Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
I loved this book! I mostly picked it up because I was in a pirate mood and the cover is gorgeous, and it ended up being a great read. It takes its inspiration from Chinese pirates, particularly Zheng Yi Sao (who is arguably the most successful pirate of all time), and crafts an exciting, romantic, swashbuckling adventure about a sheltered young girl who dreams of adventure and then runs away to sea after a cute girl and a legendary treasure. While this is “a Treasure Island remix,” it feels like its own thing and you don’t need to have read (or, in my case, remember) what happens in the RLS original to enjoy this one. This is a pirate story with queer Chinese and Vietnamese women at the center of it. It fills in a major hole in our pirate media (there were lots of nonwhite and nonmale pirates historically? Where are they in fiction?) and I’m so glad that it does that while being as fun and exciting a romp as it is.
adventurous
hopeful
informative
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
I like the concept of this book so much. The setting and the historical background of this interpretation is so interesting, and clearly crafted with so much love! My problems are mostly with the pacing and where the attention is spent, as I feel like so much of the book is set with very un-economical storytelling. Lots of pages are spent on setting, location, vibe, and re-affirming themes and information that had already been given before, and all my favorite parts - the mystery, action, chase, basically the treasure hunting and pirate parts - all go by so fast and with so little detail that it's sometimes disorienting, at least compared to the details given in the food markets. But maybe that's just a personal preference.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Adventure, treasure, identity, two smart girls, and a legendary pirate queen all come together in a totally fun, fast-paced, romantic, exciting story by C.B. Lee.
-Xiang is a sheltered girl who is desperate to prove herself to her stern mother. She has a pendant left to her by her dead father that might provide a clue to a treasure.
-Anh is tough, mysterious, and decides to work with Xiang to find the fabled treasure of the pirate Dragon Fleet.
I LOVED the way the actual pirate Zheng Yi Sao was brought into this story. She was incredibly successful and powerful.
I also loved the way the relationship between the girls was handled: slow burn, and sweet.
-Xiang is a sheltered girl who is desperate to prove herself to her stern mother. She has a pendant left to her by her dead father that might provide a clue to a treasure.
-Anh is tough, mysterious, and decides to work with Xiang to find the fabled treasure of the pirate Dragon Fleet.
I LOVED the way the actual pirate Zheng Yi Sao was brought into this story. She was incredibly successful and powerful.
I also loved the way the relationship between the girls was handled: slow burn, and sweet.
I just didn’t connect with this book at all. The characters were fairly flat… though the slow relationship was realistic.
As far as being a retelling, it hit the mark. It was just as slow for the majority of the book as Treasure Island. And the end was just as action packed.
The twist with the mother at the end to me was obvious.
As far as being a retelling, it hit the mark. It was just as slow for the majority of the book as Treasure Island. And the end was just as action packed.
The twist with the mother at the end to me was obvious.