Review by Booklist Review
Lee's latest novel is filled with magic, ukuleles, and a shop of oddities. Twelve-year-old Winston Chu lives with his mom and two sisters in San Francisco's Chinatown. He lost his dad a few years back to friendly fire in Iraq. On the third anniversary of his father's death, Winston saves Mr. Pang's Whimsies shop from being robbed and is allowed to choose one magical item in the store to take home. Winston accidentally picks an old broom and dustpan, much to his disappointment. But when things--and people--start disappearing from his home, Winston and his friends must find the truth behind Mr. Pang's shop and undo all the bad luck. Lee deftly weaves contemporary Chinatown and its cultural mythologies into the story. Winston's friends are racially diverse and fully formed characters who add to the fast-paced adventure. Ideal for fans of the mythological worlds of the Rick Riordan Presents imprint, including Roshani Chokshi's Aru Shah and the End of Time (2018) and J. C. Cervantes' The Storm Runner (2018).
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In contemporary San Francisco, 12-year-old Winston Chu seeks to remember his translator father, who died in a friendly fire incident while serving in Iraq. On the night before that event's third anniversary, Winston makes a shoofly pie in cooking class to honor him. But when the dropped pie startles two purported burglars outside of Mr. Pang's Whimsies--a local store that Winston's never before seen--the shop's mysterious owner invites him to choose one item for his own. Accidentally ending up with a disappointing old broom and dustpan, Winston is further dismayed to experience a string of mishaps, and learns that according to Chinese custom, broom-inhabiting spirits may cast bad luck when the object is improperly used. When multiple dear items, then loved ones, begin disappearing, Winston and his friends must unravel the mystery of the shop, the spirits, and the broom's seemingly targeted effect on Winston's life. Contemplating grief's lingering nature, Lee (Luck of the Titanic) plots a quickly paced, Chinese folklore--inspired story narrated by a sincere protagonist bolstered by loyal family and friends. Characters cue as racially diverse. Ages 8--12. Agent: Kristin Nelson, Nelson Literary. (Feb.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A Chinese American family becomes entangled in magical mischief. Eighth grader Winston Chu and his family are still processing the friendly fire death of his father who was serving in Iraq. On the eve of the third anniversary of losing his dad, Winston, along with trusted soccer mates Mav, Bijal, and Cassa, stumble across Mr. Pang's Whimsies, a store of magical knickknacks in San Francisco's Chinatown that Winston had never noticed before. Winston, armed with a pie, inadvertently helps Mr. Pang by scaring away some Hawaiian shirt--clad troublemakers, but he disappointingly ends up with just an old broom and dustpan as tokens of the shop owner's gratitude. What Winston does not know is that these objects are possessed by the spirits of the cloud weaver and the cowherd, star-crossed lovers from Chinese folklore. Things only get more complicated when Winston's younger sister, Coco, gets swapped with a changeling from the shop. The friends must figure out how to get her back using clues from Winston's family's beloved collection of traditional Chinese stories, Tales From the Middle Kingdom. Lee deftly crafts an adventure that strings together seemingly random clues only to have them fall satisfyingly into place in the end. Themes of friendship, grief, and family love are explored throughout. A few lingering questions hint at a sequel. Cassa reads White; Mav has some Senegalese ancestry, and Bijal's name cues him as South Asian. There's plenty of magic, healing, and love to enjoy on this roller-coaster ride. (Fantasy. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
