Goodness have I been waiting for this book to come out, and I'm so glad to have read it. The plot, the characters, and the way Kim tugs emotion into the story - hands down one of my favorite books so far this year. If you like the Rick Riordan Presents or Divergent series, this is absolutely for you. Can't wait for the next book!

Courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher.

Oh no! It looks like my original review of Graci Kim's The Last Fallen star either didn't save or I forgot to hit submit, or something? Anyways, yet another Rick Riordian imprint book that I truly enjoyed. I recently re-read the Percy Jackson books, and doing that has really made me appreciate the whole imprint concept. I also read the ARC for Aru Shah book 1.

The Last Fallen Star is a great introduction to Korean mythology/folklore and the world of Korean magic. I'm less familiar with these kinds of stories, and it was a joy to be exposed to Korean magic through the eyes of Riley Oh, who doesn't have the magical abilities the rest of her family in the Gom clan has. The Goms are healing witches, and Riley's sister Hattie takes it upon herself to try and "share" her magical ability, so that her sister isn't continually left out. Very compelling, glad I read it!

This was such a fun read. I loved chinese mythology in this book. It had some good twists too. This book takes you on a magic adventure. Looking forward to read the next book.

This is one of my favorite Rick Riordan Presents books, which is saying a lot because I absolutely love this imprint! The book explores Korean folklore and features an adopted main character who struggles to reconcile her love for her family with the nagging feeling that she doesn’t quite belong. Riley’s desire to prove she’s worthy of her family’s legacy leads to a devastating revelation and sends her searching for a solution. In order to find it, Riley has to put together pieces of her past and come to terms with everything that makes her who she is—both her adoptive family and her heritage. Plus, she has to learn to rely on friends, both new and old. This is one of those books where the lines between the heroes and villains are thin (and possibly shifting?). It’s full of adventure and surprises, and the ending left me eager for book two. I can’t wait!

***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley for review purposes. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

I had so much fun while reading this book. This world is just so different from anything I've read before and I love how the author used Korean mythology and mixed it into the real world. The main reason I love urban fantasy is that a fantastic world just co-exists next to ours and a good urban fantasy makes me believe that fantasy world does actually exist and we just don't know about it. This book made me feel like that. I really loved the story. It went in a direction that I wasn't really expecting and I overall just had a fun time following the adventure our main character went on. Talking about our main character I really liked her. I think she was an amazing and realistic main character and I loved the growth she went through during this journey. I also quite liked the side characters. Some of them were a bit one dimensional but the overall cast of characters was very lively and I can't wait to spend more time with them in the next books of this series.

I enjoyed this book, I really did. I thought the characters were endearing, and I thought the plot was interesting enough. But I find that I liked some of the other books in the RRP category much better. I do feel that this book didn't spend a lot of time really diving into Korean mythology and folk tales. I wanted more of that. I feel that while we were introduced to them and we got a bit of a background, I still wanted more of the Korean folk tales and mythos to be present. I wanted to know more! I also think the world building could have been fleshed out more. I felt like there were moments where I couldn't really visualize much, but there were other moments where I could really see clearly! There's a moment in a magical library and they were trying to find a book, and I thought that was a really fun moment, and I wish all the moments in this world were fleshed out or brought to life like that scene was. And I loved the sister moments. I thought that the bond and love they had for each other was so sweet! They really looked out for each other, and they loved each other so much! I thought it was really great to have the sister bond be such a big focus in this story! I also loved how Graci Kim really brought up the topic of Riley being adopted, and the struggles she faces both with who her parents were, and having trouble figuring out where she belonged. I think a moment that I was like meh about, was the idea that you had to forgive your bullies, because they're struggling too. I mean I totally understand that, but at the same time, you don't have to instantly forgive your bullies for the hurtful works and actions they have done or said to you. Kim tried to give Riley's bully a sad backstory, and it's sad and I understand, but at the same time, her bully did what she did to Riley and it was still hurtful to her. Overall, I enjoyed this book, I had such a fun time reading it, and while it wasn't my favorite, I really liked this book anyways! I highly recommend checking out any of the RRP books! They're so fun and unique!

