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A review by lillanaa
Winnie Zeng Unleashes a Legend by Katie Zhao
4.0
This book was so fun and fantastic, and I loved the characters most of all, there was a great example of how the pressures of parents and society impact what someone actually wants to do with their life. Winnie is a character that a lot of kids will find relatable, she's trapped in the golden child route and feels like she has no choice in her life until she's pushed out of her comfort zone. Very reluctant chosen one vibes, and I'm always interested in books that run with that narrative, it makes for a twist on what we're seeing with the entire genre of mythology fantasy going around middle grade right now and creates a great dynamic between Winnie and David.
I think the only problem I had with this was the pacing. Winnie drags her heels the entire book, and doesn't seem to actually understand the impacts of her actions until the very last second, and it makes her story feel rushed. I know this is to show that she wants to make her own choices, be her own person without the constraints of her family, but it makes for a snail pace, only really ramping up when others are pushing her to act, making the entire thing moot. I wanted to love it more, but the disjointedness between actions and thoughts made this difficult.
I think the only problem I had with this was the pacing. Winnie drags her heels the entire book, and doesn't seem to actually understand the impacts of her actions until the very last second, and it makes her story feel rushed. I know this is to show that she wants to make her own choices, be her own person without the constraints of her family, but it makes for a snail pace, only really ramping up when others are pushing her to act, making the entire thing moot. I wanted to love it more, but the disjointedness between actions and thoughts made this difficult.