mdettmann's review against another edition
4.0
Genie Lo, a Chinese-American, Ivy-League aspiring teen, finds that she is actually a powerful weapon used by the mythical Monkey King (who has taken the form of a short, but incredibly handsome "exchange" student named Quinton) in this hilarious and fun, action-packed fantasy.
I loved this book! It was so fun and I loved that though it was a kick-butt fantasy with demon fighting and a waaaay different take on some ancient Chinese folklore, there was also a lot of family, friendship, crushes, and other realistic drama with Genie that'll be fun for both realistic fic/romance fans and fantasy fans.
I loved this book! It was so fun and I loved that though it was a kick-butt fantasy with demon fighting and a waaaay different take on some ancient Chinese folklore, there was also a lot of family, friendship, crushes, and other realistic drama with Genie that'll be fun for both realistic fic/romance fans and fantasy fans.
raeanne's review against another edition
3.0
Cute. Action packed. I got 2/3rds of the way through and then skipped to the end because I was not in the mood and bored. Nice ending, clearly open for a series. I might continue, but I probably not.
katreadsalot's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great story. I didn’t see the twist coming, but it fit perfectly in the story. Quentin and Genie made a perfect duo, and all of the other stuff (school, friends, parents etc.) added and complicated Genie’s story in an interesting way.
belovedsnail's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.0
Perhaps not the best writing in the world, but a fun and high energy retelling of The Monkey King featuring a Chinese-American high school student in California. Nicely turns any Mary Sue tropes on their head.
ssung's review against another edition
4.0
This is pretty awesome. I mean, where else will you read about a protagonist who is the reincarnated weapon of Sun Wukong and also hell bent on attending an Ivy League?
nookofley's review against another edition
3.0
I would have DEVOURED this book of I had read this when I was younger. It was funny, and the action scenes were good and well-paced. The plot twist was something I didn't expect either.
For some reason, the parts about her parents made me feel for her. Genie's parents are the typical asian parent that you might find (except they're not separated). But her relationship with her parents reminded me of my own. She fights with her mother a lot but at the end of the day, she loves her with all her heart.
This was a fun and easy read, not something to take very seriously. Oftentimes, the characters were kinda cringy, like their actions seemed straight out of a teen movie. So, keeping in mind that this book's target audience is young adults helped me to brush past it.
For some reason, the parts about her parents made me feel for her. Genie's parents are the typical asian parent that you might find (except they're not separated). But her relationship with her parents reminded me of my own. She fights with her mother a lot but at the end of the day, she loves her with all her heart.
This was a fun and easy read, not something to take very seriously. Oftentimes, the characters were kinda cringy, like their actions seemed straight out of a teen movie. So, keeping in mind that this book's target audience is young adults helped me to brush past it.
allicyn_a's review against another edition
4.0
I won a copy of this book off a giveaway listed here on goodreads.
This book was super fun and fast paced! Good plot. Great characters. I have nothing to complain about!
I’m not usually one to laugh out loud while I’m reading, but this book had me chuckling at times. A thoroughly entertaining read, in my opinion.
The two main characters were great! And I loved their bickering and the dynamic of their relationship on a whole was just really fun. I love Genie and Quentin and can’t wait to read the sequel when it comes out! I am bummed I have to wait until next year though!
I want this to be a TV series. I’d watch it in a heartbeat.
This book was super fun and fast paced! Good plot. Great characters. I have nothing to complain about!
I’m not usually one to laugh out loud while I’m reading, but this book had me chuckling at times. A thoroughly entertaining read, in my opinion.
The two main characters were great! And I loved their bickering and the dynamic of their relationship on a whole was just really fun. I love Genie and Quentin and can’t wait to read the sequel when it comes out! I am bummed I have to wait until next year though!
I want this to be a TV series. I’d watch it in a heartbeat.
angelea009's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Overall, this book was really enjoyable. I am not super into fantasy but this was a breath of fresh air. Chinese mythology other than the story of the Zodiac has not been popular in western fantasy novels and Yee does a fabulous job at introducing these stories to a modern audience. Genie is a character to love and hate. As a college student myself, seeing her struggle with college applications brought me back to my own senior year. Also, setting the story in the Bay Area made this story much funnier in my opinion. The story was a bit slow in the beginning for me, but I also don't read many books that need to world build so take that with a grain of salt. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to get into Chinese mythology or wants to get back into fantasy.
rileylopez's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5