Note: I am really behind on reviews so this review is actually based on the finished book that I borrowed from the library

This was a very engaging and entertaining fantasy novel, told in 1st person present tense. I wavered between 4 and 5 stars because early on there was very heavy use of slang that I think will be outdated in a few years, but that seemed to get better as the story progressed and much of the conversations between the kids seemed authentic. Lots of figures from Korean mythology and folklore so as with all of RRP books, readers will have a chance to be exposed to stories they might not have heard before.

The ending is satisfying but not overly tidy, and obviously there is room for a number of sequels. I look forward to reading the next book.

I am so glad that this book has been published so that young Korean kids can see themselves in books! I personally didn't love this book and found it hard to get into. I didn't fully connect to the characters so I found 8it hard to care about what was happening in the story. I would recommend this to mythology lovers or younger kids!

This book is so adorable and so important. I'm so glad little korean children will be able to see themselves in this book. Graci Kim has created a story with such a rich storyline and characters you want to root for the entire time. Thank you Rick Riordan for giving a voice to authors that may have not had the opportunity otherwise.

I think it is wonderful that Rick Riordan's imprint is supporting amazing POC authors and their interesting stories. This is the type of book that grabs your attention right away and keeps it there by emotionally connecting you with its world and characters. I thought the mythology was fascinating, and it was written by a fresh and talented yet highly aware voice. Terrific characters who learn to find strength within themselves, and display integrity, kindness and decency. I can’t wait to read more in this series.
Full review to come on my YouTube channel.

I absolutely loved this book! I enjoyed getting to read this modern take on Korean mythology.

This book grabbed me from the very beginning and is packed full of emotion, action, and adventure from beginning to end. During the second of of the book there were some twists that I didn’t see coming and had me in shock. Just when I thought I knew where the story was going, something else happened.

One of my very favorite things about this book is the relationship between Riley and Hattie. Their bond as sisters was so strong and that just made my heart so happy and full. I also enjoyed the themes of family, friendship, and finding and then being your true self.

I can’t wait to see what the next book brings!

Rick Riordan Presents has found another truly remarkable author in Graci Kim. I absolutely loved this story. The introduction of Korean mythology into a present day storyline was seamless. The characters were well developed. The pacing was on point. It allowed enough of an opening that I look forward to reading more stories in the series. I can’t wait to add this book to my classroom library.

First time reading anything from this author, but I really enjoyed it and will highly recommend this book to my students.
The author made the reader understand and invest in the settings of the story and it helped to create that mental picture that is so important to emerging readers. The characters showed growth, understanding and even tolerance for those that may be different from them or have different talents than they have. This is a huge seller for young students.
I really enjoyed the storyline and the type of mystery the characters needed to solve in the story. I look forward to the next one.

A great entry in the Rick Riordan Presents imprint, with an amazing world of myth and magic to explore. In addition to the heroic middle grade adventure we've come to expect from this imprint, I love how this one explored issues of familial love, sisterhood, and identity around adoption.

The Last Fallen Star by Graci Kim is a fantastic middle grade story about family--found and otherwise--and how far one girl will go for that family. Our main character Riley Oh is such a lovable character because of her courage despite never feeling like she fits in and the lengths she'll go to help those around her.
This story, set in modern-day LA, beautifully incorporates Korean mythology into our world and into the lives of Riley, her adopted family, and the "Gifted clans". This story has so many elements of magic that are so fun to experience, and the writing has so many twists.
Riley Oh is an adopted Korean girl in LA who lives with the magical community of the Gifted clans. The only problem is that Riley feels out of place because she is not gifted. Her sister is preparing for her magical trial that will start her official acceptance into the Gifted clan community in which she can use her Healers magic on her own. She convinces Riley that this ceremony is her chance to do a magic-sharing spell that will give Riley some of her sister's magic so she can be a full member of the community and of their family's tribe of healers. This event obviously doesn't go as planned and gives a big reveal that kickstarts the rest of the book and Riley's journey of finding her place in her family, her community, and the world. The ending is full of so many twists and you can predict the ending, which is just the way I like it. This is a book--and a series-that you do not want to miss!

Set in a modern world intertwined with Korean mythology, The Last Fallen Star is full of magic and page-turning adventure that the middle school version of me would’ve absolutely loved as much as the adult version of me. From a gift library filled with birds to mouthwatering food at the H-Mart, Graci Kim’s debut novel quickly became one of my favorite releases and (possibly) reads of 2021.

