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guineapiggirl's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? No
4.5
cowardthedog18's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Now this </Spoiler> ⚠️ is for the people who don’t have time to read many books in a limited time or who sadly lost time to read it; no more re-rental points from the library. In a brief summary; Pahua Moua lost her brother by going to a haunted bridge (she felt pity for her loneliness abandoned by her parents) by a vengeful girl. She was supposed to go to the Tree of Souls but Xov sent his demons to bring the spirit to his prison. Now back to Pahua, her brother fell ill over night. So with an idea she went back to the bridge and came across a shaman (student) warrior named Zhong who acts like a reluctant child who acts like a ceo boss. Miv didn’t like her. But Zhong had an idea to go see Shao a cursed immortal man who tested the gods and now a living google search. He was the first person to tell Pahua she is Shee Yee a famous shaman warrior (Zhong idol) and to find her brother is pass the ivory gate. To the sacred grove and in that transport she found out the Bridge spirit took her brother and later going to the hospital to check on her brother there is other kids she took too. Fast forward to the Tree of Souls to get the ax of Shee Yee. Many things went down the demons and the royal warriors-dragons tried to take the ax and Pahua alive but Pahua got to it first but lost Miv in the process. Pahua worried for Miv she and Zhong used the dressed Demon to find the demon camp that took Miv. To realize he is with their leader. They went there by tree travel and once there found out The Bridge Spirit is more powerful and the kids is merely demons now. And Miv is in an elephant tusk cage trapped on the ceiling. Trying to free him she breaks the first seal to Xov prison by the form of love for his son who happens to be his prisoner/assistant Miv. There in his courtyard open field she defeated Kylo Ren ahh villian by using the trauma peach pit she ate earlier to pass the Tree of Souls Trial. For Xov hated being second best to the older golden child and dead of his wife by his own children. And be bested by Shee Yee himself. As she destroyed his divine spear keeping him physically present. Once out the collapsing tunnel Pahua faces a weaker vengeful spirit girl younger that her brother Matt. When she tried to kill her with the axe something like empathy came over her knowing she knows how it feels to be alone as an outcast, abandoned and with responsibilities to raise someone else. She told the truth about her trauma to the spirit to sympathize with her and than the child let go and moved on. Than all the kids went back home; including Matt. Riding home; Zhong suggested she join The Shaman School and they can face Xov together next time. And Pahua confronted Miv (in a mature way) why he didn’t take her to Xov his father sooner. He admitted he wouldn’t and grew attached to her over the years since he released Shee Yee spirit from the Tree of Spirits and was punished to be a cat with no godhood powers for as long as he’s cursed. And also he had nothing to do with the events that occurred and wished non of it started in the first place for he loved her more than his father’s approval and hoped she got the axe to protect herself. At the hospital her brother is awake and her mom said she can go to the school when she brought it up to her.
Now we wait for volume 2.
Now we wait for volume 2.
crystal_reading's review against another edition
5.0
Review copy: Digital ARC via Netgalley
I'm so excited for students to get their hands on this book. Like the other Rick Riordan Presents books, this is also jam packed with action and fascinating storytelling. Each book in the imprint is written with inspiration from traditional stories and this one is based on the Hmong stories that Lori M. Lee grew up hearing.
There are Hmong stories scattered throughout the book and the warrior shaman Pahua meets helps explain a lot of things about Hmong practices and beliefs in between their many adventures. There are also Hmong symbols at the beginning of chapters. Readers unfamiliar with Hmong storytelling and culture may not notice everything, but Hmong readers are sure to recognize the many Hmong symbols, foods, words, and much more.
The spirit cat and the many other spirits that Pahua encounters are each unique and intriguing. Young readers may find the story to be slightly creepy, but it is not terrifying horror. It seems to be just enough scariness to send shivers up the spine on occasion without overwhelming the typical middle grade reader.
I flew through the story at a fast pace in a hurry to see what would come next. Traveling through the spirit realm with Pahua was quite a ride and I was very happy to be on the journey.
Recommendation: Pahua and her companions are sure to entertain and delight middle grade readers as they attempt to finish their quest. This will be a winner with readers who love fantasy and lots of action. There is also plenty of humor too. I'm really looking forward to sharing it with my students and hope that many readers get a chance to meet Pahua.
I'm so excited for students to get their hands on this book. Like the other Rick Riordan Presents books, this is also jam packed with action and fascinating storytelling. Each book in the imprint is written with inspiration from traditional stories and this one is based on the Hmong stories that Lori M. Lee grew up hearing.
There are Hmong stories scattered throughout the book and the warrior shaman Pahua meets helps explain a lot of things about Hmong practices and beliefs in between their many adventures. There are also Hmong symbols at the beginning of chapters. Readers unfamiliar with Hmong storytelling and culture may not notice everything, but Hmong readers are sure to recognize the many Hmong symbols, foods, words, and much more.
The spirit cat and the many other spirits that Pahua encounters are each unique and intriguing. Young readers may find the story to be slightly creepy, but it is not terrifying horror. It seems to be just enough scariness to send shivers up the spine on occasion without overwhelming the typical middle grade reader.
