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fyra's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
shereadsallbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
Excellent middle grade mythology tale!
alyshadeshae's review against another edition
5.0
Spirit cat, shaman warriors, and incredible mythologies? Of course this is my kind of book!! It's amazing!
alexbthelibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
I received an eARC of this title through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Story: This book was fantastic! The story was well paced, thought out, and engaging. The characters were fleshed out and felt like real people. Pahua is a realistic and beautiful character. She is tough and sensitive to her family even when that can be hard. Through her journey, she learns about herself and her past which impacts her future. Her best friend and spirit she constantly sees Miv is also a great character. The cat spirit reminds of me Jiji from Kiki's Delivery Service. The cat is snarky, secretive, and surprisingly loving.
The setting of the story takes readers from the real world to the spirit world and beyond. The spirits are described and created brilliantly. I loved learning about Hmong culture, spirits, and history. The author did a fantastic job of bringing this all to life for the reader.
Narrator: The narrator of this story did a phenomenal job of creating voices and setting for these characters. Her inflections and energy added to the atmosphere of the story and really brought it to life.
All in all, I loved this story. I think this is one of my favorites from the Rick Riordan presents series.
Story: This book was fantastic! The story was well paced, thought out, and engaging. The characters were fleshed out and felt like real people. Pahua is a realistic and beautiful character. She is tough and sensitive to her family even when that can be hard. Through her journey, she learns about herself and her past which impacts her future. Her best friend and spirit she constantly sees Miv is also a great character. The cat spirit reminds of me Jiji from Kiki's Delivery Service. The cat is snarky, secretive, and surprisingly loving.
The setting of the story takes readers from the real world to the spirit world and beyond. The spirits are described and created brilliantly. I loved learning about Hmong culture, spirits, and history. The author did a fantastic job of bringing this all to life for the reader.
Narrator: The narrator of this story did a phenomenal job of creating voices and setting for these characters. Her inflections and energy added to the atmosphere of the story and really brought it to life.
All in all, I loved this story. I think this is one of my favorites from the Rick Riordan presents series.
michellehenriereads's review against another edition
5.0
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
There are so many things you're going to love about this book!
The sidekick, Miv, is hilarious! Pahua is uncertain of herself and her abilities and grows through the book. Her "friend", a member of a school to train Hmong warriors also has a journey and changes her tune through the story. We genuinely feel for Pahua and all she's going through. She has to take on the role of an adult in so many ways even though she's only 11-years old.
The setting is amazing! Once Pahua goes into the spirit realm, you get to feast on descriptions and get scared by monsters. The author does a good job by including reminders for the reader who the monsters and gods are to avoid confusion with names that might be unfamiliar. I love how some of the creatures have a dual nature and we don't quite know how much we can trust them.
Learning about the Hmong people, their history, and mythology is interesting. I knew very little about the Hmong, and now I feel like I know them better. I love stories that introduce me to new cultures!
Adventures! Your middle-grade reader is going to dig this book for all the adventures! After catching your breath for about one second, trouble comes barrelling in, upsetting Pahua's plans. The big question is can she save her brother? She's just 11!
I highly recommend this story for anyone who loves fun characters, rich settings, learning about cultures, and having adventures! Seriously, the kids are going to eat this up! And when does the next come out? I don't know, but I know there are going to be readers clamoring for it!
There are so many things you're going to love about this book!
The sidekick, Miv, is hilarious! Pahua is uncertain of herself and her abilities and grows through the book. Her "friend", a member of a school to train Hmong warriors also has a journey and changes her tune through the story. We genuinely feel for Pahua and all she's going through. She has to take on the role of an adult in so many ways even though she's only 11-years old.
The setting is amazing! Once Pahua goes into the spirit realm, you get to feast on descriptions and get scared by monsters. The author does a good job by including reminders for the reader who the monsters and gods are to avoid confusion with names that might be unfamiliar. I love how some of the creatures have a dual nature and we don't quite know how much we can trust them.
