A review by clumsyqueenie
The Last Fallen Star by Graci Kim

5.0

“Don’t let a curse define who you can and can’t be. Only you have the power to decide that.”

Rating: 5/5
★★★★★

This book was something I definitely did not see coming!!
Like, this book was totally worth reading, and if you haven't read it yet, GO READ IT. NOW.

So, Riley Oh is our protagonist who lives with her adopted family, who are from the Gom Clan; the healers clan. But Riley is a saram; a non-magical person, who, isn't able to fit in and feels like an outsider most of the time.
Now, y'all may be like, "Yeah, definitely! The I'm-an-outsider-who's-family-is-unknown-and-super-mysterious trope is too old, I ain't gonna read it". But trust me when I say, this book is definitely worth it; the folklore, the magic, the friendship and FOOD were just *chef's kiss*.
This book definitely gives out a lot of PJO and Aru Shah vibes; it even has a tiny reference to one of them, if you pay attention!

Graci Kim does a fantastic job of blending Korean Mythology and the modern time, all while making the plot super engaging and fun to invest on.
The world-building was really cool, with the six clans and their patron goddesses and we might not get to know much of the world but it definitely had its moments.
If you ask me to choose between the characters and the plot; which I liked best, I would be torn, 'cause that's how wonderful this book is!!

"Because, like a coin, there are always two sides to every story. Without the two sides, it cannot be whole.”

The plot was super engaging as I said earlier and the book was fast-paced and you really can't put the book down, once you've started reading it!! The whole story isn't revealed at first, but the way things slowly unravel up until the end seemed very miraculous and satisfying.

"Sometimes you gotta burn your fingers to enjoy the s’more."

The characters in this story, especially Riley and Emmett were carefully written, and truthfully, the way Riley goes from "a-very-shy-outcast" to "sassy-girl-capable-of-killing-a-goddess" is pretty cool! Meanwhile Emmett was also fun to read, being the mom-friend of the group, to feeling betrayed whe Riley kept the truth from him to accepting his mom's loss and overall not being allergic to emotions were just perfect. The other side characters that didn't actually play an major role also had their "spotlight moments" and they totally shone through it!!

The ending was bittersweet ngl, but Hey! That leaves more room for the sequel and the rest other books, I can't wait for!!

Overall, I'd give a 5/5 for this piece of gem.