The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Lee
Published 8th August 2017 by Amulet Books
Star Rating - ***
Goodreads Challenge - 19/75
Synopsis (from Goodreads)
She annihilates standardized tests and the bad guys.
Genie Lo is one among droves of Ivy-hopeful overachievers in her sleepy Bay Area suburb. You know, the type who wins. When she’s not crushing it at volleyball or hitting the books, Genie is typically working on how to crack the elusive Harvard entry code.
But when her hometown comes under siege from hellspawn straight out of Chinese folklore, her priorities are dramatically rearranged. Enter Quentin Sun, a mysterious new kid in class who becomes Genie’s self-appointed guide to battling demons. While Genie knows Quentin only as an attractive transfer student with an oddly formal command of the English language, in another reality he is Sun Wukong, the mythological Monkey King incarnate—right down to the furry tale and penchant for peaches.
Suddenly, acing the SATs is the least of Genie’s worries. The fates of her friends, family, and the entire Bay Area all depend on her summoning an inner power that Quentin assures her is strong enough to level the very gates of Heaven. But every second Genie spends tapping into the secret of her true nature is a second in which the lives of her loved ones hang in the balance.
Genie Lo is one among droves of Ivy-hopeful overachievers in her sleepy Bay Area suburb. You know, the type who wins. When she’s not crushing it at volleyball or hitting the books, Genie is typically working on how to crack the elusive Harvard entry code.
But when her hometown comes under siege from hellspawn straight out of Chinese folklore, her priorities are dramatically rearranged. Enter Quentin Sun, a mysterious new kid in class who becomes Genie’s self-appointed guide to battling demons. While Genie knows Quentin only as an attractive transfer student with an oddly formal command of the English language, in another reality he is Sun Wukong, the mythological Monkey King incarnate—right down to the furry tale and penchant for peaches.
Suddenly, acing the SATs is the least of Genie’s worries. The fates of her friends, family, and the entire Bay Area all depend on her summoning an inner power that Quentin assures her is strong enough to level the very gates of Heaven. But every second Genie spends tapping into the secret of her true nature is a second in which the lives of her loved ones hang in the balance.
My Thoughts
I'd not really heard much about this one before picking it up, all I did know was that it was a diverse read and included aspects of Chinese/Asian mythology and that was enough to intrigue me so I thought I'd give it a go. Usually I love books based on any type of mythology, it's one of my favorite things to read about but unfortunately I was a little bit disappointed with this one.
I didn't dislike the story, I enjoyed it enough to want to finish it but there was just something about it that didn't pull me in completely, I'm not sure what it was about it. I really appreciated the diversity in this book. The main character was Chinese/American and it was interesting to hear bits about her culture and the Chinese mythology but I wanted more of this. I would of loved for this to dive into the Chinese mythology more as that's what really interested me in the story in the first place. I did enjoy Genie as a character too, she was fierce and independent and really determined to make her own future which is what I like in a female character. However, I wasn't a massive fan of Quintin he came across as quite full of himself and was a little bit of an idiot at times however, this did improve as the story progressed.
As I said before when I went into this one I was expecting a lot of the Chinese mythology to come through and therefore expecting it to be a much more fantastical read than what it actually was. To me it read a lot more like a contemporary with aspects of magical realism and although I don't mind these types of stories, it wasn't what I was expecting. To me the writing felt quite bland, there was nothing that really stood out about it. The author used a lot of humor throughout the story but again I didn't really engage with it. That's not to say that others won't, it was just how I felt.
Overall this was a pretty average read for me. I liked the diversity and the aspects of Chinese mythology but I really just wanted more. I also liked Genie as a character but she was really the only one. That's not to say it's a bad book, it's just not my cup of tea so if the premise sounds interesting to you then I would say pick it up as you may enjoy it more then I did.
I didn't dislike the story, I enjoyed it enough to want to finish it but there was just something about it that didn't pull me in completely, I'm not sure what it was about it. I really appreciated the diversity in this book. The main character was Chinese/American and it was interesting to hear bits about her culture and the Chinese mythology but I wanted more of this. I would of loved for this to dive into the Chinese mythology more as that's what really interested me in the story in the first place. I did enjoy Genie as a character too, she was fierce and independent and really determined to make her own future which is what I like in a female character. However, I wasn't a massive fan of Quintin he came across as quite full of himself and was a little bit of an idiot at times however, this did improve as the story progressed.
As I said before when I went into this one I was expecting a lot of the Chinese mythology to come through and therefore expecting it to be a much more fantastical read than what it actually was. To me it read a lot more like a contemporary with aspects of magical realism and although I don't mind these types of stories, it wasn't what I was expecting. To me the writing felt quite bland, there was nothing that really stood out about it. The author used a lot of humor throughout the story but again I didn't really engage with it. That's not to say that others won't, it was just how I felt.
Overall this was a pretty average read for me. I liked the diversity and the aspects of Chinese mythology but I really just wanted more. I also liked Genie as a character but she was really the only one. That's not to say it's a bad book, it's just not my cup of tea so if the premise sounds interesting to you then I would say pick it up as you may enjoy it more then I did.
Overall Rating
I have been there with a book not quiet hitting the spot. I hope you enjoy your next read more. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks. I'm currently reading Ascension by Victor Dixen and this one is definitely much better 😊
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