I was excited to read my story based on Vietnamese lore. I don’t normally gravitate towards books that centered around a modern school setting but wanted to give it a chance and read more south-east Asian inspired books!

Unfortunately it was hard to get through the entire book. The characters weren’t compelling and a lot of the story was quite repetitive. The writing style also wasn’t for me. Overall…it was disappointing.

I would like to thank the publisher and Netgallery for an eARC in exchanged of an honest review.

Sadly The Lost Queen was a DNF for me. The cover and premise are both beautiful and interesting but the story just fell flat for me. The pacing was super slow to a point where I forgot what was happening and the writing style just wasn't for me. I did love and find the excerpts of Vietnamese folklore and legends very interesting. I'm a fan of YA so that wasn't the issue, I probably would have loved this if I were still in highschool, it just fell short to me.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this ARC!

So... as I say this, please keep in mind, that I read an ARC, and things may have been more refined by the time it's actually published.

My main thing is that I wasn't invested in the story, like at all. The idea was great, but the execution wasn't really there. I'm not sure if I just wasn't feeling it, or if it was the writing, or what it was. It didn't help that any plot twist was insanely predictable. I also noticed some inconsistencies, but, again, this was an ARC.

I liked maybe one of the characters, and he wasn't even one of the main characters. I didn't connect to the characters and all of their arcs felt very basic. I definitely didn't like the main character. I'm not entirely sure why, but I just didn't care about her.

So, this was okay. I really hope it's had more work done since the ARC I received.

This book had such a cool premise, blending Vietnamese folklore with modern San Jose vibes, and at first I was hooked. Jolie was super relatable, and I loved seeing her connection to her heritage unfold with all the magical twists. But honestly, the second half lost me a bit—the story got chaotic, the magic system felt super vague, and it leaned more into cartoonish fantasy than the grounded, emotional journey I was hoping for. Still, I’m so glad books like this are bringing more Vietnamese legends into YA fantasy, and I’d definitely recommend it if you’re in the mood for something unique and fast-paced!

3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, and Penguin Young Readers Group for this advanced copy! You can pick up The Lost Queen on May 6, 2025.

This was a fun, quick fantasy read chock full of Vietnamese folklore and legend. Jolie, a typical high school sophomore, has no idea that she's actually a reincarnated Vietnamese queen of lore, and that her long lost sister has joined her in San Jose. But as Huong and Jolie grow closer, things aren't exactly what they seem....

I have to give Aimee Phan so much credit for weaving in tons of world building and magic into a contemporary setting. It definitely kept things interesting, and the short chapters helped the story move quickly. But I really struggled with this book's pacing overall. The beginning introduced fantastical concepts, but Jolie (and the reader) didn't learn what any of these components ACTUALLY were until maybe 35-40% in. I was intrigued at first, but by a certain point I just wanted a clear transition to the rising action so I knew WHAT we and Jolie were working toward.

Then the ending was the opposite problem. We're introduced to the main conflict super early, and then it just KEPT GOING for another 100 pages. I was waiting for it to wrap up, but more and more kept being added on, and I was kinda over it at that point.

As for the characters, I appreciated Jolie's arc and her reconciliation with her two human friends, Daphne and Lana. Huong on the other hand.... I didn't know how to feel about her from the start. I think I clocked pretty quickly that she wasn't all good, but again, I wish I knew what the main conflict was earlier on because her behavior was just weird up until then.

I think this is definitely a good read for a younger YA audience, but it could have been even better with improved pacing and plotting. If you love dragons and Vietnamese folklore, though, you'll eat this up quickly!

Steeped in Far Eastern mythology, The Lost Queen is a wild ride through 'history' and 'the present' with all the teenage angst the targeted audience would expect. With a heavy focus on reincarnation, I found myself struggling to stay connected to the story. The story flows well, moving back and forth in time once two particular characters meet. There is much good to be said about what true love and sacrifice looks like throughout the story.

I received an ARC; this is my honest review.

I decided not to continue this ARC after the 51% mark. It has a few too many plot and structure issues for me.

First, the relationship between Jolie and Huong was written in a way that felt romantic and not like reincarnated sisters. It honestly threw me when that is revealed. Jolie is written like she is enamored with and possibly has a crush on Huong.

Second, the dream sequences were hard to follow when reality came back into play, which created interest in the first few chapters, but had me thinking a bunch of their school friends were in their dream later in the book. I had to go back and reread the scene after I realized the girls had woken up from their nap. (When the two teenage girls take a nap together, it felt odd. They hardly know one another.)

I was hooked in the beginning, intrigued by the mystery of Jolie's visions, but I didn't feel the overarching mythology was easy to follow. Lost in the weeds, as it were. And I couldn't imagine this would be easy for an 8th grader to follow. I think the story needs more work.

I won't be rating the book publicly and will post on goodreads that I did not finish. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for my e-arc. All opinions are my own.

Overall, I think it was a solid book, 3.5 stars.

