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A review by prudence_aubergine
Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao
5.0
5/5
** Thank you so much to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. **
WOW!!
This was so action-packed I was on the edge of my seat for like, half the book!
Zachary Ying was a fantastic hero who was so relatable to many. Zachary is a Uyghur boy who was forced to flee China with his Mom when he was very young, and whose Dad was killed by the government for speaking out against the genocide. He and his Mom moved from New York City to Maine at the start of the book, and so Zachary now has to deal with losing his community and sense of belonging because he is one of only a handful of Asian kids at his school.
I loved pretty much everything about this book. It was billed as 'Percy Jackson meets Yu-Gi-Oh', and even though I haven't finished Percy Jackson yet, it DELIVERED. There was action, high stakes, amazing lore, fantastical creatures, magic -- YOU NAME IT!
I loved how prevalent Ancient Chinese history was in this book, and how many different characters we, the readers, got to meet. Being a white, Canadian girl, I am one of maaaaaany who never learnt about Chinese history in school, so it was a lot of fun and super interesting for me to learn alongside Zachary.
Not only is this book a delight and would appeal to so many middle grade readers for the adventure aspects alone, this book also touches on several serious topics such as racism, genocide, religion and religious freedom, good vs. evil/right vs. wrong, JUST to name a few.
I especially loved reading about the author's inspiration/hopes for this book:
"Being Chinese has become so painfully political... Yet on another hand, there’s the necessity of demystifying and defending Chinese culture to combat anti-Chinese racism. Many diaspora like myself are caught in the crosshairs, struggling to find the balance. But what I firmly believe is that traditional Chinese culture and history don't belong to the Chinese government. It belongs to the Chinese people, both native and diaspora... Through Zack’s journey in this book, I wanted to engage with the complexities of Chinese identity, especially as a minority and diaspora, but I also want to have fun."
In my opnion, Xiran Jay Zhao met their goals and THEN some! I can't wait to read the next book and I am so happy that this book exists in the world for children to enjoy and learn from. What are you waiting for? Pick up your copy now!!!
** Thank you so much to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. **
WOW!!
This was so action-packed I was on the edge of my seat for like, half the book!
Zachary Ying was a fantastic hero who was so relatable to many. Zachary is a Uyghur boy who was forced to flee China with his Mom when he was very young, and whose Dad was killed by the government for speaking out against the genocide. He and his Mom moved from New York City to Maine at the start of the book, and so Zachary now has to deal with losing his community and sense of belonging because he is one of only a handful of Asian kids at his school.
I loved pretty much everything about this book. It was billed as 'Percy Jackson meets Yu-Gi-Oh', and even though I haven't finished Percy Jackson yet, it DELIVERED. There was action, high stakes, amazing lore, fantastical creatures, magic -- YOU NAME IT!
I loved how prevalent Ancient Chinese history was in this book, and how many different characters we, the readers, got to meet. Being a white, Canadian girl, I am one of maaaaaany who never learnt about Chinese history in school, so it was a lot of fun and super interesting for me to learn alongside Zachary.
Not only is this book a delight and would appeal to so many middle grade readers for the adventure aspects alone, this book also touches on several serious topics such as racism, genocide, religion and religious freedom, good vs. evil/right vs. wrong, JUST to name a few.
I especially loved reading about the author's inspiration/hopes for this book:
"Being Chinese has become so painfully political... Yet on another hand, there’s the necessity of demystifying and defending Chinese culture to combat anti-Chinese racism. Many diaspora like myself are caught in the crosshairs, struggling to find the balance. But what I firmly believe is that traditional Chinese culture and history don't belong to the Chinese government. It belongs to the Chinese people, both native and diaspora... Through Zack’s journey in this book, I wanted to engage with the complexities of Chinese identity, especially as a minority and diaspora, but I also want to have fun."
In my opnion, Xiran Jay Zhao met their goals and THEN some! I can't wait to read the next book and I am so happy that this book exists in the world for children to enjoy and learn from. What are you waiting for? Pick up your copy now!!!