Loved this! Fun, brisk, creative story that ties in Chinese mythology. Great voice, memorable, engaging.

SO FREAKING GOOD AND NON-STOP FUNNY. Genie is my latest fave. I love how into she is at being angry and ready to punch things all the time. Still cannot believe that plot twist but gaaah, I love it and so excited that there's going to be a sequel because after that ending, I NEED IT.

In the Chinese-American YA adventure, The Epic Crush of Genie Lo, author FC Yee blends college prep, teen angst, overbearing relatives, and mythological battles for a rollicking adventure. High-school student Genie and her annoying new classmate Quentin find themselves with surprising alternate identities, battling ancient supernatural enemies. The blend of myth and high school makes a fun and funny story.

A fantastic book based on East Asian history and culture. Completely different from any other book I've read before. Well written characters and an engaging plot with twists and turns will keep you reading.

YAS. YAAAAS.

I am always on the lookout for Asian, specifically East Asian, representation in YA. And boy did this represent. Accurate Asian American culture for the winnnn. This book was from the POV of an actual Asian character by an actual Asian guy written in a very relatable voice that displayed the unique fusion (exhibited currently by many teenagers and twenties people) of modern language and slang, along with nerdy big words and articulate, well-informed statements that I felt like I was reading about someone whom I might actually interact with on Twitter. It was relevant. It wasn't outdated. When I read this book, I felt like someone GOT the culture and that it wasn't someone who was trying to hard that actually didn't get it.

I was also really excited to see the legend of the Monkey King incorporated into the story, and in fact being the backbone of it. A big reason for my excitement was because, just recently, I learned for the first time about the Monkey King through the graphic novel American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang. This folklore was something that I missed out on almost completely when I was a kid for a few different reasons. One being my mom is nothing if not practical and no-nonsense and story-telling is not her forte (or one she wants to be her forte really). Two, she really has horrible memory for those things. Anyway, it was a gap that sorely needed filling and it was in this book in a very creative way.

The use of Chinese throughout the book was also so cool to read, because any time I read them I'm instantly transported to a time and feeling of my own home. I'm by no means bilingual, but I do live in a household where "Ma, ni ke bu keyi get the Sriracha sauce?" is a weird/cool Chinese/English mesh that happens. It was a new (amazing) experience to see that occur very similarly in The Epic Crush. 😊😊

Lastly, the characters themselves were very well-written. The banter between Genie and Quentin was so cute and engaging. The dialogue was lively, never boring. The new Chinese gods and goddesses brought such a fresh new twist to the normal gods and goddesses game. It was, I have to say again, AMAZING. 10/10 (or 5/5 as the Goodreads scale goes). The twists and turns of the plot, along with the new cultural elements and genuine, loveable characters made an amazing YA novel.

(Besides, who wouldn't want to read about the awkward attempts of a monkey king slash teenage boy, who is way to good looking for his own good, at hiding his monkey tail? ✋)

This was a lot of fun! I enjoyed the characters, their dynamics, and the overall plot a lot. I just didn't fall in love with the writing. I, however, do think that F.C. Yee has a lot of potential, and I'm probably going to pick up more of their books in the future.

Loved the diversity and characters but writing is kind of cringe.

A refreshing contemporary fantasy that packs Chinese folklore, some epic action, plenty of humor, and a bit of romance into an entertaining story that doesn't take itself too seriously and should leave you with a smile on your face ;-) Just plain fun!

Genie worries about what many teenagers do at 16 - getting good grades, getting into a good college, being a good friend - then one day a new guy lands on her desk proclaiming that he’s a god and that she belongs to him (seriously).Turns out this stranger truly is a god, the Monkey King from Chinese lore to be exact, and that he and Genie used to fight alongside each other in a past life. Genie initially receives this information just like anyone else would, with confusion and denial. Yet as she and Quentin, the Monkey King, are faced with more and more challenges, she begins to rise to the occasion, proving that she is indeed a fighter.

