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brianareads's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Death
kait_sixcrowsbooks's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Representation:
- Asian-inspired MC and SCs
- non-binary SC
- queer polyamorous SC (as in, a one-liner character. but still)
For it being a short book, a lot happens? But also doesn't? I'm not really sure how to explain it, but the pace throughout seemed a little off to me. And the ending just seemed a bit rushed, too. That aside, however, I really enjoyed Dragon Pearl and wished it was part of a series, so we could get more adventures with Min and her friends! It's a cute book, and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes MG SFF and/or Korean mythology.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Gun violence and Violence
ha1yan's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Really fun and a unique concept! Korean mythology and sci-fi make for a super memorable combination.
The ghost planet at the end gave me CHILLS. I didn't know it was going to get that dark!!!
The ghost planet at the end gave me CHILLS. I didn't know it was going to get that dark!!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Death, Death of parent, Suicide, and Confinement
savgulick's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
tqlikesbooks's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
“Seems to me, Min, you make your own luck.”
Dragon Pearl follows thirteen year old min, a gumiho (fox spirit) who wants to join the Space Forces like her older brother Jun. When her family is visited by a man who claims Jun has deserted the forces to track down a powerful item called the dragon pearl, Min is convinced that her brother is innocent and sets out to rescue Jun and clear his name.
This was a great middle-grade adventure that combines coming of age, sci-fi and Korean folklore. I adored learning about all sorts of magical beings and how they operated in this sci-fi world, including: goblin space cadets; terraforming dragon magic; and a wily fox spirt that owns a gambling parlour on a space port. Min is an excellent protagonist who uses her charm and shapeshifting ability in many clever ways in order to find her brother (but inadvertently leaves a trail of destruction in her wake). There is some great representation of non-binary people throughout the worlds in which the story takes place, which I found pretty neat for a children's book!
Overall it's a fun and fast paced story, but something about it fell a little flat for me— the writing was just a little overly simplistic for my tastes. I do love that this kind of children's story exists and I would have adored this as a youngster.
I highly recommend this book for fans of middle-grade fiction. I'm definitely interested enough to check out more of Yoon Ha Lee's adult fiction now.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Death, and Grief
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