A review by dreamofbookspines
Serpentine by Cindy Pon

4.0

This was a book I heard about on Spilled Milk (super fantastic podcast from Molly Wizenberg and Matthew Amster-Burton) and couldn't wait to get my hands on. I promptly forgot about it, then (re)discovered it about a year later. I absolutely love the premise. There are a few relatively small details that drive me a little nuts, but overall this was an enjoyable read.

Details that bug me a little bit but aren't enough to dissuade me from reading the book
- The mix of Anglicized and Chinese names. Zhen Ni vs Skybright. Really, if I'm going to read a book that's steeped in Chinese legends, I'm not interested in super Anglicized names. Not sure why the author chose to do it this way.
- I've never really been a fan of "girl meets boy" type stories, which is what this one is on the side. But since Kai Sen and Skybright have a relationship outside of just the boring straight sexytimes, it's something I can overlook.

Like other reviewers have said, the ending did feel a little abrupt, and I'm still trying to figure out Stone's motivations, but I'll likely read the next one in this series. I'm curious to see Skybright grow into herself more.