Learning about the Hmong people, their history, and mythology is interesting. I knew very little about the Hmong, and now I feel like I know them better. I love stories that introduce me to new cultures!
Adventures! Your middle-grade reader is going to dig this book for all the adventures! After catching your breath for about one second, trouble comes barrelling in, upsetting Pahua's plans. The big question is can she save her brother? She's just 11!
I highly recommend this story for anyone who loves fun characters, rich settings, learning about cultures, and having adventures! Seriously, the kids are going to eat this up! And when does the next come out? I don't know, but I know there are going to be readers clamoring for it!
meaganmart's review against another edition
5.0
I wish that Goodreads would allow for an exception in their rating system. Five stars is not enough to convey how well-written or how important "Pahua and the Soul Stealer" is to the cannon of middle grades' fiction. I would give this book a thousand stars and mandate its inclusion in every children's library in the United States if I was able. Lori M. Lee does an incredible job not only of building a world that readers will be reluctant to leave, but of gently educating those who are unfamiliar with the Hmong culture with the intricacies of their oral traditions and mythology. I know a sequel is already slated, but I truly hope that there will be five, ten, fifteen installments of Pahua's story.
After the publication of the Percy Jackson and Tristan Strong series, I was so glad to see an expansion of the "Rick Riordan Presents" universe that included Asian mythology. As a middle grades librarian I can attest to the fact that there is a true lack of literature that reflects the diversity of our Asian population of students and cannot underscore how important this book will be for giving those students literature that reflects their lived experiences and their cultural background. We have already purchased several hard copies for our collection, and I know this is the first fantasy book featuring Hmong characters that we have been able to find.
Lee does such an incredible job of highlighting the feelings of otherness that can arise from belonging to a minority group in a largely homogenous community. Giving us a heroine that struggles to marry her Hmong culture with her desire to be accepted by her majority white peer group is so important and will lead to conversations with students about how we interact with those of different backgrounds and how we would feel if we were singled out or excluded because of the beliefs we were raised with. The story has incredible teaching potential before we even arrive at the "main" plotline.
And the main plotline is not one to be missed. The echo and the spirit realm that Lee builds are so vibrant that readers will instantly be transported with Pahua as she struggles to understand her own gifts and to save her brother Matt after inadvertently exposing him to a malevolent spirit. Pahua's true gift is not her strength or her ability to fight, but her ability to see through to the very heart of the people and situations in which she finds herself. This gift of discernment allows to to succeed even when her bravery stumbles and where others before her have failed. Her determination to save her brother from the spirit realm and return his soul to his body makes for harrowing reading, and children and adults alike will be loathe to leave the fantasy world Lee builds and will be eagerly awaiting the next installment to adventure with their friend Pahua once more.
After the publication of the Percy Jackson and Tristan Strong series, I was so glad to see an expansion of the "Rick Riordan Presents" universe that included Asian mythology. As a middle grades librarian I can attest to the fact that there is a true lack of literature that reflects the diversity of our Asian population of students and cannot underscore how important this book will be for giving those students literature that reflects their lived experiences and their cultural background. We have already purchased several hard copies for our collection, and I know this is the first fantasy book featuring Hmong characters that we have been able to find.
Lee does such an incredible job of highlighting the feelings of otherness that can arise from belonging to a minority group in a largely homogenous community. Giving us a heroine that struggles to marry her Hmong culture with her desire to be accepted by her majority white peer group is so important and will lead to conversations with students about how we interact with those of different backgrounds and how we would feel if we were singled out or excluded because of the beliefs we were raised with. The story has incredible teaching potential before we even arrive at the "main" plotline.
