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A review by jemofabook
Pahua and the Soul Stealer by Lori M. Lee
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Rating: 3.5, Enjoyed It
This book tells the story of Pahua, a young Hmong girl who accidentally unleashes a bridge spirit who then steals the souls of children to the Spirit Realm, causing them to fall into mysterious comas. This would be bad enough, but Pahua's brother is one of the children whose soul is stolen. We follow Pahua as she teams up with a shaman warrior in training to journey to the Spirit Realm and send her brother's soul back. Along the way she comes to terms with her own magic.
This book was a lot of fun. It was a great adventure, and I loved the Hmong mythology that was the backbone of the story. I thought that it was a magical and transportive adventure. I love the Rick Riordan Presents line for introducing so many new cultures to children and also providing heroes and heroines who can present underrepresented groups with a character on the page like them.
I will say that the humor in this fell a little flat for me and it felt a little bit too long/drawn out for the story that was being told. I think it could have definitely been 150 pages shorter. But even then, I think this is an important story and I definitely enjoyed it. I look forward to checking out the author's YA series as well.
Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Publishing/Rick Riordan Presents for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book tells the story of Pahua, a young Hmong girl who accidentally unleashes a bridge spirit who then steals the souls of children to the Spirit Realm, causing them to fall into mysterious comas. This would be bad enough, but Pahua's brother is one of the children whose soul is stolen. We follow Pahua as she teams up with a shaman warrior in training to journey to the Spirit Realm and send her brother's soul back. Along the way she comes to terms with her own magic.
This book was a lot of fun. It was a great adventure, and I loved the Hmong mythology that was the backbone of the story. I thought that it was a magical and transportive adventure. I love the Rick Riordan Presents line for introducing so many new cultures to children and also providing heroes and heroines who can present underrepresented groups with a character on the page like them.
I will say that the humor in this fell a little flat for me and it felt a little bit too long/drawn out for the story that was being told. I think it could have definitely been 150 pages shorter. But even then, I think this is an important story and I definitely enjoyed it. I look forward to checking out the author's YA series as well.
Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Publishing/Rick Riordan Presents for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.