I would have loved this book if I was younger and looking for a fantasy book that represented me. The best parts of the book were the different Vietnamese myths and lore. Really interesting take on the Trung Sisters myth and not what I was expecting but I took it for what it was.

Vietnamese words were sprinkled in at the start but then kind of dropped off halfway through with only Ong Nói and Ba Nói being the consistent words. I think it would have been nice to have more.

I had a few standout chapters that I loved but then everything else was a little flat, including the characters. The pacing was off, and some plot points I thought were too convenient and unbelievable. There was too much bullying for my liking, it wasn’t revealed why until later but during those parts I found it difficult to go on because it was constant. The ending was also quite rushed, I didn’t really get it.

How exciting to discover a fantasy story based on Vietnamese history and folklore! And what a great read!

From the first lines of chapter 1, the book comes alive with imagery. The reader will feel like they've been plunged into another world, one that is both oddly familiar and beautifully unique.

"The more I remembered, the more powerful I became."

I love Jolie and Huong's journey (both physical and dream) and the creative way the author has built up a world that seems mystical and realistic at the same time.

Most of all, I enjoyed the multiple points of view: of both girls, but also the sisters whose pasts live within them. Tangled and tragic, and ultimately triumphant.

"That little liar. That backstabbing, treacherous, lying liar. The poems, songs, and stories about our deaths were wrong. It wasn't a sacrifice or suicide. It was a betrayal."

The lesson? Never underestimate the power of a teenage girl and her friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

my favorite aspect of this book is the vietnamese representation especially the history and mythology surrounding the trung sisters. It was interesting to learn about some vietnamese folklore especially as a vietnamese american myself. it was delightful to see vietnamese culture as a core characteristic of this book’s plot especially with the usage of vietnamese words and mention of vietnamese dishes such as thit kho! I also love that the book is set in the bay area!!

the animated writing and imagery is strong in this book but sometimes the detailed writing was unnecessary. i notice the author would overdescribe the smallest details that ends up being useless to the overall plot which would contribute to the turtle pacing.

anyways, the idea of the book sounded better than how the book was executed in my opinion. the author’s writing has potential but the plot was just too dreadfully slow.

The Lost Queen
By: Aimee Phan

4 Stars

This book brings the meanness of high school and the magic of fantasy together. Two young girls, high-school drama, and a destiny that is thousands of years in the making. Dragons. It also has dragons.

I was completely wrapped up in this story. Flashing through from past to present and story to story, this book was filled with drama, magic, friendship, and dare, I say, love. It told of a tale of two sisters that changed their world in the past and present. Following a magic book, as well as their dreams and memories, they find themselves on a crazy journey from the high school gym to the fields of ancient Vietnam. This book was a very well written YA novel, and no matter if you are young or old and love a good fantasy, this was it.

*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Reviews

The first half of this book really had me hooked and hit all the elements I usually like in a YA contemporary fantasy. Jolie is a Vietnamese-American teenager living with her grandparents and attending a San Jose high school. I loved the colorful, grounded details about teenage angst, bullying and the high school experience, with the hint of supernatural underpinnings. Jolie's grandfather is a fortune teller and the book is interspersed with ancient Vietnamese folk legends.

Then weird stuff keeps happening to Jolie, like she has a psychotic break at a swim meet and alienates her two best friends, who become mean girl enemies. In gym class she rescues popular girl Huong, who befriends her. This could have been an opportunity to explore Jolie's character and identity as she navigates this new world of popularity, but instead she just becomes a bland character as her identity is completely taken over by the supernatural. She keeps seeing visions. It turns out she and Huong are the reincarnations of two ancient Vietnamese goddess queens, the Trung sisters, into the bodies of two teenage girls.

That could have been a really interesting conceit, and indeed I appreciated the deep-dive into Vietnamese folklore. But I wanted more insight into Jolie's immigrant roots and how this identity juxtaposed with such strong elements of Vietnamese culture, and I wanted more grounding in reality with a whisper of the supernatural.

Instead the second half of the book felt like a completely different book as we are transported into a cartoonish world of vengeful, battling immortals with elemental powers and I stopped caring about the characters as they lost touch with their humanity and reality. Jolie did hang on to her humility and mercy, but everything was so larger than life that it felt too cerebral and superhero-adjacent for my taste.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

3-3.5 stars⭐️

‘The Lost Queen’ follows Jolie Lam, a sophomore in high school who after an incident at a swim meet, is an outsider. One day during a swim unit in gym, she saves Huong Pham who is popular and ends up befriending Jolie. As they get closer, they begin to unlock impossible abilities and soon she learns they are the reincarnations of legendary queens/goddesses, the Trung Sisters. They’re soon set on a dangerous adventure of self discovery, unlocking their memories and elements (magic), as the threat of their enemies loom.

This was my first book involving Vietnamese history and mythology and found it incredibly beautiful and easy to jump right into without having prior knowledge.

I think this book is a wonderful YA adventure that I would have LOVED in middle school and appreciated in high school. I would say Jolie was a very realistic example of the experience of isolation and ridicule as a teen girl, when we all believe high school and friends is life or death. And then how one person changing everything can be all consuming, and not necessarily a good thing.