And the main plotline is not one to be missed. The echo and the spirit realm that Lee builds are so vibrant that readers will instantly be transported with Pahua as she struggles to understand her own gifts and to save her brother Matt after inadvertently exposing him to a malevolent spirit. Pahua's true gift is not her strength or her ability to fight, but her ability to see through to the very heart of the people and situations in which she finds herself. This gift of discernment allows to to succeed even when her bravery stumbles and where others before her have failed. Her determination to save her brother from the spirit realm and return his soul to his body makes for harrowing reading, and children and adults alike will be loathe to leave the fantasy world Lee builds and will be eagerly awaiting the next installment to adventure with their friend Pahua once more.
popthebutterfly's review against another edition
5.0
Disclaimer: I received this finished book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Pahua and the Soul Stealer
Author: Lori M. Lee
Book Series: Standalone for now
Diversity: Hmong mc and side characters
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: Middle Grade readers, fantasy, mythology, retelling
Genre: MG Fantasy
Publication Date: September 7, 2021
Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents
Pages: 320
Recommended Age: 10+ (Slight racism, Murder mentioned, Parent leaving, Death, Slight gore)
Explanation of CWs:
Synopsis: Pahua Moua has a bit of a reputation for being a weirdo. A lonely eleven-year-old Hmong girl with the unique ability to see spirits, she spends her summer days babysitting her little brother and playing with her best friend, a cat spirit no one else can see.
One day Pahua accidentally untethers an angry spirit from the haunted bridge in her neighborhood--whoops. When her brother suddenly falls sick and can't be awoken, Pahua fears that the bridge spirit has stolen his soul. She returns to the scene of the crime with her aunt's old shaman tools, hoping to confront the spirit and demand her brother's return. Instead, she summons a demon.
Thankfully, a warrior shaman with a bit of an attitude problem shows up at the last minute and saves her butt. With the help of this guide, Pahua will have to find her way through the spirit worlds and rescue her brother's soul before it's too late. Little does she know she'll have her own discoveries to make along the way. . . .
With its unforgettable characters, unique nature-based magic system, breathtaking twists and reveals, and climactic boss battle, this story based on Hmong oral tradition offers everything a fantasy lover could want.
Review: I really loved this book! It was amazingly sweet and cute read. I loved the characters and character development. The world building was well done as well and the plot had me hooked from the first page.
However, I did feel like the the pacing was a bit fast. There was a lot of stuff that wasn't explained in story but I did appreciate that the context was in the back of the book.
Verdict: Highly recommend!
Book: Pahua and the Soul Stealer
Author: Lori M. Lee
Book Series: Standalone for now
Diversity: Hmong mc and side characters
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: Middle Grade readers, fantasy, mythology, retelling
Genre: MG Fantasy
Publication Date: September 7, 2021
Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents
Pages: 320
Recommended Age: 10+ (Slight racism, Murder mentioned, Parent leaving, Death, Slight gore)
Explanation of CWs:
Synopsis: Pahua Moua has a bit of a reputation for being a weirdo. A lonely eleven-year-old Hmong girl with the unique ability to see spirits, she spends her summer days babysitting her little brother and playing with her best friend, a cat spirit no one else can see.
One day Pahua accidentally untethers an angry spirit from the haunted bridge in her neighborhood--whoops. When her brother suddenly falls sick and can't be awoken, Pahua fears that the bridge spirit has stolen his soul. She returns to the scene of the crime with her aunt's old shaman tools, hoping to confront the spirit and demand her brother's return. Instead, she summons a demon.
Thankfully, a warrior shaman with a bit of an attitude problem shows up at the last minute and saves her butt. With the help of this guide, Pahua will have to find her way through the spirit worlds and rescue her brother's soul before it's too late. Little does she know she'll have her own discoveries to make along the way. . . .
With its unforgettable characters, unique nature-based magic system, breathtaking twists and reveals, and climactic boss battle, this story based on Hmong oral tradition offers everything a fantasy lover could want.
Review: I really loved this book! It was amazingly sweet and cute read. I loved the characters and character development. The world building was well done as well and the plot had me hooked from the first page.
However, I did feel like the the pacing was a bit fast. There was a lot of stuff that wasn't explained in story but I did appreciate that the context was in the back of the book.