I flew through the story at a fast pace in a hurry to see what would come next. Traveling through the spirit realm with Pahua was quite a ride and I was very happy to be on the journey.
Recommendation: Pahua and her companions are sure to entertain and delight middle grade readers as they attempt to finish their quest. This will be a winner with readers who love fantasy and lots of action. There is also plenty of humor too. I'm really looking forward to sharing it with my students and hope that many readers get a chance to meet Pahua.
bibliomania_express's review against another edition
4.0
Pahua and the Soul Stealer is fun, snappy, and has falliable heroes and real issues bound up in the adventure and fantasy. I really enjoyed this book - the characters felt real and the worldbuilding was fantastic.
Pahua is a great main character - she's strong, cunning, determined, and brave, but she sees herself as inferior and a perpetual outsider. She's dealing with her father abandoning their family, her guilt over her brother's soul being captured, and all the bullying and racism she's faced at school. Pahua goes from a Hmong girl who feels out of place, who loses herself in games of pretend to be strong, to someone who embraces her uniqueness and finds strength in being herself.
Zhong was a great foil for Pahua, as Pahua sees Zhong as this perfect, competent and confident shaman-warrior, but we get enough glimpses of Zhong's life at her shaman school that she also feels overlooked and second-best. Rounding out our trio is Miv, the sassy cat spirit who is Pahua's best friend. Miv has his own past, but I loved seeing the three of them work their way through danger to become a team.
As with all the books in the Rick Riordan Presents imprint, I loved learning about a new mythology - this one the oral traditions of the Hmong people. Nature spirits play a big role in this story, particularly trees, but we also get a rundown of the gods, like Ntuj the Sky Father and Xov the destroyer, and heroes like Shee Yee. I particularly liked the Tree of Souls and the Crossroads - both settings were fun and vivid (and packed with adventure).
There were a few plot points that I called early on, and a couple of very convenient things, but there were also a few of great twists. I do wish we had more of the shaman world fleshed out, but I expect to see more in the next book. I also wish there had been more of Matt - he felt like a typical younger brother, but I didn't feel like we got enough hints of who he was for how imporrant he was to the story.
Also, there's a bit of a fake out with phonics - sneaky, sneaky.
Rating:
Pahua is a great main character - she's strong, cunning, determined, and brave, but she sees herself as inferior and a perpetual outsider. She's dealing with her father abandoning their family, her guilt over her brother's soul being captured, and all the bullying and racism she's faced at school. Pahua goes from a Hmong girl who feels out of place, who loses herself in games of pretend to be strong, to someone who embraces her uniqueness and finds strength in being herself.
Zhong was a great foil for Pahua, as Pahua sees Zhong as this perfect, competent and confident shaman-warrior, but we get enough glimpses of Zhong's life at her shaman school that she also feels overlooked and second-best. Rounding out our trio is Miv, the sassy cat spirit who is Pahua's best friend. Miv has his own past, but I loved seeing the three of them work their way through danger to become a team.
As with all the books in the Rick Riordan Presents imprint, I loved learning about a new mythology - this one the oral traditions of the Hmong people. Nature spirits play a big role in this story, particularly trees, but we also get a rundown of the gods, like Ntuj the Sky Father and Xov the destroyer, and heroes like Shee Yee. I particularly liked the Tree of Souls and the Crossroads - both settings were fun and vivid (and packed with adventure).
There were a few plot points that I called early on, and a couple of very convenient things, but there were also a few of great twists. I do wish we had more of the shaman world fleshed out, but I expect to see more in the next book. I also wish there had been more of Matt - he felt like a typical younger brother, but I didn't feel like we got enough hints of who he was for how imporrant he was to the story.
Also, there's a bit of a fake out with phonics - sneaky, sneaky.
Rating:
speevlovestoread's review against another edition
4.0
This book was alright. It would be 3 stars, but the humor in it was good enough to bump it up. It was a fun read, though i’m not sure i was actually paying attention enough to understand the culture/myths (this is my bad i just didn’t soak it in). I enjoyed Zhongs character the most, SMALL SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!and i didn’t really like how Pahua would always force Zhong to stop fighting to bargain with the thing they were fighting. The things gave in almost immediately, which did not make sense because they were so intent on fighting before. Overall, 3 stars that moved up to 4 because of the humor.
bookinitwithahtiya's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
ladygetslit's review against another edition
I truly just wasn’t in the mood for a Rick Riordan presents. This was such a good story worthy of being told, but it felt repetitive because it follows the story pattern of the others in the imprint. IYKYK 😅
320rcole's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
sad
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
I loved this book! I read the Percy Jackson series as it was coming out and it changed my life. The idea that another generation of children can read a book that shows them how they can be a hero is amazing. The writing, pacing, plot, and character growth were all done very well! I love Zhong and Pahua and I'm sure that this book will touch at the core of who we are as readers. Highly recommend!
rynflynn12's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.25