I had no idea what to expect when I started this novel. In a sense, it has two timelines—one in Boston and one in Shanghai. But they aren't really parallel times. They're more woven together. This is the story of a young woman, in the beginning of her college career, and her grandmother, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Monica, the granddaughter, takes a leave from her studies in Pennsylvania, to stay in Boston and help her grandfather take care of her grandmother. She wants to give her grandmother a final birthday present, so she sets about finding her grandmother’s cousin in Shanghai. She enlists thenhelo of a computer social network and through it meets another young woman about her own age.

The other young woman is visiting in Shanghai and indeed knows her grandmother's cousin. On her return, she brings back a pencil from The Phoenix Pencil Company, which had been owned by her grandmother’s family. So, while one story line is about Monica and how she is going to relate to her grandmother, and to this new young friend her life, the other story line is about the grandmother and her cousin living through the Sino-Japanese war and then World War II.

There is something special about The Phoenix Pencil Company in Shanghai and the author keeps you reading in part because you’ll find you have to know what it is. So this is a magical reality story. And done very well, I might add. As I said when I started, I had no idea what to expect from this novel. But I am. Ery glad to be reading it and I think it will no doubt become a best seller.

There’s some really great historical elements here with the Japanese occupation of China, the ideological battle between the Nationalists and Communists, and how these things spilled over into both Taiwan and the United States. There are interesting themes of acceptance and forgiveness, and it’s all wrapped around the questions of what storytelling is and who our stories are for.

There are two stories here: Monica’s happening in present day and her grandmother’s from when she was a girl. They’re both compelling.

I provably would’ve given this five stars if it hadn’t been an epistolary novel. Having perfect recall of conversations that happened earlier in the day let alone decades ago just isn’t a thing that happens and isn’t how people generally write journal entries. It kept taking me out of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow!

I requested a copy of this book because I was intrigued by the cover. What I found was a story that beautifully blended the life of two young Chinese girls as they watch their families and country deal with the effects war and occupation and modern day where they attempt to reconnect through the special magic the women in their family posses to reforge a pencil's words.

Told through alternating perspectives and in dual timelines I loved a lot of this book, especially Yun's rehashing of life in China during the war and Japanese occupation and her initial time in America. I was less enamored with Monica's storyline, specifically the ERMBS stuff. I'm not a coder or into computer science so that's more of a "me" thing than the author's.

This book was ambitious in its blending of past and present and the weaving in of the magical realism surrounding the family's ability to reforge pencils (the concept of which I can't do justice) and, overall, it was incredibly well done.

Who owns a story? What is gained or lost in the retelling of stories, the preservation or destruction of stories? Who's stories get to be told, and what do they mean for the relationships between loved ones? These questions of stories are explored in this lovely novel and through several relationships. What began as an innocent quest to reconnect her grandmother with her long-lost cousin in Shanghai ended up turning Monica's whole world upside down and inviting her into magical family secrets, a history spanning the Chinese civil war, the fear and repercussions of losing the people close to you, and an unexpected first love. The author does a great job of blending past and present, capturing the different types of relationships in the story, and touching on the ethics of technology and data use. I would have loved a little bit more on the history of the magic and how it came to be, and perhaps more curiosity on the interplay between magic and technology, but overall this book was unique, fun to read, and full of intimate human moments that I absolutely adored.

This book is like rummaging through your grandma’s attic and accidentally time-traveling. Told through journal entries and letters, we follow Monica, who's on a mission to uncover some deep family secrets, and Yun, who's out here reminiscing about their pencil days at the Phoenix Pencil Company—except it’s not just about pencils. There's also war. And betrayal. And, yes, more pencils.

It's a wild ride through history, trauma, and office supplies.

This book was a rollercoaster for me due to the plot being all over the place.

The story about the Reforging was very insightful and added depth to the book. I enjoyed learning about the pencil history parts.

I felt uncomfortable when it came to some sexual parts of the book, that wasn’t for me. Also, it doesn’t really add anything for the book.

I liked the relationship between Monica and her grandparents, very heartwarming and special.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the digital ARC copy.

i’m struggling to put into words how deeply moved i felt by this book. the story it explored hit close to home for me, and i saw myself reflected in so many nooks and crevices. maybe it’s because i have a personal connection with the particular circumstances identified in this novel, but this is probably a book i won’t forget for a while.

i loved reading this story through two the two main characters’ perspectives, but my favorite would definitely have to be the ones from yun’s point of view. maybe because, like monica, i also hunger to learn more about my grandparents’ history during the chinese civil war—and so i found myself readily devouring the bits and pieces of yun’s story, of how she had to uproot herself from shanghai to flee to taiwan, then to america, and the subsequent butterfly effects that followed. and although it was only a small part of the book, i loved the steady, reliable relationship we got to glimpse between yun and torou. i also found great interest in reading about the phoenix pencil company through yun’s eyes. the magic system was so unique, but i think it was the effects of this magic that drew me into the story the most: how it was able to connect people through times of difficulty, through generations, and through capturing feelings in a way that transcends words.

