The Phoenix Pencil Company is a debut genre-mashup of historical fiction, fantasy, family drama and a little romance thrown in. The story is told from two POVs and two time periods. Monica is a present day college student working on a big project with her professor which will take journal entries (all info kept private) and find ways to make connections to others by analyzing the entries. Yun, the grandmother who raised her, shares her story of growing up in Shanghai during the Chinese revolution with her family, running The Phoenix Pencil Company. The pencil company is special, manufacturing "magic" pencils that will hold the memory of what's been written until it's "reforged," spilling family secrets, political plans and more. Only the women of the family have the ability to reforge the pencils and they become tools of the political factions in sending secret messages, stopping insurrection, etc. There are parallels in the stories of grandmother and granddaughter, as they are both data mining, in a way. The novel explores stories and who owns them, connections, data privacy and more. There is also a queer romance storyline with Monica and a girl named Louise, who seemed pretty sketchy to me throughout the book.

Overall, I liked the magical realism of the reforging of the pencils, but the story did seem a little long at times and I definitely did not like Louise. My favorite part was the relationship between Monica and her grandparents as Monica is trying to get as much quality time and memories with Yun, who has Alzheimer's. I was reading an ARC and the emojis didn't always appear correctly in the Kindle version for me, so I would be curious to see what I missed there, but it didn't detract from the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced reader's copy.

So many of my trusted book friends loved and enjoyed this book so I immediately grabbed it because I thought it had all the elements of a book I would love. I still trust my book friends, but I did not love this one. And I'm a little stressed about it. Three things I ADORE in a book are, multigenerational stories, magical realism, and anything Asian. So why didn't I love this? I don't know?? But I thought the story was really dry, not crazy exciting and it was really slow off the starting block. I didn't begin to enjoy the story until Yun really got into her secrets, but by then, it was too late for me. Monica's story didn't do it for me either. Guys! I'm so sad!

The synopsis for this book intrigued me, and I had high hopes for it. However, it ended up missing the mark. If I hadn't been supplementing with the audio version (multi-cast narration), I'm not sure whether I would have continued with it.

It was such a unique concept and filled with interesting characters. This was the first time I read WWII historical fiction with regards to Shanghai occupied by the Japanese. Additionally, the magical realism and version of 'spy' coding thrown in made it so unique. That said, it was just a little too slow in several parts, which made me waffle on whether to pick it back up, and it potentially had too many things thrown into the book, lacking a little on direction. Ultimately, I did finish it due to my curiosity on how it would end.

This book is for those that like historical fantasy with distinct character voices.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and William Morrow for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

The Phoenix Pencil Company is a beautifully imagined debut about memory, family, and the magic hidden in ordinary objects. Blending history, quiet fantasy, and a moving cross-generational story, it follows Monica, a shy college freshman determined to uncover her grandmother Yun’s fading memories and lost past. Through the magical act of “Reforging” pencils, bringing back the memories they hold, Monica discovers secrets that span continents and decades. A tender, thoughtful read about connection, legacy, and the power of storytelling to bridge time and space.

I have mixed feelings about this book.

The magical realism element is what drew me in and what ended up being the biggest disappointment. This is an epistolary story so the reader doesn't experience much of the magic in the moment. It's all being told after the fact -- sometimes long after the fact -- and the character is processing their feelings and opinions about it. It felt a little lacking.

The characters are interesting on their own! Yun and Torou and Meng have lived fascinating lives. They were shaped by their circumstances is unique ways and I loved reading about them. Monica, too, is a solid character, though I did have to remind myself at times that she's 19. Louise and other characters fall a little short of the rest. And the interpersonal relationships felt weird, weak, or forced. The only exception is Yun and Meng; their relationship was always intriguing and compelling.

I applaud the author for tackling so much: how stories shape us and our worldview, how to keep stories alive and secure, who's entitled to another person's story, and related topics like memory, digital footprint, and data use/security. I loved learning about a different side of WWII, things I was never taught in school. But trying to cover so many topics, combined with the epistolary narration, made this a slow and ponderous first half of the book. The latter half picked up the pace but didn't recover from the drag of the first chunk.

I know there are people who will really enjoy this but I can't see myself recommending it with enthusiasm.

<i>Many thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Monica Tsai has been raised by her grandparents, who are now in their 90s. She keeps to herself, has no real friends, and stays busy at home. She journals and codes for a program-in-development whose goal is to connect people in meaningful ways. A college student, she is taking a semester off to help her grandfather take care of her grandmother, Yun, who has just been diagnosed with dementia.

Monica decides to use her digital skills to track down her grandmother’s long-lost cousin, whom she left behind in China decades earlier. She is able to find Meng through a young woman her age who is in China collecting people’s stories. When Louisa agrees to meet her when she returns to the US, Monica is confused that she just hands her a pencil from Meng to pass along to Yun. A pencil? After 60-plus years of being out of touch?

Readers learn along with Monica that the pencil is not just one of the high-quality products made years ago by the cousins’ family business, the Phoenix Pencil Company, but that the pencils can deliver special messages — in the right hands. Those hands are the women of the family, Yun and Meng and their mothers. They have a magical secret ability: to “Reforge” words that pencils write, spilling anything the pencils drew or wrote onto paper to be read again. But Chinese factions discovered that ability and used it to force the women into a life of espionage, betraying other people’s secrets.

