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booksandpops4000's review
4.0
* I got this book for review*
I really enjoyed this book. I lovd that is tackled both the hardships of middle school like friendship and family dymancis and also the hard part of being a hero. I also loved diving into chinese mythology and love the love hate dymanics between the two characters. It was a rather quick read and one that I really enjoyed!! I am excited to read more by this auhor in the future!!
I really enjoyed this book. I lovd that is tackled both the hardships of middle school like friendship and family dymancis and also the hard part of being a hero. I also loved diving into chinese mythology and love the love hate dymanics between the two characters. It was a rather quick read and one that I really enjoyed!! I am excited to read more by this auhor in the future!!
librarypatronus's review
5.0
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for the ARC of this!
This was so cute and fun, Winnie has the perfect narrative voice. I loved the characters and the plot was well-paced. Definitely recommend for fans of Percy Jackson and Aru Shah!
This was so cute and fun, Winnie has the perfect narrative voice. I loved the characters and the plot was well-paced. Definitely recommend for fans of Percy Jackson and Aru Shah!
lastblossom's review
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
Devastatingly accurate reflection of the diaspora experience, and the trials and tribulations of middle school.
Thoughts
Just the other day, my mom called to inform me that the guy who beat me in every piano competition of my childhood (over ten years ago) has now released his own album. So what I am saying is, 100 points for accuracy here. Thanks for all the flashbacks. Winnie certainly got into baking sooner than I did, though. Mooncakes are not easy to make! My journey through middle grade mythology novels continues with Winnie Zeng, a modern adventure based on Chinese folklore and starring a pop culture-loving girl who is just trying to make it through middle school. Middle school heroes seem to be spending less and less time in school these days (when the world needs saving, who has time for algebra?), so it was an interesting twist to see Winnie doing her best to maintain her grades alongside the world saving. She's a complicated and flawed hero with a lot of internal struggles, and I appreciated the very human aspect to her character. I also appreciated the time spent on the complexities of her relationship with her sister. Food descriptions abound, with recipes in the back for people to try. (If you've never had a red bean brownie, you should.) I think the only thing that I wish I could have more of is the shaman side of things. Very little is explained about her powers, and as a fellow anime fan, I don't actually mind a training arc. As a quick read, it's a fun start to what looks to be a fun series.
Devastatingly accurate reflection of the diaspora experience, and the trials and tribulations of middle school.
Thoughts
Just the other day, my mom called to inform me that the guy who beat me in every piano competition of my childhood (over ten years ago) has now released his own album. So what I am saying is, 100 points for accuracy here. Thanks for all the flashbacks. Winnie certainly got into baking sooner than I did, though. Mooncakes are not easy to make! My journey through middle grade mythology novels continues with Winnie Zeng, a modern adventure based on Chinese folklore and starring a pop culture-loving girl who is just trying to make it through middle school. Middle school heroes seem to be spending less and less time in school these days (when the world needs saving, who has time for algebra?), so it was an interesting twist to see Winnie doing her best to maintain her grades alongside the world saving. She's a complicated and flawed hero with a lot of internal struggles, and I appreciated the very human aspect to her character. I also appreciated the time spent on the complexities of her relationship with her sister. Food descriptions abound, with recipes in the back for people to try. (If you've never had a red bean brownie, you should.) I think the only thing that I wish I could have more of is the shaman side of things. Very little is explained about her powers, and as a fellow anime fan, I don't actually mind a training arc. As a quick read, it's a fun start to what looks to be a fun series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Bullying
Minor: Death
thenovelllama's review
5.0
In the past, I have made it pretty clear that I love a well done middle grade book. This book absolutely falls into that category. With its fast pace and well defined character development, it is captivating from start to finish. Winnie was a wonderfully real character. It was easy to watch her gain strength and confidence from the moment she discovered her shaman abilities, to the moment where she truly embraced them. I appreciated that her character held the thoughts and fears of most middle schoolers, it helped her development feel real. It was easy to see all the ways her personal relationships shaped her own decisions. Her relationships were all complex, exploring the ease and difficulty in family life. Hard to please parents, a difficult to live with sister, a rivalry, are all things that middle school kids can relate to themselves.
One of the biggest things that I look for when looking at middle grade works is whether the work doubts the intelligence of the reader. I’ve seen plenty of works that seem to talk down to the audience because it is intended for ‘children’. However, if I have learned anything in this life, it is that “children” have an even greater grasp for story telling than most adults. They have a way of understanding stories in a very personal way. This story seems to understand that and never at any point feels condescending. It opens up topics for conversation, leading the reader to become fully engaged with both the story as well as the characters.
I was so excited that I got a chance to learn so much about Chinese culture in this novel. The culture, the mythologies, and especially the food were so well described that it encouraged me to look online for even more information. I will fully admit that I spent most of my time reading, also secretly dreaming of food. It was fascinating to watch Winnie learn about her shaman powers and her own connection to the spirit world. I felt that I was learning along with her in many ways and it helped me feel more connected to the story. I cannot wait to read this book with my kids and hear all of their thoughts and questions.