i enjoyed monica’s perspectives as well, and deeply related to her on multiple levels: the desire to learn more of her grandparents’ history vs. the fear of asking; the hesitation of exploring her sexuality; the crushing fear of watching the ones she loved most age; and the experience of growing up in a family where problems are best left undiscussed. allison king also masterfully illustrates the juxtaposition and the parallels between yun’s life during the chinese civil war with monica’s life during the modern technology age, all while still demonstrating the importance of human connection, of forgiving despite pain, and of loving in spite of it.

this was beautifully written, capturing a multigenerational story rooted in chinese history and touched with magic, perfect for fans of yangsze choo and r.f. kuang!

4 stars! thank you to netgalley and william morrow for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King is a first person multi-POV historical POV set in Shanghai during and after the occupation by Japanese forces, 2018 and post-WWII US, and post-WWII Hong Kong. Cousins Meng and Yun struggled to get along when Meng first comes to live with Yun and her family while their fathers are away, but the two girls become bound by a mystical family secret. In the future, Yun and Meng haven’t seen each other in decades and Yun’s granddaughter, Monica, and a mysterious young woman in contact with Meng, Louise, might be the key to finally mending their broken bridge.

The magic system is absolutely fascinating. The women in Yun and Meng’s mothers’ family can take a pencil, insert it into their wrist, and they can recreate (‘Reforge’) everything the pencil had previously written. This can be used for deeply sentimental things, such as a preserving poetry written by someone who is deceased, and it can also be used to keep track of military secrets and intelligence collected by spies. This is one of the most creative magic systems I think I’ve ever seen and yet it is so simple in concept. I loved it and the phoenix scars that slowly solidify into their skin just made it all the more interesting.

Of the two main POVS, Monica and Yun, I think Monica’s was my favorite. Monica is slowly developing feelings for Louise and she becomes paranoid over time as she realizes that Louise knows a lot about her but she doesn’t know a lot about Louise. Monica also works for a high tech company that is recording data but she justifies her job to herself instead of confronting that data collection against people’s will, even if there are positive intentions behind it, is wrong. Her arc is very modern and asks a lot of questions I think we’re asking right now.

Yun and Meng’s relationship is deeply messy. They are basically being raised like sisters and even present as if they are sisters to the people around them in order to keep Meng safe, but they are sometimes at odds. When Meng and her mother first arrive, she and Yun do not get along at all and there’s a constant competition between the two that never totally goes away. It’s made even more complicated by the war, their fathers being away for years at a time, the work they do to Reforge communications for the war effort, and their admiration of the other girl’s mother. It’s the real focal point of the book and I loved how nuanced it was.

Content warning for mentions of sexual assault

I would recommend this to fans of speculative intergenerational works and readers of fantasy looking to try historical fiction

I started recommending this book to people when I was only halfway through, but I've always been a sucker for magic realism and dual POV novels. Throw in some espionage and predatory data mining commentary? Yeah, I’m in. Truthfully though.. the prose is beautiful, the magic is unique, and the stories are woven together so wonderfully.

This book made me feel very many things (like the last 10% was read through very teary eyes). I loved this book and how it showed all the aspects of people’s stories being shared—freely or against their will. (I loved the commentary surrounding ethics of data mining, story archiving, etc.; it created a nice little parallel of the Phoenix Pencil Company help during wartime, Monica’s school/work project, and Louise’s story archiving dreams)

It had humor that balanced out the heavier, more emotional portions. It had the history of Shanghai through Yun’s story of surviving two wars that tore her family apart - in contrast to her granddaughter Monica’s loving recollection of growing up with her grandparents in MA. Espionage and data-mining ethics, begging the question of who really owns a story, and who has a right to share it.

ok … final thoughts
Hidden family history, magic, and the power of written words all come together to create a wonderful story that truly captures the beauty of living fully and sharing your story with others. This book really made me appreciate all the stories people have shared with me, and all the stories I hope to listen to in the future. A stunning debut novel, Allison King.

This is an interesting story about communication, family history, and inter-generational relationships. The magical realism aspect of “Reforging” pencils was clever, yet at times (especially in contemporary scenes) seemed slightly ridiculous. There is a nice juxtaposition and examination of different methods of communication: oral, written, reforging, and the Internet. Who does your story belong to? Who owns your data? This book definitely makes you think about how much information we give up online.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Monica is a coder and university student and is currently working with her professor on a program that seeks to connect people together. Raised by her aging grandparents she grows increasingly concerned about them, especially with her grandmother Yun who is in declining heath. Monica makes it her mission to connect Yun with her beloved cousin that she lost contact with during the tumult in China after WWII. Using the software program she works for she finds Meng, her grandmother's cousin through a young woman named Louise who is herself intriguing and attractive to Monica. When Meng sends a pencil to Yun, Monica is initially disappointed in the response. But pencils are important and valuable to them, as the women in their family possess a special gift, the ability to reforge the writing instrument, uncovering what was written and giving them a glimpse into the writer's mind. The skill becomes extremely valuable as the wars rage on and in the lives of all of the family, writing their histories and changing the course of their lives.

