Around that midway point of the book, things started to grow repetitive. The same cycle started and it seemed like nothing was really changing? The two main characters had an issue, they agreed on what the possible solution could be, but then things never truly felt like they would move on. They kept mentioning how they needed more of their powers to stop the Big Bad Evil (to avoid spoilers), but it was constantly that same note. I personally began to lose the plot too in that things got murky around this middle point too? Some scenes meant to pack a punch feel a little weak and characters just didn’t really give as much as they were in the beginning. It was a strong beginning, but almost feels disjointed from the point where I stopped now that I have the time to sit and etch out my thoughts about it.
Overall, I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it. I think if I would have finished it, I might have had a stronger opinion on it, but because I didn’t I think the middle ground three stars is fair and valid! There was potential here and I think the right people can and will find this story and fall in love with it. Personally for me, it didn’t hit the right mark. Maybe I can convince myself to come back and finish it someday, but for now I’ll leave it here. I started to get bored and overly critical of it which would’ve made me be too cynical about it and I didn’t want that either hence why I just put it down here and now for the time being. If anybody else has read this, I hope they find more things to love and enjoy about it that I did!
I think it also just soured for me for that T*sla mention… If I had a nickel for every time I read a book that mentioned that gods-forsaken brand, I would have two nickels which isn’t much, but its weird that it’s happened twice (and pretty close to each other too…)
CONTENT WARNING(S):
Abusive/toxic friendships, blood, war, violence, body horror, drowning mentions (in a premonition scene), natural disasters (cause by magical forces), suicide (in that two characters willingly/purposefully jump off a cliff knowing that they will die but choosing this death over the alternative)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail
Suicide in that two characters jump off a cliff knowing they will die/wanting to die over the alternative option (which is the murder mention/warning)
The Lost Queen by Aimee Phan was a surprising ride—slow to start but deeply rewarding by the end. What begins as a story about a bullied teenage girl slowly transforms into something much richer, blending contemporary teen issues with Vietnamese history, mythology, and unexpected emotional turns.
In the first half, we follow Jolie as she tries to navigate life after being targeted by her former friends. The bullying is intense and isolating, and it’s clear Jolie is struggling to find her place. At this point, I thought I was reading a standard coming-of-age YA. But then Huong enters the picture, and the story takes a sharp and fascinating turn.
The second half is where the novel truly shines. With the introduction of Huong’s backstory, we’re pulled into themes of heritage, reincarnation, and the powerful legacy of the Trung sisters—legendary warrior queens from Vietnamese history. This was my first time learning about them, and their story added incredible depth to the novel. There were moments that felt like filler early on, but they ultimately paid off, especially as the threads of the past and present began to intertwine.
Jolie’s character development was a highlight. Watching her transform from a timid, bullied girl into someone who begins to understand her strength and identity was incredibly satisfying. Huong, on the other hand, caught me completely off guard. She had me in the first half, and then—well, let’s just say the twist was wild.
While I wished some of the supporting characters had a bit more depth, the story’s emotional focus made up for it. It’s not just about bullying or family secrets—it’s about the weight of history, the bonds between women, and what it means to reclaim your voice.
In the first half, we follow Jolie as she tries to navigate life after being targeted by her former friends. The bullying is intense and isolating, and it’s clear Jolie is struggling to find her place. At this point, I thought I was reading a standard coming-of-age YA. But then Huong enters the picture, and the story takes a sharp and fascinating turn.
The second half is where the novel truly shines. With the introduction of Huong’s backstory, we’re pulled into themes of heritage, reincarnation, and the powerful legacy of the Trung sisters—legendary warrior queens from Vietnamese history. This was my first time learning about them, and their story added incredible depth to the novel. There were moments that felt like filler early on, but they ultimately paid off, especially as the threads of the past and present began to intertwine.
Jolie’s character development was a highlight. Watching her transform from a timid, bullied girl into someone who begins to understand her strength and identity was incredibly satisfying. Huong, on the other hand, caught me completely off guard. She had me in the first half, and then—well, let’s just say the twist was wild.
While I wished some of the supporting characters had a bit more depth, the story’s emotional focus made up for it. It’s not just about bullying or family secrets—it’s about the weight of history, the bonds between women, and what it means to reclaim your voice.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, and Colored Pages Book Tours for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.
There’s a lot of potential woven into The Lost Queen. From its stunning cover to its foundation in Vietnamese lore and the legendary Trung Sisters, I went into this one fully ready to be swept up in a lush, mythologically rich fantasy. In many ways, it delivered the promise of something magical, until it didn’t.
The opening unfolds slowly, but there’s a compelling strangeness to Jolie’s visions that keeps the pages turning. She begins as a familiar YA archetype, the girl on the margins, ostracized and misunderstood, marked by something mysterious inside her. I’ll admit, this trope is beginning to feel well-worn, and Jolie didn’t quite do enough early on to make her stand out. Still, once she begins to bond with Huong and those supernatural elements start to surface, I found myself more interested in where things were heading.
Unfortunately, the book's final quarter lost me. The pacing and clarity both faltered, and what should have been a high-emotion, high-stakes finale became an exercise in confusion. There’s a lot happening, but not in a way that felt cohesive. The emotional weight of the ending fell flat because I was too caught up trying to understand what was actually happening. I could feel the significance it was aiming for, but it didn’t land.