Riley Oh is adopted, growing up as a saram (non-gifted person) among the gifted community of witches, and her feeling of not belonging among her community and family is definitely relatable for anyone who has ever felt like an outcast. I loved the exploration of family relationships as she embarks on a journey to retrieve the last fallen star and finds out secrets that question her identity and sense of belonging. It’s a little messy and complex like many family relationships, but also full of love and support, and I can’t wait to see more of this possibly explored in future novels. I also loved the sisterhood explored throughout as Riley works to save her sister Hattie’s life when a spell backfires, and the relationships she develops, even if they might be with people she’s always been told to stay away from.

While The Last Fallen Star was at times serious and touching, it was also fun and humorous. Reading Kim’s debut novel was like sitting in an entertaining mythology class that kept me wanting to know more while cheering Riley on as she comes across a variety of magical creatures on her quest ranging from an adorable cheollima to a dragon scooter that takes you to places quickly. My biggest disappointment was finishing the novel quickly (because it was that awesome), but I’ll be eagerly waiting for the sequel to release to slip back into the world Kim has created and follow Riley as she continues on more adventures.

A great book that shows the power of family and friendship. An unbreakable sisterly bond. Spiritrealm versus mortal realm. Heart and hope.

I'm always interested to read about other cultures, and putting it in a young reader novel is even better. I struggled a lot getting into this one--took about half the book before it got really interesting. And part of that may be that I'm older, however, a good story should be able to connect with readers across the age gap (from the intended age up, since all ages up have been that age). I was annoyed and turned off a bit by the characters, as they tried to justify their action. But in the end, it was a decent story, and I wouldn't say no to reading more by this author.

The Last Fallen Star follows Riley who is a Gom, a person without magic. She was adopted by a family with magic and when her adopted sister is getting ready to do her ceremony to welcome her into the clan, Riley and Hattie, her sister come up with a plan for Riley to temporarily get magic. Things don’t go as planned and Riley has to go on a adventure to save her sister and prove her worth to the clan.

This was an okay middle grade. You could definitely tell that this was a debut. There were some convenient things that happened and a few too many pop culture references. I mean there were three BTS references in the first 20% of the story. I think the biggest strength in the story were the characters. Riley and her friend Emmett are the most prominent in the story and their friendship was awesome. They really took care of each other and shared in the things that they had in common. My favorite thing about most middle grades is the friendship and this definitely delivered. The book is steeped in Korean mythology. All of the main characters are Korean and those references were interesting. The way that the myths were told was seamless.

I listened to this on audio and it was so well done. The narrator used distinct voices for each character and hearing the pronunciation of the Korean words was so helpful. I wouldn’t have picked them up as well.

Overall, this is a strong start to the series. I enjoyed the setup for the next book and am excited to continue the series.

This is the second Rick Riordan Presents book I've read that covers Korean mythology and this one is really cool! It turns out there is a secret society of Korean witches in Los Angeles, with a portal between the God realm and Mortal realm. There are six goddesses that had specialized powers and are the founders of each of the clans. Riley Oh was adopted into the Gom clan, which are the healers, but she is classified as Saram, meaning she has no magic. Her sister is one of her best friends and is set to become a healer, but Riley is banned from it because an initiation ceremony showed she didn't have what it takes to be a gifted person. But she knows the healing information even more than her sister and yearns to be a part of the community. Her other best friend, Emmett is totally awesome. He loves baking and is really good at it, but he was orphaned at the same time Riley was and was also prevented from being part of the magic community. I know if I were part of this community, I would love to belong to the Gom clan of healers, but some of the other powers seemed really cool as well. This was a really well-thought-out story with really endearing characters and I loved how Riley grew and matured throughout and was able to put the pieces together. Although she was barred from the healing magic she desperately wanted, she ended up being the perfect example of their motto "service and sacrifice". I absolutely loved this book and can't wait for future installments. I hesitate to say that this was as good as any Percy Jackson book because how does one measure up to Rick Riordan, but I can easily say that I loved this as much, even with my unfamiliarity of Korean mythology.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.