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A review by erikachung182
The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee
5.0
My love for Superhero stuff and the Money King collided into one hell of a book in The Epic Crush of Genie Lo! This was a great read!
It's hard to describe why I love this book without mentioning how much the details of this book mirrored my own experiences as a Chinese-Canadian teen. I went to a high school were academics was the top priority for most students (and our families). Most people had strong ambitions set for university and future careers. My high school also happened to have mostly Asian-Canadian students because my neighbourhood was an area many immigrant families moved to. To cut down on more babbling, it was awesome to read a YA book that represented my experience of high school. A representation in which I can see and hear myself - and the added bonus, I can see and hear my friends and classmates too.
With that context in mind, it was awesome to have the Superhero flair added into the mix! Like Genie, I have general knowledge of the Chinese folk tales about the Monkey King (thank god for that Hong Kong TVB drama of the late 90s - I personally think that the best TV adaptation of the Monkey King lol). To read a story in which the Monkey King gets the superhero treatment is pretty cool, but to have Genie as the main character, who represents some of the experiences of what it's like to be the child of an immigrant family, was amazing. It hits really close to home. I just love Genie! I also feel like she would be great friends with Kate Bishop (aka Hawkeye)!
The Epic Crush of Genie Lo reads very much like a classic action-adventure story. She is the Chosen One (so to speak) and she grapples with learning her new superhero-like abilities. But like the tagline of the book says ("A demon invasion is no excuse of bad grades"), Genie's real challenge is about how she comes to grips with all her responsibilities as a student, a daughter, volleyball player and now as Heaven's mightiest weapon against a demon invasion. No big deal right...who needs work-life balance...
This book warms my heart, and I'm so happy to have read it. I recommend either Googling the Monkey King or read American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Lang, because having some background information on the Monkey King will help with understanding the folklore aspects of this book. If you love superhero things and diverse YA books, this is an awesome book to check out.
Thanks to Indigo Teen for sending me an ARC!
It's hard to describe why I love this book without mentioning how much the details of this book mirrored my own experiences as a Chinese-Canadian teen. I went to a high school were academics was the top priority for most students (and our families). Most people had strong ambitions set for university and future careers. My high school also happened to have mostly Asian-Canadian students because my neighbourhood was an area many immigrant families moved to. To cut down on more babbling, it was awesome to read a YA book that represented my experience of high school. A representation in which I can see and hear myself - and the added bonus, I can see and hear my friends and classmates too.
With that context in mind, it was awesome to have the Superhero flair added into the mix! Like Genie, I have general knowledge of the Chinese folk tales about the Monkey King (thank god for that Hong Kong TVB drama of the late 90s - I personally think that the best TV adaptation of the Monkey King lol). To read a story in which the Monkey King gets the superhero treatment is pretty cool, but to have Genie as the main character, who represents some of the experiences of what it's like to be the child of an immigrant family, was amazing. It hits really close to home. I just love Genie! I also feel like she would be great friends with Kate Bishop (aka Hawkeye)!
The Epic Crush of Genie Lo reads very much like a classic action-adventure story. She is the Chosen One (so to speak) and she grapples with learning her new superhero-like abilities. But like the tagline of the book says ("A demon invasion is no excuse of bad grades"), Genie's real challenge is about how she comes to grips with all her responsibilities as a student, a daughter, volleyball player and now as Heaven's mightiest weapon against a demon invasion. No big deal right...who needs work-life balance...
This book warms my heart, and I'm so happy to have read it. I recommend either Googling the Monkey King or read American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Lang, because having some background information on the Monkey King will help with understanding the folklore aspects of this book. If you love superhero things and diverse YA books, this is an awesome book to check out.
Thanks to Indigo Teen for sending me an ARC!