kraigers737's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-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? Yes
4.5
jenaugustin17's review
4.0
The language was sometimes shocking to my 7 and 8 yr olds but we had a hard time putting this one down each night. A gripping storyline! We’ll most likely read the next in the series at some point.
jojo_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.0
stacyaj's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
madisonmila's review
5.0
This was excellent - another great book from RR Presents. I can’t wait to read the sequel and more from Graci Kim!
jasonlaw77's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
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? Yes
3.75
zellian's review against another edition
5.0
If you're a fan of Percy Jackson or anything written by Rick Riordan, no matter the age you should read this book!
Riley Oh is a from a family of healers, magical healers that is. Unfortunately that same magic doesn't flow through her, she was adopted and does not have the same magic flowing through her. She has always felt loved with the Oh's but can't help but feel like an outsider as she watches her sister Hattie prepare for her initiation into the Gom healer clan, she's gone to the same school and learnt everything Hattie's learned but be able to practice it.
Taking matters into their own hands they learn of a forbidden spell where Hattie can share her magic with Riley but things don't go as planned, Hattie's left near dead and Riley has been given a near impossible task to complete in a very short time. Find the last fallen star for the Gom patron Goddess, who will bring Hattie back. With her best friend Emmett, a half blooded Gom who did not grow up in their magical community Riley faces against the clock to save the person who would give up everything for her.
There was very little that I didn't like about this book, having already enjoyed Percy Jackson and other Rick Riordan books it felt like I was back in that universe. You can see how the writing styles seems pretty similar, the book itself has a relatively upbeat feel to it. It does feel like it has a target audience for those who are younger but when you're 30 and enjoying it too you know it's good.
There's not a lot of super in-depth character building, or world building and I think this actually helps to draw you in, something I think was considered for the target audience. You don't want to have heavy info blocks but you want enough to keep the reader interested, I felt it also left a lot of room for Graci to play on for not only her second book (which was only released a few days ago at the time of writing this review) but for all her future books. I felt it is the same with the characters as well, while Riley and Emmett are great characters I feel like they have a lot more room to grow and develop and its something I'm expecting to see in the next book. I would also love to see the other characters that were introduced also get more background and depth, there is also so much more we can expect to learn about these Korean myths from Graci Kim through these books.
I am so very glad that I got to read this, so very glad to also see a local New Zealand author have an amazing book out there in the world. I have taken photos of the book, of my favourite parts and have been sharing them as far and as wide as I can. This deserves to be read, by anyone and everyone!
Riley Oh is a from a family of healers, magical healers that is. Unfortunately that same magic doesn't flow through her, she was adopted and does not have the same magic flowing through her. She has always felt loved with the Oh's but can't help but feel like an outsider as she watches her sister Hattie prepare for her initiation into the Gom healer clan, she's gone to the same school and learnt everything Hattie's learned but be able to practice it.
Taking matters into their own hands they learn of a forbidden spell where Hattie can share her magic with Riley but things don't go as planned, Hattie's left near dead and Riley has been given a near impossible task to complete in a very short time. Find the last fallen star for the Gom patron Goddess, who will bring Hattie back. With her best friend Emmett, a half blooded Gom who did not grow up in their magical community Riley faces against the clock to save the person who would give up everything for her.
There was very little that I didn't like about this book, having already enjoyed Percy Jackson and other Rick Riordan books it felt like I was back in that universe. You can see how the writing styles seems pretty similar, the book itself has a relatively upbeat feel to it. It does feel like it has a target audience for those who are younger but when you're 30 and enjoying it too you know it's good.
There's not a lot of super in-depth character building, or world building and I think this actually helps to draw you in, something I think was considered for the target audience. You don't want to have heavy info blocks but you want enough to keep the reader interested, I felt it also left a lot of room for Graci to play on for not only her second book (which was only released a few days ago at the time of writing this review) but for all her future books. I felt it is the same with the characters as well, while Riley and Emmett are great characters I feel like they have a lot more room to grow and develop and its something I'm expecting to see in the next book. I would also love to see the other characters that were introduced also get more background and depth, there is also so much more we can expect to learn about these Korean myths from Graci Kim through these books.
I am so very glad that I got to read this, so very glad to also see a local New Zealand author have an amazing book out there in the world. I have taken photos of the book, of my favourite parts and have been sharing them as far and as wide as I can. This deserves to be read, by anyone and everyone!
hm0ng's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
kaloughl's review
5.0
Oooooh I LOVED THIS! This newest installment in Rick Riordan's imprint by debut author Graci Kim is a highly engaging story and is an entirely new spin on the general children-of-gods theme. Riley Oh is an adopted Korean American girl living in LA. Her family is a group of magical healers who are one branch of an extensive Korean community that makes their living from magic in plain sight. Riley is non-magical, a saram, and she yearns to be a true Gom (healer) and even has all her incantations memorized. When her sister Hattie offer to perform a super off-limits power sharing spell, Riley readily agrees but their experimentation goes wrong and reveals devastating secrets and a longtime conspiracy. Together with her best friend Emmett and other friends along the way, Riley must race against the clock to fix her errors and help save her community from destruction.
Kim has established a wonderful magical world that is able to live in plain sight within real world; their meeting place is disguised within an H-mart, their library in a laundromat, and their school in a karaoke bar. The branches of this Korean clan are all gifted magical abilities from their six patron goddesses and the children must perform an initiation on their 13th birthday. There are the typical Riordan-like animated objects like a scooter that acts like a pet and doors that must be complimented which are cute. We also have a good deal of the teenage snark though it ebbs and flows throughout the novel and reaches a very manageable level by the end. The adventures within this magical world though very Percy Jackson-esque also reminds me a lot of Harry Potter because of the interaction with the non-magic world (lots of forgetting infusions and things hidden in plain sight). There was also unraveling of a prophecy tied to the end of the world which is so HP-like.
I was enthralled by this book and am gutted that I have to wait a year for the next one! It's perfect for the Percy Jackson and other Rick Riordan imprint fans as well as Potterheads, those that like Amari and the Night Brothers, and generally enjoy secret magic in the real world!
Kim has established a wonderful magical world that is able to live in plain sight within real world; their meeting place is disguised within an H-mart, their library in a laundromat, and their school in a karaoke bar. The branches of this Korean clan are all gifted magical abilities from their six patron goddesses and the children must perform an initiation on their 13th birthday. There are the typical Riordan-like animated objects like a scooter that acts like a pet and doors that must be complimented which are cute. We also have a good deal of the teenage snark though it ebbs and flows throughout the novel and reaches a very manageable level by the end. The adventures within this magical world though very Percy Jackson-esque also reminds me a lot of Harry Potter because of the interaction with the non-magic world (lots of forgetting infusions and things hidden in plain sight). There was also unraveling of a prophecy tied to the end of the world which is so HP-like.
I was enthralled by this book and am gutted that I have to wait a year for the next one! It's perfect for the Percy Jackson and other Rick Riordan imprint fans as well as Potterheads, those that like Amari and the Night Brothers, and generally enjoy secret magic in the real world!
raki's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75