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readingrobin 's review for:
Dragon Pearl
by Yoon Ha Lee
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
I'm not sure if this title hit as hard as some of the other Rick Riordan Presents books. That's to be expected of course, as there are different writers and genres at play here and they're all going to have their own style. This one does something interesting, tying together Korean culture and mythology with a sci-fi setting. Very rarely do I think I see fantastical elements in space, such as ghosts and shapeshifters, but I think it's done well here. It's evenly balanced so you don't have too much of one or too little of another. It's also nice to see a mythology represented that I don't see too often, which is really what this imprint is here for.
Min is an...interesting lead. She goes through the story with few repercussions or consequences, saying that it's unfair for foxes to be treated as liars and manipulators, but has no qualms about using her powers to Charm people. I think these contradictions make sense for a thirteen year old, one that's prone to being somewhat impulsive. But I think things just came a little too easily for her. There were a few too many conveniences that sort of pulled me out of the story and I think the gaining and using the magical macguffin was a little too clean.
The normalized nonbinary representation was a neat integration and it's always great to see in fiction for youths.
Min is an...interesting lead. She goes through the story with few repercussions or consequences, saying that it's unfair for foxes to be treated as liars and manipulators, but has no qualms about using her powers to Charm people. I think these contradictions make sense for a thirteen year old, one that's prone to being somewhat impulsive. But I think things just came a little too easily for her. There were a few too many conveniences that sort of pulled me out of the story and I think the gaining and using the magical macguffin was a little too clean.
The normalized nonbinary representation was a neat integration and it's always great to see in fiction for youths.