Starry River of the Sky

Starry River of the Sky. Grace Lin. (October 2012). 289p. New York: Little Brown and Company. 

Awards and Honors: not yet published

Review: 
After Rendi runs away from home and becomes stranded in the remote Village of Clear Sky, he begins to work at the town's lone inn. Rendi plans to hitch a ride out of town the first chance he gets, but when a beautiful and mysterious woman named Madame Chang arrives at the inn and begins telling stories of old, Rendi finds it harder and harder to leave the village and its unusual inhabitants. Lin slowly unwinds the story of each character while Madame Chang's stories intertwine with the various plots in the novel until what seem like a bunch of unrelated (however lovely) folktales end up being masterfully brought together with the book's various story lines as the reader advances through the novel. The book's mix of fantasy and folklore is enchanting and sure to appeal to younger tweens, particularly ones who enjoy legends and fables.

Opinion:
When I saw Grace Lin's newest book at the Little Brown booth at ALA Anaheim, I knew that I had to read it, and I was lucky enough to get the very last ARC (which was only found after the rep searched the booth high and low). Grace Lin's last novel Where the Mountain Meets the Moon was a magical read, made all the more lovely by her beautiful full-color illustrations, and Starry River of the Sky (while as yet missing its final illustrations) does not disappoint. The various story lines and unusual plotting may challenge some readers, however I think that this is a wonderful choice for younger tweens. I eagerly await the final version featuring Lin's sure-to-be stunning illustrations.

Ideas:
This book would make a nice addition to a Chinese New Year display, or could be part of a display on Chinese folklore.