A setting ripe with characters straight from Chinese folklore, The Epic Crush of Genie Lo blends unfamiliar elements with the familiar trope of a character discovering that she has powers in a normally mundane setting. A fast paced read, I only wish some moments had been slowed down so I could enjoy the action more. A good start for a new author, I think that many readers will enjoy Epic Crush's urban fantasy vibe.

A full review can be found on [a cup of tea and an armful of books] closer to this book's release date!

From the first page, this book is completely bananas in a wonderfully joyous, unhinged way. I can't tell you how gratifying it is to read a book in which supernatural stuff happens and the main female character, rather than responding with some version of "Oh gee, he's so hot, I'm going to just stick around despite all the oddness because hot!" heads for the hills because "HOLY SHIT EVERYTHING IS SO WEIRD AND WRONG WRONG WRONG." Add to that Genie's wonky confidence and wholly individual personality, and the book is a hell of a lot of fun. In addition to an engaging (did I mention bananas?) central plot, the story is shot through with myth and legend, anchored firmly in Chinese history and folklore. It's great to read a book that is so effortlessly #ownvoices, particularly when it increasingly feels like nods to marginalized identities and stories are becoming more token than sincere and well-rounded.

TL; DR: Recommended. Like, a lot.

Thanks to NetGalley and Abrams Kids for the ARC!

[The above review will be posted at the GoodReads link that's below, but not until a month before publication.]

This fantasy-adventure novel takes place in the Bay Area, featuring a Chinese-American teenager who discovers she's the human reincarnation of Ruyi Jingu Bang (the magical staff wielded by the immortal monkey Sun Wukong). Genie and Quentin (the current ... form? of the Sun Monkey) team up, albeit reluctantly on her part, to fight off the one hundred or so demons that are attacking the Bay Area. The Chinese folklore was a nice twist, but there were parts of the book that felt too rushed or completely ignored. For instance, in one scene Genie has to leave her best friend's concert recital in order to fight off the bad guys. While the author briefly explores Genie's guilt, he quickly jumps to several weeks in the future. This happened several times, and was a bit jarring for the reader. The last quarter of the book also felt incredibly rushed, and the acceleration of Genie and Quentin's relationship felt a bit weird.