Pahua and the Soul Stealer

 

My Thoughts:

This middle-grade friendly adventure/fantasy/mythology book is another great addition to the Rick Riordan presents series of books coming out from YA authors of color who are writing about their own culture and community. For Ms. Lee, she introduces us to Hmong mythology in this very exciting race to battle demons and save her younger brother. 

As the United States left Afghanistan this fall and images of hundreds of Americans and Afghans with American ties trying to get to the airport in Kabul inundated our television and computer news screens,  I thought of the images from the Vietnam war and the fast retreat of Americans in our history books. The Hmongs, similar to the Afghan translators,  fought and died next to American troops in the Vietnamese war. However, there was no exit strategy for them when the Americans left. A large number of Hmongs fled Laos to refugee camps in Thailand. Some of them made their way to the United States  and they have established large communities in states like Minnesota and Wisconsin. The summer Olympics in Tokyo featured gold medal gymnast Suni Lee, an American Hmong athlete out of St. Paul, Minnesota. In other words,  they have been in America for generations, yet I have not read much literature from their community, especially in YA. This story, then is both timely and fresh. Middle grade readers will get pulled in by the excitement and supernatural elements. They will root for Pahua as she has to face fears, face her weakness, and in the process find her strength.

If middle grade readers like this, they may like Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom by Sangu Mandanna, The Last Fallen Star by Graci Kim, or Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia next. 

From the Publisher:

Pahua Moua has a bit of a reputation for being a weirdo. A lonely eleven-year-old Hmong girl with the unique ability to see spirits, she spends her summer days babysitting her little brother and playing with her best friend, a cat spirit no one else can see.

One day Pahua accidentally untethers an angry spirit from the haunted bridge in her neighborhood--whoops. When her brother suddenly falls sick and can't be awoken, Pahua fears that the bridge spirit has stolen his soul. She returns to the scene of the crime with her aunt's old shaman tools, hoping to confront the spirit and demand her brother's return. Instead, she summons a demon.

Thankfully, a warrior shaman with a bit of an attitude problem shows up at the last minute and saves her butt. With the help of this guide, Pahua will have to find her way through the spirit worlds and rescue her brother's soul before it's too late. Little does she know she'll have her own discoveries to make along the way. . . .

With its unforgettable characters, unique nature-based magic system, breathtaking twists and reveals, and climactic boss battle, this story based on Hmong oral tradition offers everything a fantasy lover could want.