The plot thickens when Genie has to confront her own prejudices and insecurities about her parents and the judgment she perceives from her classmates as one of the tallest, least confident kids in class. Genie’s relationship with her mother is characterized by the usual mother-daughter misunderstandings, as an only child, Genie wishes that her mother had someone else to focus her attentions on; while Genie’s mother pushes her to live up to her best friend’s example. There are also some moments when Genie’s mother’s internalizes sexism and holds her daughter to gendered standards, such as when she suggests that Genie could be softer, shouldn’t be so tall, and goes out of her way to defend Quentin over her own daughter, despite only knowing him for a few hours. Genie and her mother lead a lower-middle class lifestyle in a suburb of San Francisco and Genie’s mother greatly admires people who are financially successful, like Quentin’s parents. This is understandable until Genie’s mom reveres their success to the point of pushing Genie to try to lock Quentin into marriage at 16! Thankfully, Genie is very good at holding onto her own morals and remains guarded against Quentin’s domineering ways and her mother’s ‘perfect daughter’ fantasies.

While her strong will is evident in her resistance to most of the societal constructs around relationships and marriage, Genie also holds some strange views on sexual accountability and wealth (or the lack of). The former is demonstrated when her mother allows Quentin to go up to her room before dinner with his parents and his mother catches him in a state of undress in front of Genie. Genie’s initial reaction is to feel as if she is at fault somehow (which admittedly, most girls are taught to feel in these situations). She’s shocked to see Quentin’s mother punish him for his behavior instead of her and openly apologize to both Genie and her mother for this act. Her understanding of how people should be treated because of their economic status is as skewed as you could expect from a teenager learning the ways of the world, being taught to revere people with money. We also learn later that the father that she often puts out of her mind and is reluctant to talk about is not dead or distant but rather is a low wage worker at a gym in San Francisco. Genie actually had a good relationship with her father until he lost his job in her hometown and her parents divorced. She could still have a great relationship with her father at this stage but she is too ashamed to see him often or even talk to her friends about him. In addition to this, Genie is obsessed with getting into an Ivy League school on the East Coast and travels to San Francisco almost weekly to meet with an admissions coach, yet still feels inadequate in comparison to wealthier, white peers. Most of this behavior is tied into what she and society consider success and her time with Quentin helps her to resolve some of these issues.

In fact, one of the themes that I liked most about the book was that power dynamics are scrutinized and reprocessed by Genie because of her observant and justice-seeking nature. After Quentin reveals his true identity as the Monkey King, Genie becomes curious about his mythology and is stricken by how unfairly he was treated by the other Chinese gods. When they begin to battle evil spirits she learns that they are able to level up in the same ways that she and gods can, by working out and building up their magical abilities. This observation is central to her growth personally and as a fighter because she learns to question traditions, gender roles, and power, which in turn leads her to become better at putting matters, like why she truly wishes to escape her small-town life, into perspective. These are lessons that young adults are prone to learn as they step into the world and build a sense of self. For these insights into the human condition and the mystery around her specials powers, I recommend this book for readers who are into learning the mythology of other cultures and questioning tradition and systemic oppression. In a world of prominent, woke teenagers, it’s refreshing to accompany one on her journey to woke-ness.

This is one of the most fun books I’ve read all year. Thank you to netgalley and Abrams Kids for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Genie is focussing on getting into college until the new kid in school, Quentin, starts telling her all these wild tales about how she's actually a powerful mythological entity. Of course Genie is very hesitant to believe him, but soon demons start popping up and she's pretty much forced to realise Quentin isn't lying.

The thing that really stood out about this book was how unapologetic it was about its Chinese influence. It’s entirely based on Chinese mythology so I think it’s the kind of book Chinese readers have been waiting for for a long time. But it never feels inaccessible, not that there’s anything wrong with books that are because some books are written specifically for people of a certain grouping to read and not for everyone and that’s ok, as a white reader who doesn’t really know much about Chinese mythology this was so easy to read. It was understandable and funny and explained background really well without feeling like as a reader I was being taught.

Genie is such a bomb character. She kicks butts of these hugely powerful demons between going to class and preparing for college.

Yes this book is a bit sill but that's the whole point. It never takes itself too seriously, I mean how serious can you get with kids fighting demons in their school uniforms. In that respect it reminded me a whole lot of Sailor Moon.

I loved that this was set in the Bay Area because it made some of the more ridiculous moments of the novel even funnier. You have the image of these school kids beating up huge demons all with this metropolitan American city by the sea as the backdrop.

If you haven't added this book to your TBR please do so because it's one of the better books I've read this year.

