Blog Tour: The Last Fallen Star

 

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the THE LAST FALLEN STAR by Graci Kim Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About the Book:

Title: THE LAST FALLEN STAR

Author: Graci Kim

Pub. Date: May 4, 2021

Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 336

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, BandN, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Graci Kim's thrilling debut about an adopted Korean-American girl who discovers her heritage and her magic on a perilous journey to save her witch clan family.

"Graci Kim does such an amazing job of blending Korean mythology into the modern world, I am now wondering how I ever lived without knowing all this cool information."--New York Times #1 best-selling author Rick Riordan

Riley Oh can't wait to see her sister get initiated into the Gom clan, a powerful lineage of Korean healing witches their family has belonged to for generations. Her sister, Hattie, will earn her Gi bracelet and finally be able to cast spells without adult supervision. Although Riley is desperate to follow in her sister's footsteps when she herself turns thirteen, she's a saram--a person without magic. Riley was adopted, and despite having memorized every healing spell she's ever heard, she often feels like the odd one out in her family and the gifted community.

Then Hattie gets an idea: what if the two of them could cast a spell that would allow Riley to share Hattie's magic? Their sleuthing reveals a promising incantation in the family's old spell book, and the sisters decide to perform it at Hattie's initiation ceremony. If it works, no one will ever treat Riley as an outsider again. It's a perfect plan!

Until it isn't. When the sisters attempt to violate the laws of the Godrealm, Hattie's life ends up hanging in the balance, and to save her Riley has to fulfill an impossible task: find the last fallen star. But what even is the star, and how can she find it?

As Riley embarks on her search, she finds herself meeting fantastic creatures and collaborating with her worst enemies. And when she uncovers secrets that challenge everything she has been taught to believe, Riley must decide what it means to be a witch, what it means to be family, and what it really means to belong.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what happens next. I really loved the sister relationship and how close they were. I felt terrible for Riley as she was an outsider in most other areas of her life. But I admired her courage and determination. Of course I loved the moments in the library. I loved learning about the clans and the magic. Lots of moments of friendship. Lots of action, danger, and plot twists. SO happy there are two more books coming! 

Another winner for the Rick Riordan Presents publishing house - I'm so loving all these books!

 

About Graci:

Graci Kim is a Korean-Kiwi diplomat turned author who writes about the magic she wants to see in the world. The Last Fallen Star is her middle grade debut. In a previous life she used to be a cooking show host, and she once ran a business that turned children's drawings into plushies. When she's not lost in her imagination, you'll find Graci drinking flat whites, eating ramyeon, and most likely hugging a dog (or ideally, many). She lives in New Zealand with her husband and daughter. Follow her on Twitter @gracikim and Instagram @gracikimwrites.

 

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 

Giveaway Details: 

3 winners will win a finished copy of THE LAST FALLEN STAR, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the Tour

Week Five:

5/23/2021	Rajiv's Reviews	Review
5/24/2021	fictitious.fox	Review
5/25/2021	Emelie's Books	Review
5/26/2021	Eli to the nth	Review
5/27/2021	Popthebutterfly	Review
5/28/2021	Books and Zebras	Review
5/29/2021	YA Book Nerd	Review

Week Six:

5/30/2021	two points of interest	Review
5/31/2021	Lifestyle of Me	Review

Tween Tuesday Review: The Littlest Bigfoot

Alice isn't like other kids - she has a hard time fitting in wherever she goes. No one seems to like her, not even her parents. She's attempted school after school, but everything results in failure. More than ever, Alice wishes for a friend.

Her newest school seems strange, but also freeing. Alice finds herself a friend, one who's just as strange as she is and who is hiding a huge secret.  The two of them form a tight bond, but Alice's new friend is a yeti child and can't be seen in the human world.

Their bond of outsiders brings them close together until an incident captures Millie on camera. Unless the two of them can come up with a plan, Millie and her tribe will move and Alice will lose the only friend she's ever known.

My Thoughts: Honestly this book didn't grab me at the start, but I really liked it. I loved the book's message - to be who you are and to be proud of it. I love how both Millie and Alice were outsiders in their communities and how they found each other and formed a tight bond. I loved how Millie was obsessed with all things human. I liked how different the school was - but how they came together. I loved Alice learning how to cook. I liked the other girls and their quirks. A great middle grade debut for Jennifer Weiner that's perfect for discussion, readers needing to accept themselves, and those interested in bigfoot. 

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: Sent for review
Final Thoughts: A wonderful book about being yourself and owning it. Great for school and public libraries.