Reviews

Smocza perła by Yoon Ha Lee

huntress_fainne's review against another edition

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4.0

Be warned: when the plot is reaching the climax, you will probably go "And now, what was the point of all this?"
Not because the plot is bad - its really good - but because of one specific development that hits you like a sad punch in the gut.

rlaferney's review against another edition

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5.0

Dragon Pearl, part of the Rick Riordan Presents Imprint, and first in the Thousand Worlds series, is an impressive, multilayered middle grade space opera, penned by The Machineries of Empire trilogy author, Yoon Ha Lee. Like the The Machineries of Empire trilogy, Dragon Pearl is a wild ride of a story but one with a big heart. And it's quite imaginative blending Korean folklore into a space opera narrative.

The story is about a thirteen-year-old fox spirit named Min who has a powerful secret: she is disguised as a human; she can shape-shift and use magic to alter others' perceptions. Min wields these powers when she ditches her "dismal life" on the barren planet Jinju to track down her lost brother Jun, a Space Forces cadet who's gone AWOL, apparently on a quest to find a mystical object rumored to have tremendous powers. What she finds might break her heart or make her stronger.

The heart of this book is about siblings and friendship and the bonds of family. But, the worldbuilding - the tech and the magic - are all very fascinating too. There’s a glorious sense of wonder and eeriness that a lot of scifi I like conveys, and that’s present here too. This is science fantasy in many ways but it's not a rehash of say, Star Wars. It's a richly detailed, cohesive, original vision.

This book is brilliant, gorgeous, heartfelt, and exciting. We need more middle grade and scifi books like this one!


lizziesmith's review against another edition

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4.0

This book was pretty good. I don’t think I’ll read it again but it’s still pretty good. It took me a while to get into it but the ending was pretty good. I’m still giving it four stars because the writing was decent. I do wish it was a little more page-turning but if you like fox spirits and magic I think you should read this book.

daines's review against another edition

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adventurous
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

brittney_tyler's review against another edition

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5.0

Star Rating: 5 stars

As I am a giant fan of Rick Riordan, I was really excited when I found out that he was starting a publishing line as I felt that he wouldn’t publish a boring book. The latest one that I picked up was Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee, which tells the story of Min, a 13-year old gumiho or fox spirit who goes on a epic journey across the universe to clear her brother’s name after he gets accused of deserting his Space Forces post.

The best thing about this book is the fact that it is a middle-grade space opera. This is the only one that I know about, and I really hope this starts a trend as I want there to be more. Besides starting a whole new genre, Lee also included ethnically diverse characters (all of them are of Asian descent as is the author Lee) as well as gender diverse, featuring multiple gender-neutral characters, and sexually diverse characters, including multiple characters on the LBGT+ spectrum. Basically, in any way this book can be diverse or a trendsetter, it is, and I really hope that this is a practice that continues.

If you are looking for a book that is fun, unique, and tackles important issues, especially in a middle-grade book, then this is the book for you. I absolutely enjoyed so much and I can’t wait to continue reading! 5 stars!

hedyharper's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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sareasley's review against another edition

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4.0

This was my favorite of the Rick Riordan presents titles that I've read so far; the action was well-paced and it worked well that the mythology was woven into a sci-fi world rather than our own. Definitely action-driven and a little light on character development; hopefully that happens more in subsequent books. I also struggle with who the audience for this book is. The vocabulary would be difficult for upper elementary, but middle schoolers may consider the story too simplistic.

saraiphim's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

kimbongiorno's review against another edition

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4.0

An action-packed sci-fi magical adventure with just the right amount of scares and thrills for the age, and emotion to make it relatable.

Min's mother has always instilled in her that she is to hide her fox-magic, that it's not safe for anyone to know that there are still some of her kin in existence. But when her beloved brother Jun is believed to be a traitor, she decides to use it to slip away and find out the truth. Clear his name. Bring him home, if she can. And oh, what an adventure it becomes, all on her own two feet.

I loved how current it felt, and that it left the door open for future quests by Min (and possibly a sidekick or two--unless that's just me being hopeful).

thisjaelynn's review against another edition

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5.0

4.5 rounded up.

This was a really enjoyable middle-grade adventure with a great cast of characters!