Verdict: Highly recommend!
simoneandherbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This was definitely your chosen one/hero's journey and I was all for it. I loved Pahua and her destiny, discovering more about being a shaman with Zhong by her side, and really being much bigger than the average 11-year-old. This was such a funny book with a ton of heart and it made me so excited to read and ignore my adult responsibilities. She's got a cat familiar, which I just adored. I'm a huge fan of characters with talking pets/spirits that guide them along the way. They are always sassy in the books I end up reading.
Pahua isn't your typical strong character. There were some moments when it felt like she can do more than you expect her to at that point, but I loved that she and Zhong were a team who worked closely together despite there being some obvious animosity from Zhong. Pahua is also dealing with a lot in this story and it's not just losing her brother's soul to a mysterious spirit. She's also struggling with the loss of her father from her life. After her parents separated, it seems like she feels neglected and lost with what to do next. I can definitely relate to that in many ways and compounded on top of that, she's ostracized at school for being Asian without anyone to help her. It was so relatable to me that I could feel my heart pulling for Pahua's.
Despite some of the heavier themes, the book was still exciting with a lot of action and adventure as Zhong and Pahua journey into the spirit realm and back again. I loved meeting all the different kinds of spirits while they were traveling. From the aunties who fed them when they were hungry to the old woman watching over the Tree of Souls, there was a warmth to the spirits in these worlds that felt so absent from Pahua's reality. Even the demons and dragon boys were fun at times.
The adventures don't quit either. Seriously, once Pahua and Zhong figured out one piece of the puzzle, there was another something they needed to battle or face. It made the story really compelling and I wanted to keep on reading to see what happens next!
One of the aspects I really loved about Pahua is how non-violent she is. Instead of running right at the problem with her ax, she talks to the enemy or negotiates with them. To me, that's just big brain thinking and I loved having Zhong be the anti-thesis of this as well, but it really surprised me to see Pahua take a different route.
Overall, it was such an action packed story with tons of adventure and friendship. I loved learning about the Hmong culture and folklore through Pahua and Zhong's journey. It made me laugh super hard and root for these girls to save the day.
Pahua isn't your typical strong character. There were some moments when it felt like she can do more than you expect her to at that point, but I loved that she and Zhong were a team who worked closely together despite there being some obvious animosity from Zhong. Pahua is also dealing with a lot in this story and it's not just losing her brother's soul to a mysterious spirit. She's also struggling with the loss of her father from her life. After her parents separated, it seems like she feels neglected and lost with what to do next. I can definitely relate to that in many ways and compounded on top of that, she's ostracized at school for being Asian without anyone to help her. It was so relatable to me that I could feel my heart pulling for Pahua's.
Despite some of the heavier themes, the book was still exciting with a lot of action and adventure as Zhong and Pahua journey into the spirit realm and back again. I loved meeting all the different kinds of spirits while they were traveling. From the aunties who fed them when they were hungry to the old woman watching over the Tree of Souls, there was a warmth to the spirits in these worlds that felt so absent from Pahua's reality. Even the demons and dragon boys were fun at times.
The adventures don't quit either. Seriously, once Pahua and Zhong figured out one piece of the puzzle, there was another something they needed to battle or face. It made the story really compelling and I wanted to keep on reading to see what happens next!
One of the aspects I really loved about Pahua is how non-violent she is. Instead of running right at the problem with her ax, she talks to the enemy or negotiates with them. To me, that's just big brain thinking and I loved having Zhong be the anti-thesis of this as well, but it really surprised me to see Pahua take a different route.
Overall, it was such an action packed story with tons of adventure and friendship. I loved learning about the Hmong culture and folklore through Pahua and Zhong's journey. It made me laugh super hard and root for these girls to save the day.
jlynnreadsandwrites's review against another edition
5.0
I was excited about the premise of the book having never before read a book with Hmong representation. I was curious to learn a bit more about the culture and beliefs and loved the idea of doing so in a fantasy. I wasn't disappointed. Lee created a bright, colorful world full of wonder and danger. I haven't encountered many fantasies with two girls are the main characters. Not only that but they are two very strong characters and there is little doubt that they will accomplish the difficult tasks ahead of them. I expect there will be a sequel and I look forward to it!