I loved this book. It was a relief from the other, darker books I read. Even if it's younger grade, I enjoyed the characters and really felt like I connected with them. Xiang is feisty and strong, and I loved following along with her journey.
I love typical adventure stories, with a pirate map marked with a big red X that you have to follow to the treasure at the end. This follows this trope, but it adds so much depth. The culture is based off of 19th century China, something that isn't seen in enough books. It was rich and opened my eyes to a culture I knew little about previously. It also provides little girls with a new hero to look up to.
One thing this book struggled with a little was the pacing. I felt like the first bit was just a build-up, so it was a little difficult to keep pushing through, but once we get through the build-up and into the action, it was absolutely amazing!
I love typical adventure stories, with a pirate map marked with a big red X that you have to follow to the treasure at the end. This follows this trope, but it adds so much depth. The culture is based off of 19th century China, something that isn't seen in enough books. It was rich and opened my eyes to a culture I knew little about previously. It also provides little girls with a new hero to look up to.
One thing this book struggled with a little was the pacing. I felt like the first bit was just a build-up, so it was a little difficult to keep pushing through, but once we get through the build-up and into the action, it was absolutely amazing!