5/5 stars! I cannot wait to see where this series goes!
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Books for this eArc in exchange for my honest review!
One of the biggest things that I look for when looking at middle grade works is whether the work doubts the intelligence of the reader. I’ve seen plenty of works that seem to talk down to the audience because it is intended for ‘children’. However, if I have learned anything in this life, it is that “children” have an even greater grasp for story telling than most adults. They have a way of understanding stories in a very personal way. This story seems to understand that and never at any point feels condescending. It opens up topics for conversation, leading the reader to become fully engaged with both the story as well as the characters.
I was so excited that I got a chance to learn so much about Chinese culture in this novel. The culture, the mythologies, and especially the food were so well described that it encouraged me to look online for even more information. I will fully admit that I spent most of my time reading, also secretly dreaming of food. It was fascinating to watch Winnie learn about her shaman powers and her own connection to the spirit world. I felt that I was learning along with her in many ways and it helped me feel more connected to the story. I cannot wait to read this book with my kids and hear all of their thoughts and questions.
5/5 stars! I cannot wait to see where this series goes!
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Books for this eArc in exchange for my honest review!
fafabookcorner's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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
4.5
Full review to come ☺️
anniekslibrary's review
4.0
This was so much fun, and genuinely hilarious at times, and it's making me really want to read Katie Zhao's other middlegrade. I loved the mix of fantasy elements set in Winnie's day to day life - she's still going to school and fighting with her sister and having all these normal middlegrade experiences, which made the story feel really balanced. Or maybe it's just that I really enjoy a contemporary setting. Either way, I would highly recommend this!
mousereads's review against another edition
3.0
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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a fun one, quickly paced and easily enjoyable. There were moments where I felt somewhat confused about what the main conflict or plot was, outside of Winnie becoming a shaman, as things felt somewhat scattered at times. I loved Winnie and thought she was a fun narrator. However, the other characters felt flat next to her, and I found myself forgetting details about them as they were seemingly just tossed in and not always clearly relevant.
AS CAWPILE:
Characters: 7 | Atmosphere: 5 | Writing: 5 | Plot: 6 | Intrigue: 8 | Logic: 8 | Enjoyment: 7
total: 6.57/3 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a fun one, quickly paced and easily enjoyable. There were moments where I felt somewhat confused about what the main conflict or plot was, outside of Winnie becoming a shaman, as things felt somewhat scattered at times. I loved Winnie and thought she was a fun narrator. However, the other characters felt flat next to her, and I found myself forgetting details about them as they were seemingly just tossed in and not always clearly relevant.
AS CAWPILE:
Characters: 7 | Atmosphere: 5 | Writing: 5 | Plot: 6 | Intrigue: 8 | Logic: 8 | Enjoyment: 7
total: 6.57/3 stars
lisamcdreads's review
5.0
Winnie Zeng Unleashes a Legend by Katie Zhao is a fun-filled, adventure ride that dips into Chinese mythology. Winnie is just beginning middle school and has a lot on her plate. She takes piano competitively, is at the top of her class, and attends Chinese school. Her nemesis in all of this is a boy named David, who often narrowly beats her in all these competitions. and against whom her parents are constantly comparing her to. While baking some mooncakes for a bake sale, Winnie unleashes the spirit of her grandmother and learns she is a shaman. Of course, she learns that David is a shaman too, and is better at it than she is. While she is initially resistant to accepting these shaman responsibilities and struggles with balancing it all, she eventually embraces being a shaman. Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of this book.
bdzimmerman15's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you to Random House Kids and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
This was such a fun read! I absolutely adored this. Winnie was such a funny character who was full of heart, drive and passion. I loved her so much. The premise of this was so interesting. I don't really a lot of middle grade now, but I have loved everything Katie has written, so I took the leap and boy was I glad I did! If you're looking for something fun, light-hearted, but also full of intrigue, fantasy and history- this book is absolutely one you shouldn't miss!
There is so much growth and discovery in this, as well as letting kids be kids. Granted, I am not the target audience for this book, but I will gladly recommend this to anyone with kids this age and adults alike. This book is that good. You can't go wrong with WINNIE ZENG! This is a winner!
This was such a fun read! I absolutely adored this. Winnie was such a funny character who was full of heart, drive and passion. I loved her so much. The premise of this was so interesting. I don't really a lot of middle grade now, but I have loved everything Katie has written, so I took the leap and boy was I glad I did! If you're looking for something fun, light-hearted, but also full of intrigue, fantasy and history- this book is absolutely one you shouldn't miss!
There is so much growth and discovery in this, as well as letting kids be kids. Granted, I am not the target audience for this book, but I will gladly recommend this to anyone with kids this age and adults alike. This book is that good. You can't go wrong with WINNIE ZENG! This is a winner!
katerdate's review
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0