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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
It was amazing how all the characters from Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and Starry River of the Sky all came back in the end!
WOW. This was my first book to read by Grace Lin, and I cannot WAIT to read the rest. She has a true gift of storytelling. I couldn't wait to get home each day to read another chapter of this book; A MUST READ.
Another beautiful pastiche of fables centered around a plucky young heroine. I truly appreciate that she has anxiety and has to learn to be who sure is despite a giant freezing lump reaction. An inspiration.
Grace Lin did it again! She is so good at tying characters and stories together! This book has the same feel as it does the other two. When I first start of reading her books, I'm like "meh... it's okay" and then all of a sudden, I am pulled into the story and don't want to put it down until I'm done. The three books are connected! It's amazing how it's done. Book 1 was like the middle book Minli's adventure, book 2 talked about the past, Rendi's adventure (son of magistrate Tiger!), and book 3 is the future Pinmei's adventure (Minli being her grandmother!) I love reading about the folklores I heard as a child.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Grace Lin weaves together Chinese mythology and fiction to tell the story of Pinmei, the storyteller's granddaughter, who finds her own voice when she undertakes a quest to save her grandmother from the tyrannical Tiger King. Along the way she pauses to tell what I assume are traditional Chinese stories, which end up weaving into the people Pinmei encounters along her journey. I appreciated how well-researched and integrated the story was, the world building was solid and I felt I had a better understanding of some traditional Chinese stories. This book is also formatted beautifully. The accompanying illustrations and chapter title designs are stunning ad capture Chinese-style artwork.
I was interested in Pinmei's own story, but not completely gripped. Towards the end I found her defeat of the Tiger King hard to follow, I ended up skimming the last few chapters and was happy to know the story ended happily ever after. I enjoyed the stories interested throughout the book more. When visiting a place with bad wifi with my younger sister I ended up cherry-picking a few stories from this book to read aloud while Netflix loaded, and they were greatly enjoyed. This book is worth a read but may not be for everyone.
I was interested in Pinmei's own story, but not completely gripped. Towards the end I found her defeat of the Tiger King hard to follow, I ended up skimming the last few chapters and was happy to know the story ended happily ever after. I enjoyed the stories interested throughout the book more. When visiting a place with bad wifi with my younger sister I ended up cherry-picking a few stories from this book to read aloud while Netflix loaded, and they were greatly enjoyed. This book is worth a read but may not be for everyone.
This book is absolutely beautiful. An historical fiction adventure with mythological elements, it builds from a simple premise into an absolute tapestry of in-world history and rich supernatural elements. It's not exactly written as a fantasy, though. Pinmei is a girl who worries about her grandmother's well-being and having enough rice through the winter; it uses real-world legends. The character herself is fantastic, too. Pinmei isn't exactly a hero--just a brave, good-hearted girl who is going to rescue her grandmother, even if she has to fix the whole world to do it.
This is a Chinese inspired middle grade novel that highlights the beauty and immortality of storytelling. I was never truly immersed in the story but I thought it was beautiful and celebrated storytelling and lore. I also appreciated the attention to how valuable food can be in poverty, how every grain is precious.
I loved the integration of realism and lore into the story and I love how the title (what a marvelously beautiful title) bookmarked the story. I always love when our protagonists are as fascinated with stories than I as a reader is.
Overall, Grace Lin balanced beautiful lyrical writing with approachable prose. It was a well constructed and satisfying story even if one that will not have a lasting impact on me.
I definitely this it is worth one's time especially if you are interested in the mythology of Chinese folklore ad it and it is a novel that makes you feel happy inside throughout and lingers afterward.
I loved the integration of realism and lore into the story and I love how the title (what a marvelously beautiful title) bookmarked the story. I always love when our protagonists are as fascinated with stories than I as a reader is.
Overall, Grace Lin balanced beautiful lyrical writing with approachable prose. It was a well constructed and satisfying story even if one that will not have a lasting impact on me.
I definitely this it is worth one's time especially if you are interested in the mythology of Chinese folklore ad it and it is a novel that makes you feel happy inside throughout and lingers afterward.
this was a reread and I might be loving this series even more the second time around
Love this audiobook. Narrator was spot on and the story had plenty of great characters and an exciting, mysterious plot. Author Grace Lin spins a magical tale by mixing Chinese fairytales with her own imagination. For readers or listeners 9 and older.