A tough, self-disciplined Chinese-American teen deals with the supernatural derailing of her college-prep activities in this speculative fiction novel that draws on the folklore of the Chinese Monkey King. In a dry, wickedly funny, first-person voice, overachiever Genie Lo easily brings readers into her corner as she puzzles with irritation over the behavior of gorgeous, goofy Quentin, newly arrived from China, who presents himself as a new student at her school and seems to think he knows her. As his story—and subsequently hers—reveals itself, it will surprise no one that the two have an extensive history together, though her actual relationship to him is a clever and fascinating detail. Genie gradually warms to him in a true-to-type romantic comedy that is filled with witty banter and valiant attempts by Genie to resist their attraction. Genie's poignantly rendered immediate family history and incisive observations about her mostly Asian classmates and community balance the plentiful action in the battles she and Quentin undertake against a plethora of ferocious, eerily described yaoguai. Readers unfamiliar with the story of the Monkey King are easily brought up to speed early on, and the contemporary setting provides plenty of comedic juxtaposition. An exciting, engaging, and humorous debut that will appeal widely, this wraps up neatly enough but leaves an opening for further installments—here's hoping. (Fantasy. 13-18)

Gr 7 Up-enie Lo lives in Silicon Valley, but not the nice part. All she wants is to get into the Ivy League so she can escape. But then Quentin, the weird new kid at school, tells her that he's really the Monkey King and she is the human reincarnation of his weapon, the Ruyi Jingu Bang. In response, she punches him the face. Unfortunately for both of them, 108 demons have escaped from hell, and they need to track them down to save the world. Genie needs a crash course not only in demon fighting, but also in Chinese mythologyshe has never read Journey to the West or seen one of the myriad movies. With the occasional helping hand from Guanyin and Erlang Shen, this rollicking page-turning adventure delivers action coupled with laughter. Genie's not the first girl who has to balance school, family, and friends with averting the apocalypse, but her biting humor make her first-person narration a stand-out. A Chinese American girl who was angry and strong before being saddled with the fate of the world, Genie's perspective on the strange turn her life has taken will have readers laughing out loud. Luckily, while the ending brings the story to a satisfying close, it does leave room for a sequelreaders will be demanding more Genie long before they turn the last page. VERDICT Hilarious and action-packed, this fantastically executed tale of the Monkey King in modern-day California introduces a great new character in Genie Lo.Jennifer Rothschild, Arlington County Public Libraries, VA

When the Monkey King from Chinese folklore--disguised as new kid Quentin--arrives in Genie Lo's life, it marks Genie's entry into a world of magic and fantasy layered on top of her everyday world. The two must join forces to defeat ancient Chinese demons. Fish-out-of-water Quentin and sassy Genie are familiar characters, but their dynamic makes for entertaining comic sequences between the action.

A tough, self-disciplined Chinese-American teen deals with the supernatural derailing of her college-prep activities in this speculative fiction novel that draws on the folklore of the Chinese Monkey King. In a dry, wickedly funny, first-person voice, overachiever Genie Lo easily brings readers into her corner as she puzzles with irritation over the behavior of gorgeous, goofy Quentin, newly arrived from China, who presents himself as a new student at her school and seems to think he knows her. As his story—and subsequently hers—reveals itself, it will surprise no one that the two have an extensive history together, though her actual relationship to him is a clever and fascinating detail. Genie gradually warms to him in a true-to-type romantic comedy that is filled with witty banter and valiant attempts by Genie to resist their attraction. Genie's poignantly rendered immediate family history and incisive observations about her mostly Asian classmates and community balance the plentiful action in the battles she and Quentin undertake against a plethora of ferocious, eerily described yaoguai. Readers unfamiliar with the story of the Monkey King are easily brought up to speed early on, and the contemporary setting provides plenty of comedic juxtaposition. An exciting, engaging, and humorous debut that will appeal widely, this wraps up neatly enough but leaves an opening for further installments—here's hoping. (Fantasy. 13-18)

When Eugenia -Genie- Lo, a 16-year-old Chinese-American overachiever, discovers that she-s the reincarnation of the Monkey King-s legendary weapon, the Ruyi Jingu Bang, it throws her carefully ordered life into upheaval. It turns out that there has been a massive jailbreak from Diyu, the Chinese hell, and only Genie has the power to defeat the escaped demons. Charged by the goddess Guanyin to work with Quentin Sun, the annoying (yet alluring) teenage manifestation of the Monkey King, Genie has to master her newfound powers and return dozens of demons to Diyu, while still making time for her best friend and staying on top of homework-too bad Harvard doesn-t offer scholarships for fighting evil. In this dazzlingly fun debut, Yee mixes humor, Chinese folklore, and action to deliver a rousing, irreverent adventure packed with sharp-edged banter. Genie is resourceful and ferocious as she juggles her tyrannically strict mother-s demands while holding the fate of the world in her hands, and her fiery love-hate relationship with Quentin steals the show. Ages 13-up. Agent: Stephen Barr, Writers House. (Aug.)

When the new kid, Quentin, announces that Genie Lo belongs to him, she discovers he is Sun Wukong, or the mythical Monkey King, and that she is the reincarnated golden staff, Ruyi Jingu Bang. Without her, Quentin cannot defeat the hordes of demons that have escaped from the underworld. Genie, whose only worry was crafting stellar admissions essays, now finds that she is in the middle of a battle to save humanity. As her powers to extend her limbs and to see for great distances develop, life as a demon hunter becomes tricky. Since failure would mean the annihilation of all she loves, it is imperative that she faces down the gods and escaped demons as she battles at the Monkey King’s side. She must learn to use all her strength and powers to avoid failure.
Pulling ancient mythology into the modern world, much like Riordan, Pon, Oh, and Childs, and combining it with the demon-hunter epics of Clare, Oliver, and Goodman, Yee ensures his book will find a solid fan base from among readers of its popular competitors. By juxtaposing Quentin’s ancient wisdom with Genie’s high school worries, and adding mystifying demons and gods from the Chinese pantheon, Yee builds a world filled with characters that carry the page-turning plot. The subtle theme of the use of power is common to many hero tales. This recognizable theme presented in a distinctive way, combined with Yee’s vivid action scenes that take place in a familiar setting, will send readers searching for more tales about Sun Wukong, both old and new. This is a highly recommended purchase for libraries serving young adult readers.—Rachel Wadham.