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richy_qu33r_readzz's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
marieintheraw's review against another edition
4.0
the ending felt a bit rushed to me, but overall I really enjoyed this one
roseleaf24's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this adventure story, inspired by Navajo cultural stories and working within those legends. The characters are endearing, and the story was one I could not put down. I hope this becomes a series, and I will be reading more of Rebecca Roanhorse. I love what Rick Riordan is doing to bring more underrepresented Own Voices to middle grade fiction.
laura_cs's review against another edition
5.0
I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Lately, Navajo middle schooler Nizhoni Begay has been seeing monsters everywhere. She knows that they are monsters, but voices her concerns to only her younger brother, Mac, for fear of being mocked or not believed. But when the latest monster shows up at her basketball game--and turns out to actually be her dad's new boss--she knows something big is about to happen. At least, that's what Mr. Yazzie (her stuffed horned lizard) says. When Nizhoni learns that her father has been kidnapped, it sends her, Mac, and her best friend Davery on a quest to the Sun. Along the way, they encounter the Holy People of Navajo mythos, and Nizhoni learns more about her past as the descendant of the Hero Twins and her future as a monsterslayer...
A fantastic middle school debut from Rebecca Roanhorse, "Race to the Sun" is a brilliant novel featuring a Native American heroine and is a great introduction to Navajo legends just as the "Percy Jackson" series is to Greek myth. A wonderful addition to the Rick Riordan Presents line-up, I hope to see more Native American stories in the future from both Roanhorse and the imprint. Also, having been to many of the locations in the book in New Mexico and around the Navajo Nation, it was nice to return to these places in a fictional setting and I hope encourages readers to travel to the beautiful locations that Nizhoni and her friends visit. (Well. The ones we mere mortals can access, anyways...)
Lately, Navajo middle schooler Nizhoni Begay has been seeing monsters everywhere. She knows that they are monsters, but voices her concerns to only her younger brother, Mac, for fear of being mocked or not believed. But when the latest monster shows up at her basketball game--and turns out to actually be her dad's new boss--she knows something big is about to happen. At least, that's what Mr. Yazzie (her stuffed horned lizard) says. When Nizhoni learns that her father has been kidnapped, it sends her, Mac, and her best friend Davery on a quest to the Sun. Along the way, they encounter the Holy People of Navajo mythos, and Nizhoni learns more about her past as the descendant of the Hero Twins and her future as a monsterslayer...
A fantastic middle school debut from Rebecca Roanhorse, "Race to the Sun" is a brilliant novel featuring a Native American heroine and is a great introduction to Navajo legends just as the "Percy Jackson" series is to Greek myth. A wonderful addition to the Rick Riordan Presents line-up, I hope to see more Native American stories in the future from both Roanhorse and the imprint. Also, having been to many of the locations in the book in New Mexico and around the Navajo Nation, it was nice to return to these places in a fictional setting and I hope encourages readers to travel to the beautiful locations that Nizhoni and her friends visit. (Well. The ones we mere mortals can access, anyways...)
musingswithmiranda's review against another edition
4.0
During the month of November, I took part in a middle grade readathon called Believathon. This was my first year participating, and almost all the books I was drawn to for my tbr were from the Rick Riordan Presents series. Ever since I heard about Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse, I was really intrigued by it, so I was over the moon when I could check out a copy from my local library.
Race to the Sun is about Nizhoni Begay, a seventh grader who longs to be famous and just so happens to be able to detect monsters. Everything seems to go wrong when she spots a monster at her basketball game only to later learn that he is Mr. Charles, her father’s new boss. He also seems to have a weird interest in the Begay family and their Navajo heritage. Nizhoni tries to warn her father and brother, Mac, but they do not understand her ability. Mac also learns that he has his own powers too. When Mr. Begay is taken hostage, Nizhoni, Mac, and their friend Davery are launched into a quest with many trials where they must reach the House of the Sun with the help of the Diné Holy People. They must all come together to find Nizhoni’s father, defeat Mr. Charles, and stop him from releasing monsters.
