monday minis: the epic crush of genie lo & the final six

The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee

She annihilates standardized tests and the bad guys.

Genie Lo is one among droves of Ivy-hopeful overachievers in her sleepy Bay Area suburb. You know, the type who wins. When she’s not crushing it at volleyball or hitting the books, Genie is typically working on how to crack the elusive Harvard entry code.

But when her hometown comes under siege from hellspawn straight out of Chinese folklore, her priorities are dramatically rearranged. Enter Quentin Sun, a mysterious new kid in class who becomes Genie’s self-appointed guide to battling demons. While Genie knows Quentin only as an attractive transfer student with an oddly formal command of the English language, in another reality he is Sun Wukong, the mythological Monkey King incarnate—right down to the furry tale and penchant for peaches.

Suddenly, acing the SATs is the least of Genie’s worries. The fates of her friends, family, and the entire Bay Area all depend on her summoning an inner power that Quentin assures her is strong enough to level the very gates of Heaven. But every second Genie spends tapping into the secret of her true nature is a second in which the lives of her loved ones hang in the balance. ~ Goodreads

Source: Library

My thoughts:  Chinese mythology, demons, action packed and filled with humor and a relatable protagonist – The Epic Crush of Genie Lo was a fun, fresh take on the *chosen one* trope. Don’t let the title fool you – “crush” in the title isn’t used in the traditional romantic sense. I won't spoil what it does refer to.

My one little nitpick – there were several interesting side characters that felt like they were going to be central tot eh story but kind of vanished midway through the story but I see there is a sequel coming so hopefully that will be fleshed out more.



The Final Six (The Final Six #1) by Alexander Monir

When Leo, an Italian championship swimmer, and Naomi, a science genius from California, are two of the twenty-four teens drafted into the International Space Training Camp, their lives are forever altered. After erratic climate change has made Earth a dangerous place to live, the fate of the population rests on the shoulders of the final six who will be scouting a new planet. Intense training, global scrutiny, and cutthroat opponents are only a few of the hurdles the contestants must endure in this competition.

For Leo, the prospect of traveling to Europa—Jupiter’s moon—to help resettle humankind is just the sense of purpose he’s been yearning for since losing his entire family in the flooding of Rome. Naomi, after learning of a similar space mission that mysteriously failed, suspects the ISTC isn’t being up front with them about what’s at risk.

As the race to the final six advances, the tests get more challenging—even deadly. With pressure mounting, Naomi finds an unexpected friend in Leo, and the two grow closer with each mind-boggling experience they encounter. But it’s only when the finalists become fewer and their destinies grow nearer that the two can fathom the full weight of everything at stake: the world, the stars, and their lives. ~ Goodreads

Source: Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

My thoughts: The Final Six was….fine. There is a diverse cast of characters with a cool premise. Climate change is making earth uninhabitable and humans need to find a way to live on another planet before it’s too late. 24 teens from all over the world are sent to compete for 6 slots to make the voyage to settle and repopulate a new planet for humans.

If you have ever read a YA dystopian novel about government secrets, experimentation, teens competing against each other in cutthroat training montages - then this doesn’t cover any new territory. It felt very paint by numbers and predictable. Despite the outer space premise, this book takes place entirely on earth.

Having said that, the book ends on a cliffhanger that promises a much more excting sequel.