Girl Giant and the Jade War

October 15, 2021
The Monkey King has escaped, heaven is in shambles, and it might all be Thom's fault. Eleven-year-old Thom Ngho has come a long way, both figuratively and literally, from hiding her superstrength and evading bullies. She now knows about her divine heritage, has explored the heavens, met gods and immortals, and made friends with the Monkey King himself--that is, until he betrayed her and turned her mother into a cricket. After unwittingly helping the Monkey King take control of the heavens, Thom is on the run along with her dragon friend and a fox demon with secrets of her own. The three plan to make things right, and if that means getting back at the Monkey King, all the better. Thom's journey takes her from one immortal to another and from the demons' island to Vietnam while she grapples with the lines between right and wrong and friends and enemies. This sequel to Girl Giant and the Monkey King (2020) zips between obstacles with a greater emphasis on mythological elements and less exploration of Thom's Vietnamese American identity than in the first book. The narrative explores the complicated relationship between Thom and the Monkey King and how it affects her other relationships as well as her own perceptions of herself, her self-worth, and her self-confidence. A romp through Vietnamese myth and legend featuring complex characters and questions without easy answers. (Fantasy. 9-12)

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Starred review from November 1, 2021
Grades 4-7 *Starred Review* Eleven-year-old Thom has been terribly betrayed: not only did Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, not keep his bargain to take away her superstrength but he also tricked her into stealing the iron cudgel from the heavens for him--and he turned her mother into a cricket! Now the Monkey King has broken free of his almost 500-year-old prison and is invading the heavens, and Thom has joined with dragon friend Kha and demon fox Concao in a search for the Four Immortals, who may be the only beings powerful enough to help stop the Monkey King. As they journey, Thom finds an unexpected addition to their group--a clone of the Monkey King--and comes across the wise Sage, who instills in Thom doubts about the Monkey King's motives, leading her to question whether he is truly bad for fighting to change things. As Thom finally comes face-to-face with the Monkey King, she must also face the consequences of her actions, and she comes to see that things can be much more complex than they seem. A fast-paced fantasy adventure filled with incredible characters from Vietnamese mythology and legends, this sequel is a definite must-read for fans of the first and for all fans of fantasy. Heartwarming, exciting, and fun.

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