Told through the online journal entries of Monica and through the reforged pencils of Yun (and eventually other family members) we begin to understand how important the telling of stories is and how the fight over who owns a story can connect or divide them. Connection and communication are two of the main pillars that run throughout the story, regardless of storyteller or the decade.

The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King will definitely make it to my list of favorite books in 2025. This inventive novel has a bit of magic in it but it grounds itself in the very real history of China during WWII, its civil war and the present.

With a rich cast of characters, vividly drawn locations, lots of action and beautiful, sometimes heartbreaking, stories, author King delivers a breathtaking debut novel. Do yourself a favor and add The Phoenix Pencil Company to your TBR and get caught up in this world full of amazing lives, heart and a touch of magic. Five very well earned stars.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This book surprised me in the best ways! I am sure it will be a pick of many book clubs this summer as there is so much to discuss.

The Phoenix Pencil Company is an ambitious blend of historical fiction, magical realism, and contemporary fiction told in a mostly dual-POV epistolary format. The narrative is largely split between Monica, a college student grappling with her grandmother's recent dementia diagnosis, and Yun, Monica's grandmother that's doing her best to put her past to paper before she forgets it in an effort to explain her life to her estranged cousin, Meng. As Monica reconciles with her grandmother's diagnosis and Yun reconciles with her past, Yun decides to share with Monica that the women in their family have the power to Reforge written words by piercing themselves with used pencils and bleeding out the words that were written by them onto fresh pages, all while experiencing the emotions and memories the original writers were living as they wrote.

I found this book to be a really interesting, informative, reflective and emotional story about, well, stories. Who gets to tell your story, and how will it be told (and received)? Telling this predominantly through a close grandmother/granddaughter relationship really got me, as I have a very close relationship with my own grandparents that are Monica's grandparents' age, and it weighs on me regularly that my time with them to hear their stories is ever dwindling, and it will soon be up to me and my other family members to pass those stories and their legacy down when they are no longer with us. The relationship between Monica and her grandparents is, in my opinion, the strongest in the novel, and I thoroughly appreciated their dynamic. There were plenty of heartwarming moments between them, and some heartbreaking ones, too, and honestly I wish that there would have been even more of the trio in the book than there already was.

Along with adoring the family dynamic between Monica and her grandparents, I also really appreciated a WWII story that's not centralized on Europe and the U.S. Even though I've always found stories from that time period compelling and even studied WWII more extensively than others have thanks to some history courses I took in college, I still know exceptionally little about how the war impacted places like China. Even though this is obviously a fictionalized take on it, I really appreciated this story broadening my awareness and I feel like I understand more about how the world got to where it did. I do find myself wishing we could've gotten a little more concrete information about the war and its aftershocks, but I acknowledge that that particular bit of the story was being told through the lens of an aging woman with dementia that lived through those particular details when she was a teenager who was told only what she had to be, so I get that a lot of details could be missing.

SO much of this novel really worked for me, but it wasn't completely perfect. I overarchingly really enjoy magical realism, and I enjoyed its presence here, but I did find the act of Reforging confusing at times. While the relationship between Monica and her grandparents was the focal point, I also enjoyed the relationships we were shown with Yun and her cousin, Meng, Yun's relationship with her mother, aunt and grandmother, Yun's relationship with her husband, Torou, and Monica's relationship with Louise, but I can't help but wish they were ALL fleshed out a little better. I couldn't help but feel like details were missing every time we focused on any of these other relationships between the characters, and I just wish we had more. Lastly, as much as I enjoyed the budding romance between Monica and Louise, I feel like Louise's big transgression towards the end of the novel was too easily forgiven and moved past.

Overall, though, this was a really impressive debut that I really enjoyed. I will definitely be getting myself a physical copy of this when it comes out, and I will be keeping an eye out for future Allison King works!

Thank you to William Morrow for the ARC and the chance to read and review this early.

The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King
*Advanced Reader Copy*
Publish Date: June 3, 2025
ALL the 🌟s

Ever been in a reading slump? That has been me lately. Every book I pick up (even amazing ones) have not held my interest in the past few weeks. Then The Phoenix Pencil Company entered my life. Easily my favorite book of the year so far. I loved this book and could not get enough. Do you like multigenerational tales? Historical fiction? A *bit* of magical realism? Feel good stories? Complicated characters? Strong women? This book is for you.