The concept itself remains intriguing. Using Vietnamese mythology, weaving in dragons, ancient queens, and spiritual awakening, that’s rich terrain for storytelling. I just wish the narrative had held together better, especially in the end. The language throughout is readable and accessible, fitting its YA audience, and the book is descriptive without ever becoming overly ornate.
Ultimately, The Lost Queen didn’t quite stick the landing for me. It was a story with a strong heart and a unique cultural foundation, but it struggled with cohesion and emotional resonance by the time it mattered most. I’m not sure I’ll continue the series, but I do appreciate what it tried to do. And truly, whoever designed the cover deserves their flowers, it’s a showstopper.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Aimee Phan has truly joined the greats of this genre. Jolie's experience as a teenager, with nasty friend breakups and lonely feelings are relatable and make you feel like you're right along with her. Her mysterious visions and the mythology kept me enthralled from the first to last page. As a swimmer, I felt connected to Jolie. The mythology was interesting and new and a fresh interpretation. Jolie and Huong's relationship as friends and then sisters was a loving touch that allowed for all sorts of twists and turns in the story. The relationships that were so full of meaning allowed for the most heart break and betrayal. Yet, so deep was the sisterly bond, that one would give their life for the other to be happy, adding to the deep bond and feeling of the characters. Jolie's relationship with her grandparents was also heartfelt and comforting when things got too chaotic. Jolie and her grandfather's final parting was so heart wrenching and filled with intense emotions.
Overall, this book was filled with instance and passionate emotions that held the book together as a whole. Filled with hope, love and adventure, I can't wait to see what Aimee Phan comes up with next!
Overall, this book was filled with instance and passionate emotions that held the book together as a whole. Filled with hope, love and adventure, I can't wait to see what Aimee Phan comes up with next!
mysterious
slow-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
The Lost Queen opens with a moment of genuine unease: body horror, swimming pools, and surreal visions. It had a “Chlorine" by Jade Song vibe right off the bat, and I was in. That stopped pretty quickly, but it was an easy and compelling hook into the story. Jolie is immediately compelling: an isolated girl with a strange past, an equally strange family, and no idea how deeply her grandfather's stories will change her life.
This book is such a unique blend. It has Vietnamese folklore layered over a very modern high school setting. It balances the grandeur of the Trung Sisters and ancient prophecy with friendship drama, family secrets, and awkward teenage tension. That contrast really worked for me. I loved how the folklore was lived-in and personal.
I genuinely enjoyed the mystery of this one and I was surprised at the twists. There’s also no central romance here, and I really appreciated that! It’s rare to find a YA fantasy that centers on friendship and family, and this story sticks to that focus. Jolie’s bond with her grandfather and the larger threads of ancestral memory gave it emotional depth, even when the pacing wobbled.
That said—there is a bit of a lull in the middle, and the ending rushes through revelations that I wish had more time to breathe. Jolie, too, sometimes fades into the background of her own story. She’s reactive more than active, especially when the stakes heighten. This feels like a younger YA book—less intensity, more of a gentle unfolding—and while I was hoping for something with a bit more bite, it was still a satisfying, easy read.
If you like reincarnation stories, hidden histories, or books that blend cultural heritage with supernatural twists, this is a great way to spend an afternoon. Quietly magical and a fresh spin on stories of legacy and power.
Thanks so much to Colored Pages Book Tours, Penguin Teen, and the author for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
This book is such a unique blend. It has Vietnamese folklore layered over a very modern high school setting. It balances the grandeur of the Trung Sisters and ancient prophecy with friendship drama, family secrets, and awkward teenage tension. That contrast really worked for me. I loved how the folklore was lived-in and personal.
I genuinely enjoyed the mystery of this one and I was surprised at the twists. There’s also no central romance here, and I really appreciated that! It’s rare to find a YA fantasy that centers on friendship and family, and this story sticks to that focus. Jolie’s bond with her grandfather and the larger threads of ancestral memory gave it emotional depth, even when the pacing wobbled.
That said—there is a bit of a lull in the middle, and the ending rushes through revelations that I wish had more time to breathe. Jolie, too, sometimes fades into the background of her own story. She’s reactive more than active, especially when the stakes heighten. This feels like a younger YA book—less intensity, more of a gentle unfolding—and while I was hoping for something with a bit more bite, it was still a satisfying, easy read.
If you like reincarnation stories, hidden histories, or books that blend cultural heritage with supernatural twists, this is a great way to spend an afternoon. Quietly magical and a fresh spin on stories of legacy and power.
Thanks so much to Colored Pages Book Tours, Penguin Teen, and the author for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The Lost Queen pieces together past lives, secrets about our family, and the possibility of second chances. It's a story that explores trust, whether we can trust ourselves, our friends, and the people we are saving. What I loved is the way the mystery builds. We aren't sure about the reliability of Jolie as a character as she starts to maybe be seeing visions. But as soon as we figure out there's more to meet the eye, can Jolie trust the ones around her? The past has a way of pulling us back. However, what's to say the past we remember is the same as yours?
The Lost Queen pieces together past lives, secrets about our family, and the possibility of second chances. It's a story that explores trust, whether we can trust ourselves, our friends, and the people we are saving. What I loved is the way the mystery builds. We aren't sure about the reliability of Jolie as a character as she starts to maybe be seeing visions. But as soon as we figure out there's more to meet the eye, can Jolie trust the ones around her? The past has a way of pulling us back. However, what's to say the past we remember is the same as yours?