The story of The Phoenix Pencil Company is told primarily from the first-person points of view of Monica and Yun. Readers get to know the hearts and minds of these two women. Yun shares what it was like to grow up in Shanghai and then Taiwan during World War II and postwar, when it was still dangerous because of the factions struggling to run China. It was revealing for me because I knew little about that period of time. I’d read Shanghai Girls, which showed how the city was sophisticated and glamorous just before the war. I enjoyed learning some of what followed in the next decade or two.

The Phoenix Pencil Company focuses on family ties and the power of story. It shows how knowing the stories of one’s ancestors brings families closer together and gives the younger generation a deeper sense of self, of being part of a deeply rooted family tree. That was probably my favorite part about it. Stories are powerful, especially those of our own families.

This is a historical fiction mixed with magical realism which admittedly aren’t two of my favorite genres so I didn’t have too high of expectations coming into this book. It ended up being more enjoyable than I thought but still wasn’t a winner for me. I enjoyed the story of Monica exploring her family’s history and coming to terms with her aging grandparents. I thought it was a beautiful story of family and ancestry. I didn’t connect with the story of the pencils and the magical elements. I think you would enjoy this story if you are able to really dive into both sides of the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this book. All thoughts stated in this review are mine alone.

I’m not a fan of magical realism, so this novel left me cold. I did enjoy the history of what the Grandmother experienced in wartime, though. In my opinion, the budding romance was unnecessary to the plot.

I wanted more of this book. Harley do I want more of a multiple timeline book. With this one I wanted to know more about the family and the pencils and the company. The modern timeline was my less favorite of the two. I loved getting to know more about Chinese history.

This novel wasn't what I expected and I may love it even more as a result! This is a magical story of finding connection in our day to day lives, in the mundane and with ourselves & others, plus with our family, our history, heritage and legacy.

I wanted to love this. It had all the elements I typically love in a story but I never got into it. I ended up doing the second half on audio and that helped me get through it.

Beautifully written book that interweaves magical realism with a delicate and deft touch. Four stars.

My love of pencils and recording my days on paper drew me to this book. The Phoenix Pencil Company is historical fiction with some magical realism and a family saga on the side, plus a dash of romance. I loved it despite some of the magical elements being a stretch from my usual genre preferences. The period of history this novel visits is less written about and interesting - it goes back and forth between present day Boston and WWII era, Japanese-occupied Shanghai. The story is told by women: two cousins in occupied Shanghai, and the granddaughter of one of them in Boston. These women love and suffer and forgive, and the youngest finds her way forward by looking back at her grandmother’s story.

Thank you to @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for the advance copy of this book

I loved this one! Such an incredibly clever and creative story that involves magical realism, family, friendship, and love, all set partly in the background of WW2 and the Chinese Civil War. I learned a lot without even trying! Two young girls form a bond, which breaks as one is forced to flee China to escape the Communist threat. But a simple pencil and the magic of the Internet bring them together again, while also bringing together two young women who are destined for each other. Beautifully written with sharp dialogue and gorgeous imagery.

I had to step away from this one. I came back to finish but it wasn't my favorite. I usually enjoy a good blend of magical realism and historical fiction, but the particular type of “magic” at play in this story didn’t quite resonate with me. I struggled with the narrative voice! Specifically, the grandmother’s letters to her cousin. Rather than evoking a sense of shared reminiscence, the letters felt more like recitations of events the cousin would already know, which made the storytelling feel more expository than immersive.

It leaned heavily on telling rather than showing, it came across as stiff and detached. Ultimately, the style just didn’t connect for me. Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for the. ARC which I received in exchange for my honest review.

A beautifully layered debut that blends magical realism, Chinese history, and family legacy. I loved the bond between Monica and her grandparents, and the enchanted pencils that “reforge” memories added a thoughtful, imaginative twist. A moving story about reclaiming the past and the power of storytelling to preserve it.

An epistolary novel about the power of stories sounds like torture to me, but somehow I loved it from the very first lines.

Just finished The Phoenix Pencil Company and really enjoyed it! I read it digitally and also listened to parts on audio—both formats were great. This is a cross-generational, dual-timeline story with some epistolary elements (which I always love when done well). It’s got family secrets, legacy, a little magical realism, and lots of heart. Magical realism isn’t always my thing, but here it worked—it wasn’t overdone and added a really thoughtful layer to the story. If you’re into multi-generational family sagas with some historical fiction woven in, definitely check this one out.

Thanks to @williammorrowbooks & @bookclubgirl I was able to read an ARC of The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King.

This multi-generational saga had everything I like:

*Magical Realism
*History
*Romance
*Complex Family Dynamics

I’m blown away that this was a debut novel and look forward to reading more by King as she’s sure to have a successful writing career.

The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King is easily in my top 5 books of this year. The story is absolutely moving and a beautiful mix of history and magic.
King does a lovely job weaving stories across generations and the importance, and perhaps weight, of family memory in shaping our own stories. I enjoyed watching Monica, one of the main characters, and the shift in the bond and relationship that she has with her grandparents that mean everything to her.
I knew some about the civil war in China, but learned so much more about the Japanese occupation, and migration of people to Taiwan that I did not really know before. King clearly did research and integrated the history into the narrative beautifully.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to review an Advanced Copy.