Old Hollywood and the Monsters Within It

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Pub date: 5/10/22
Genre: fantasy
In one sentence: Chinese-American Luli Wei wants to be a star - but Old Hollywood is full of monsters she'll have to evade.

This is my first book by Nghi Vo, and I can see why she has so many devoted fans! I loved the magical touches she added to pre-Code Hollywood, creating a mystical and dangerous environment for protagonist Luli. Her beautiful writing found an excellent match in narrator Natalie Naudus - I loved how she captured the rhythm of the text and Luli's voice.

I struggled a bit with this one because I wanted more - more connection to Luli, more plot, more emotion. It was a good book, but it didn't quite transport me the way I hoped. I applaud Vo's creativity, and I will likely pick up another of her books. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing an ALC and Tor/Forge for my ARC through BookishFirst.