The Epic Crush of Genie Lo is the debut novel from author F.C Yee. 16-year old Genie Lo (Pei-Yi) is a Chinese-American girl who is driven to get into the best Ivy Leagues schools. Things become rather intriguing after she watches 6 men beat the hell out of a unknown boy who she tries to help by throwing her book bag at. A unknown boy who shows up at her school unblemished, and perfectly fine. A boy who calls himself Quentin Sun. A boy who is soon stalking Genie because he believes he knows who she really is.

According to Chinese Mythology, the Monkey King made a fateful journey to the West alongside his master Xuanzang, a monk in the Tang Dynasty, and his trusty weapon Ruyi Jingu Bang in exchange for his freedom. The author also imports yet another Chinese myth in the form of Bodhisattva Guanyin who really stands out. This story becomes something of a full pledged demon hunt after 100 demons escape from Chinese Hell known as Diyu. Most of them already have been defeated by the Monkey King. Now, the clock is ticking. Quentin and Genie must put aside their conflicts and join together to save not only her town, but California.

Not only does the author flip the script by creating a kickass female demon hunter, but he also writes Quentin as being small in stature, while Genie is tall for a female, which is bloody brilliant since it is absolutely amazing to finally have a character who is similair to me in height being a kick ass heroine in an action packed story. One of the more interesting twists in this story is Genie's anger issues. They give her what's called battle rage, or if you like, blood lust enough to do what needs to be done to save her town from a wild Demon invasion that seems unstoppable.

One of the highlights for me in this entire story is the Chinese Mythology that encapsulates every single character in this book. There is so much humor and crazy banter between Genie and Quentin that you can't help but giggle and laugh your butts off. Yes, Genie has a dry humor. Yes, Genie does have anger issues at times. But it is these anger issues that makes her such a kickass heroine. One that I look forward to following to the next installment in this series.

I don't want to give anything away, so here are my three favourite things about it...
I thought both main characters (Genie and Quentin) were well written - lots of sassy one-liners and excellent chemistry;
Diversity! It is always awesome to see characters of different backgrounds. This touches a bit on the academic/musical Asian student trope;
the world building and mythology was fantastic! Despite being a relatively short book I felt like all the details were there that I needed to imagine the world.
For some reason I always sort of split my YA into younger readers and other (since there could be a pretty big difference between something a 12 or 13 yr old might read/be ready to read, vs an 18 yr old) and I would be pretty comfortable with this sitting at the younger end of the scale (possibly even middle grade?).

The Buffy comparison rang pretty true for me, in terms of Genie being a kind of reluctant 'chosen one' heroine battling between the obligations that come along with that and her 'regular' life. Also, so pretty crazy 'big bads'. It also had shades of the Invisible Library (because alternate worlds, maybe?), and also Ms Marvel (the flawed teenage female superhero, figuring out that having 'powers' isn't quite what they expected).

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review

First off, I've lived in China for years now so this book seriously hit the spot wrangling in culture, mythology, religion, ancient history, and a story that every Chinese person I know loves: The Monkey King. But its happening in America with American born Chinese and with American attitude and jokes--all this adds more layers of culture, familiarity, fun, and adventure. Second, Yee's style was the perfect dichotomy of serious and hilarious, (mostly hilarious) reminding me of Guardian of the Galaxies story-telling style.

The premise, the voice, and the humor were the strongest part of the book. Often, the unfolding of the plot seemed to repeat, but the characters upheld their end of the deal.
On character: Genie Lo. From the first moment we see her try to stick up for this poor sucker getting beat up, we like her. She’s way too tall for a teen girl, which bothers her mom more than her. She’s intelligent, clever, dedicated, compassionate, and completely full of attitude. And this epic story does forget to add the girl who becomes a kick-A hero syndrome.

On Quentin. His dichotomy is perfect. He is genuine and arrogant. Weird and smart. Caring and annoying. Aggressive and patient. He is also a swoony Chinese boy, which we don’t see much of in YA. (PITY!)

On Asian YA/own voices: Both main characters were Asian! Yay! I’ve lived in Asia for more than 10 years. I have Asian family members, and some of my best friends growing up and now are Asian –needless to say, I loved reading yet another book with an Asian in the lead. There are not that many….yet! But that is happily changing.