Monica is in school learning programming and coding. She begins journaling her life via the computer in a program that she is helping launch called EMBRS. EMBRS connects strangers online via shared likes, experiences, etc. Through a series of random events and a sequence of codes, the internet connects Monica with her grandmother’s long lost cousin.

This connection sets off a series of amazing events that combine two timelines; Monica in 2018 and her grandmother as a girl China. Monica begins to learn that her doting grandmother has lived an entirely different life than Monica ever could have imagined and it all starts at The Phoenix Pencil Company in Shanghai during WW2. Even more surprising she uncovers that the women that owned and made pencils had a special power. This power leds to espionage, government secrets, war, and heartbreak.

I can’t give any more away. You have to read this novel yourself when it comes out June 3rd.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the Advanced Reader Copy.
#ThePhoneixPencilCompany #NetGalley.

The Phoenix Pencil Company is a historical fiction novel that utilizes magical realism to tell a story about family, identity, memory and the power of words. Words cause pain and pleasure. They form our secrets and our stories. Allison King asks whose stories get told and whose are lost to history? To memory? It's a dual timeline that takes us from wartime and the rise of Communism in Shanghai, has a brief stint in Taiwan and moves on to the exploration of data privacy concerns in the tech world in America. A cautionary tale on the ways in which the written word can be weaponized, it's an interesting story, well told.

This story centers on Monica Tsai, a college freshman and self-described recluse who immerses herself in coding a program designed to connect strangers online. Her digital endeavors lead her to a mysterious woman who gifts her a pencil imbued with a hidden family secret. This discovery propels Monica into uncovering her grandmother Yun's concealed past. It's a great story that mixes present day with a bit of magical realism and goes back and forth between the present and past. Such a unique and clever plot line that was really fun to delve into!

Yun's story unfolds in 1940s Shanghai, where she and her cousin Meng work at the Phoenix Pencil Company during World War II. They uncover a familial ability known as "Reforging"—a magical practice that allows them to revive memories embedded in pencils. However, their gift draws the attention of the government, thrusting them into a perilous world of espionage.

I would have liked more focus on the relationship between Yun and Meng, as the author focuses a lot on the technology, which gets a bit tedious at times.

An amazing debut novel and you'll find yourself hoping that your everyday writing implements had a bit of magic too!

The Phoenix Pencil Company is an ambitious blend of the genres of fantasy, historical fiction, and contemporary adult fiction. Not only does King do a commendable job of bridging these genres, but she also weaves together an array of themes, including memory, storytelling, data sharing, and familial legacy.

The magical concept of "reforging" may be a hurdle for some readers-- regular fantasy consumers are likely to be more receptive to this inherited ability that is central to the narrative, while others might find it gimmicky. Despite the lack of a detailed origin story, King uses reforging effectively as a device to explore communication during war and across generations.

In contrast to the unfamiliarity of reforging, the EMBRs software platform, which aggregates user data into comprehensive personal narratives, will feel all too familiar. Most readers are already engaged in the ongoing fight for data privacy, making this subplot feel somewhat predictable, if not a little boring.

At its heart, The Phoenix Pencil Company is about relationships, and King writes them in a tender and relatable way-- whether it’s the unfolding of first love or the dynamic between grandparents and grandchild.

The novel’s journal entry/epistolary format makes sense within the context of the story, but its execution sometimes falls short, leading to moments of awkwardness. Fortunately, these issues aren't significant enough to detract from the novel’s strengths.

It was cute? I guess? I didn’t love nor hate this book. I felt utterly mediocre towards it by every definition of middlingness possible. I hope someone else out there loves it though. Eventually.

While I loved the family story and the human connection, neither the EMBRS plot line nor the magic rules of this universe worked for me. I can usually roll with some rough edges in speculative rules, but in this age of digital surveillance, EMBRS was a hard sell. More than that, the magic rules around the pencils themselves were distracting from the main core of the story which was more about family, memory, and generational experience.

I will look for more by Allison King—the heart of the novel is beautiful even if some of the more speculative elements fell flat for me.

Whoo boy. I started out really liking this book, and ended up not liking it as much as I thought I would, and that makes me sad, because there was a lot that was good in it. I particularly liked the story of Meng and Wong Yun, and I really wish that had just been the book. But I found the framing story with Monica to be tedious, because I found Monica to be tedious. I felt for her, she's dealing with some tough things. But I felt she was so naive and whiny that I lost interest. I wanted more of the story of Meng and Wong Yun, their experiences as girls and young women. That was what really was interesting. That and the light fantasy element. I had a hard time believing that Monica could be so naive about her life, and the whole thing with EMBRS just really turned me off. Shame too, because this book had such an original and interesting premise.