A review by laurenleigh
The Phoenix Crown by Janie Chang, Kate Quinn

hopeful tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

A nicely engaging historical fiction novel about the 1906 SF earthquake! I’m so glad Quinn reached out to Chang to cowrite this piece. Bringing in the Chinese perspective was really enriching to the story, and it’s so important to remember the immigrant labor that built so much of the West Coast. My favorite character turned out to be a real person, so that was a fun discovery! (Google Alice Eastwood, so cool.) I saw most of the “plot twists” a mile away, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment. This definitely made me look up current earthquake response recommendations, and a few things have changed since we were doing earthquake drills under our school desks! (Now I feel old.)
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