I really enjoyed reading about Navajo culture and folklore. It is not something that I have really read about before, but Roanhorse does a great job at incorporating it in a fun, action packed middle grade novel. The legend of the Hero Twins was really interesting, and it was cool to see how it brought the Begay siblings together. It was a fun twist on the legend that looked at their ancestry and explained their new powers. This story also includes other mythology aspects like Changing Woman and Rock Crystal Boy.
The quest that Nizhoni, Mac, and Davery set out on is a great adventure tale. They were all unique characters with their own personalities and motivations. They were genuinely funny too. I loved that the author made each character bring something to their team. For me, I love reading character driven narratives where they are given the chance to change and develop throughout the book. Roanhorse achieves this in a very natural way. The kids know that what they are doing is bigger than themselves. They give it their all and stand up for what they believe in. Nizhoni’s change to see what is important was really heartwarming. Beyond this, it was a beautiful depiction of family and community.
The Rick Riordan Presents line has yet to disappoint me. I am new to Rebecca Roanhorse’s work, but I honestly cannot wait to check out her other releases. Race to the Sun was such a rich and fun read, so I cannot wait to see how Roanhorse tops this in her other books.
*Content warning: references to racism and microagressions, a parent leaving their family and children*
Race to the Sun is about Nizhoni Begay, a seventh grader who longs to be famous and just so happens to be able to detect monsters. Everything seems to go wrong when she spots a monster at her basketball game only to later learn that he is Mr. Charles, her father’s new boss. He also seems to have a weird interest in the Begay family and their Navajo heritage. Nizhoni tries to warn her father and brother, Mac, but they do not understand her ability. Mac also learns that he has his own powers too. When Mr. Begay is taken hostage, Nizhoni, Mac, and their friend Davery are launched into a quest with many trials where they must reach the House of the Sun with the help of the Diné Holy People. They must all come together to find Nizhoni’s father, defeat Mr. Charles, and stop him from releasing monsters.
I really enjoyed reading about Navajo culture and folklore. It is not something that I have really read about before, but Roanhorse does a great job at incorporating it in a fun, action packed middle grade novel. The legend of the Hero Twins was really interesting, and it was cool to see how it brought the Begay siblings together. It was a fun twist on the legend that looked at their ancestry and explained their new powers. This story also includes other mythology aspects like Changing Woman and Rock Crystal Boy.
The quest that Nizhoni, Mac, and Davery set out on is a great adventure tale. They were all unique characters with their own personalities and motivations. They were genuinely funny too. I loved that the author made each character bring something to their team. For me, I love reading character driven narratives where they are given the chance to change and develop throughout the book. Roanhorse achieves this in a very natural way. The kids know that what they are doing is bigger than themselves. They give it their all and stand up for what they believe in. Nizhoni’s change to see what is important was really heartwarming. Beyond this, it was a beautiful depiction of family and community.
The Rick Riordan Presents line has yet to disappoint me. I am new to Rebecca Roanhorse’s work, but I honestly cannot wait to check out her other releases. Race to the Sun was such a rich and fun read, so I cannot wait to see how Roanhorse tops this in her other books.
*Content warning: references to racism and microagressions, a parent leaving their family and children*
taylor15809's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
huntea's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
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
3.75
baxgirl's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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? No
4.0
throwback682's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
I’m thankful that I read this as an audiobook so I could hear the proper pronunciations of all the place and people names. I love this empowering story with an indigenous girl as the hero.
anniekslibrary's review against another edition
4.0
Sometimes you just need a middlegrade quest adventure, and this was certainly a fun one. I was so excited about the Rick Riordan Presents imprint when it was started, and I still am, but I realized I'm about 5 years behind in reading them, since this one came out in 2019. Much to catch up on!
I love that this is a standalone story. There should be more of those tbh! And it was really interesting to learn more about Navajo mythology, which I can't say I knew much, if anything about. The writing was super engaging and held my attention really well, the book was often funny, and the mythology was super accessibly explained, never making it hard to grasp.
I love that this is a standalone story. There should be more of those tbh! And it was really interesting to learn more about Navajo mythology, which I can't say I knew much, if anything about. The writing was super engaging and held my attention really well, the book was often funny, and the mythology was super accessibly explained, never making it hard to grasp.