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A review by musingswithmiranda
Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
4.0
During the month of November, I took part in a middle grade readathon called Believathon. This was my first year participating, and almost all the books I was drawn to for my tbr were from the Rick Riordan Presents series. Ever since I heard about Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse, I was really intrigued by it, so I was over the moon when I could check out a copy from my local library.
Race to the Sun is about Nizhoni Begay, a seventh grader who longs to be famous and just so happens to be able to detect monsters. Everything seems to go wrong when she spots a monster at her basketball game only to later learn that he is Mr. Charles, her father’s new boss. He also seems to have a weird interest in the Begay family and their Navajo heritage. Nizhoni tries to warn her father and brother, Mac, but they do not understand her ability. Mac also learns that he has his own powers too. When Mr. Begay is taken hostage, Nizhoni, Mac, and their friend Davery are launched into a quest with many trials where they must reach the House of the Sun with the help of the Diné Holy People. They must all come together to find Nizhoni’s father, defeat Mr. Charles, and stop him from releasing monsters.
I really enjoyed reading about Navajo culture and folklore. It is not something that I have really read about before, but Roanhorse does a great job at incorporating it in a fun, action packed middle grade novel. The legend of the Hero Twins was really interesting, and it was cool to see how it brought the Begay siblings together. It was a fun twist on the legend that looked at their ancestry and explained their new powers. This story also includes other mythology aspects like Changing Woman and Rock Crystal Boy.
The quest that Nizhoni, Mac, and Davery set out on is a great adventure tale. They were all unique characters with their own personalities and motivations. They were genuinely funny too. I loved that the author made each character bring something to their team. For me, I love reading character driven narratives where they are given the chance to change and develop throughout the book. Roanhorse achieves this in a very natural way. The kids know that what they are doing is bigger than themselves. They give it their all and stand up for what they believe in. Nizhoni’s change to see what is important was really heartwarming. Beyond this, it was a beautiful depiction of family and community.
The Rick Riordan Presents line has yet to disappoint me. I am new to Rebecca Roanhorse’s work, but I honestly cannot wait to check out her other releases. Race to the Sun was such a rich and fun read, so I cannot wait to see how Roanhorse tops this in her other books.
*Content warning: references to racism and microagressions, a parent leaving their family and children*
Race to the Sun is about Nizhoni Begay, a seventh grader who longs to be famous and just so happens to be able to detect monsters. Everything seems to go wrong when she spots a monster at her basketball game only to later learn that he is Mr. Charles, her father’s new boss. He also seems to have a weird interest in the Begay family and their Navajo heritage. Nizhoni tries to warn her father and brother, Mac, but they do not understand her ability. Mac also learns that he has his own powers too. When Mr. Begay is taken hostage, Nizhoni, Mac, and their friend Davery are launched into a quest with many trials where they must reach the House of the Sun with the help of the Diné Holy People. They must all come together to find Nizhoni’s father, defeat Mr. Charles, and stop him from releasing monsters.
I really enjoyed reading about Navajo culture and folklore. It is not something that I have really read about before, but Roanhorse does a great job at incorporating it in a fun, action packed middle grade novel. The legend of the Hero Twins was really interesting, and it was cool to see how it brought the Begay siblings together. It was a fun twist on the legend that looked at their ancestry and explained their new powers. This story also includes other mythology aspects like Changing Woman and Rock Crystal Boy.
The quest that Nizhoni, Mac, and Davery set out on is a great adventure tale. They were all unique characters with their own personalities and motivations. They were genuinely funny too. I loved that the author made each character bring something to their team. For me, I love reading character driven narratives where they are given the chance to change and develop throughout the book. Roanhorse achieves this in a very natural way. The kids know that what they are doing is bigger than themselves. They give it their all and stand up for what they believe in. Nizhoni’s change to see what is important was really heartwarming. Beyond this, it was a beautiful depiction of family and community.
The Rick Riordan Presents line has yet to disappoint me. I am new to Rebecca Roanhorse’s work, but I honestly cannot wait to check out her other releases. Race to the Sun was such a rich and fun read, so I cannot wait to see how Roanhorse tops this in her other books.
*Content warning: references to racism and microagressions, a parent leaving their family and children*