I think where this lost stars was simply the YA-ness of the story— inner monologue, decisions and pacing was frustrating for me at times but think it’s on par for a YA novel. I will def pick up the next one when it comes out to see what happens :)

I tried to enjoy this, I really did. Unfortunately, I have decided to drop the book halfway through. I wanted to give it a chance until the plot mentioned in the summary happened but now that it finally came together about 50% in, I’m not inclined to finish it after all. I was interested to learn more about vietnamese mythology but the pacing was so slow that I couldn’t get a grasp on what was even going on (probably because even Jolie didn’t understand what happened).

Unfortunately, The Lost Queen ended up being a DNF for me. The story started off with promise and initially caught my interest, but as I continued reading, I found myself losing connection with the plot and characters. While I don't take DNFing an ARC lightly, I ultimately had to set this one aside. I truly appreciate the opportunity to read and review, and I hope others find the story more engaging than I did.

Thank you Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for the chance to read this title.

Thank you Penguin Teen for giving me an early copy to read and review. All thoughts are my own!

I’m not too knowledgeable when it comes to Vietnamese lore and culture but after reading this; I intend to educate myself on it more.

I really enjoyed this plot and found each character interesting. I did get myself confused a little bit while reading but that’s mainly because I’m not familiar with the lore and history. I found the writing style very easy to understand and this book was very fast pace. I literally sat down and read this in one sitting.

I really enjoyed it going from “real world” to the “magic world” and how they were intertwined. There was one character I was getting irritated at but then at the end when something major happened, my heart broke.

I’m really excited for book two and I really hope it has more world building in it because I’m very intrigued with what’s going to happen next.

4 stars!

The mythological aspects are the best part of this book. The way it's written, though, makes it really hard to separate the visions from the reality, which I'm sure is the point, but it was jarring to read. I'm also just really burnt out on mean girls, so that made it harder to enjoy. I did not like Huong's friends or Jolie's ex-friends.

This is a slow-moving book with lots of bullying, which is not a fun combination for me. I loved certain parts and was so annoyed by others.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Really interesting story based on Vietnamese folklore. The main character, Jolie, is likable and I found myself rooting for her. She’s having a horrible time in high school until she saves the queen bee popular girl, Huong. That should change her luck, but it just adds more complications. The Vietnamese folklore and mythology meshed into the story really make for a compelling read. I’m so happy I requested this book and even happier that I was approved to read. Thank you!

This Young Adult novel grabbed me from the first chapter and I couldn't stop reading. Great characters, an enticing story based on Vietnamese folklore, and unexpected twists made this a thoroughly enjoyable read. This is the first book in a duology and I can't wait to read the second book in the series. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for an advanced reader copy.

Am I the villain? Am I the drama?

I did not like this one for so many reasons, and I was so mad by the end of this book that I will not be picking up the rest of this duology.

First of all, I felt like this duology could've been a standalone. By the end of this book, it was giving "this meeting could've been an email" energy. The first 50% is so slow and all we do is linger in Jolie's sad sack life. All the twists were predictable, and these immortal gods all felt like immature children rather than powerful beings of earth and time.

I also found some of the dialogue to be filled with racial self hatred. Like what do you mean the full Viet teenager thinks the Bible is cooler than Viet history and mythology?? Also, one of the MCs racially discriminates against mixed people?? It felt very icky reading that. I kind of get how it plays into characterization, but it's barely countered so it almost normalizes it. There's also classism. Again, feeds into the character but the language felt out of place for a couple of high schoolers.

That leads me to dialogue and language as a whole. So much exposition, high schoolers sounding either too hauty or too over-the-top cruel, and immortals sounding like sixteen year old brats (you're hundreds of years old, get your life together??). I read an ARC, so I hope a lot of that is cleaned up for the final copy.

Lastly, the world building was okay. The mythology was mildly interesting, but it also started to become a mess in the second half. After a while, I kind of gave up on trying to follow the world building elements because the magic was all kind of everywhere. There's no real distinction between what the divine elements versus the prime elements do, and they all kind of are able to just make anything happen, so I don't see what makes one more special than the other?? Either way, it was kind of chaotic and the book ended the way it did in that kind of felt like someone took a breath in, but didn't get to exhale. So, there is drama, but it didn't capture me enough to want to read book two.

This was a highly anticipated book for me, and the version of it I read just didn't hit the mark in any way, shape, or form.

TW: vomit, injury detail, body shaming, dementia, ableism/ableist language, bullying, cyber bullying, death of a parent, war, fire/fire injury, toxic relationship, toxic friendship, gaslighting, grooming, alienation as a tactic for manipulation, emotional abuse, racism, micro-aggressions, suicidal ideation; mentions a pool accident, pregnancy, cancer, death, earthquake, car accident, disappearance of a minor, injury leading to blindness

ARC gifted by Penguin Teen Canada in exchange for an honest review.