On Voice: This is where this book is at. Here’s why–Yee’s voice surprises us with its Dichotomy. Not only does it make us laugh but it makes us think and spin in another direction in the same moment. It entertains us with jokes and serious history in the same line, with love and something gross or annoying, he adds romance and action and bloopers all in one. It’s very well done in that regard.

On Plot: It’s unique but not super complicated. And as expected we get to see lots of fight scenes.

On Pace: There are a few parts that slow down as Genie is learning or contemplating her new life but for the most part it moves pretty smoothly throughout.

On story: Yee took these famous Chinese Cultural, Mythological, Pious, serious characters and brought them into contemporary world, making them sassy, fallible, grumpy, comical, and totally teen-relatable. Kudos.

Review posted below on my link

I want to say that this story is a breath of fresh air, a hilarious one that’s full of wits and action-packed. I couldn’t put it down and found myself cracking up at 2am, I have no regrets.

The writing is straightforward and witty which keeps the book  interesting from start to finish even when not much is happening (and let’s be honest that scenario almost never happens here). I loved how strongly Genie’s voice showed through it, there were no artifices so I really felt like I was inside her head and witnessed every freakout, moment of strength and moment of weakness she went through and that made it so easy for me to connect with her and everything she was going through.

When I first read the premise I thought it held a lot of potential and I can tell you that the execution did not disappoint, it was absolutely amazing, very complex and detailed while still managing to be fairly simple and not confusing at all even for the ones of us who are not familiar with chinese folktale and more precisely Sun Wukong’s stories. The Epic Crush of Genie Lo is incredibly fast paced, it starts on a high note and keeps going up from there on, the fight scenes are really well written and thrilling while being extremely funny. F. C. Yee writes comical fight scenes, comical banter and comical everything, which is a huge plus in my book.

The fact that this story is a very fun and light fantasy allowed it to dupe me, as a reader I thought the author layed everything in front of me, I thought that I knew exactly what was happening and I just needed to watch it unfold, which I didn’t mind. But boy was I wrong. The story went down a path I did not expect and left me delightfully surprised.

Genie is the most refreshing character I’ve read in a while, she’s a tall (relatable) chinese-american girl who’s angry and impulsive and refuses to be tamed down, annd she honestly doesn’t even know how to. She’s honest and confrontational and doesn’t mind speaking up her mind which in my opinion is directly link to her impulsiveness (relatable as well). She’s also not gullable, it took Quentin a few tries and lots of proof to convince her of her true identity.

There are three things that I absolutely adored. 1/ How her strength seemed to be directly linked to her anger, the less she tried to contain that anger, the stronger her strikes were. 2/ She was more scared of her mom, missing curfew, seeing that some things don’t add up etc… than she was of demons. And last but not least, and this is my favorite thing, 3/ Her double life was affecting her school work which is the most normal thing but seems to be missing from most fantasies, she needs to stay up later than usual, she misses classes etc.

Quentin is such a funny character. He’s short and strickingly handsome, he’s witty and sarcastic and most of the time infuriating either because of his cockiness or his sheer lack of boundaries (in the beginning, which he gets punched for and learns his lesson) but the fact is you can’t help loving him because he’s very endearing for a gazillion year old warrior. I loved the team that they made, they completed each other and were in perfect sink during fights which if you read the book makes sense and if you haven’t I’m not telling you, because spoilers. Their banter is fun and snarky.

The only criticism I have is that the way the romance was hinted to was a bit awkward. Don’t get me wrong I ship it, the chemistry is obvious and I’m all for it, but some little bits and pisses that came before felt a bit off to me.

All in all, everyone needs to pick this book up ASAP. You clearly need Genie and Quentin to grace your life with their witiness and hilarious interactions.

All right, so, I’m going to come out and say this right at the beginning: The Epic Crush of Genie Lo is probably going to make our Top Ten Books of 2017 list. Ever since I first heard about this book I couldn’t wait to read it. Now that I have, I’m just that much more excited for basically everyone else to read it, too. I want everyone to know that up front because there are just so many things I want to say about this book -and yet I don’t want to spoil anything.

There is a pretty major reveal that happens fairly early on in The Epic Crush of Genie Lo. It has a huge effect on the book’s main character and basically sets up the plot of the whole book – plus it helps frame some of the more important character relationships. So I’m going to try and avoid talking about too much about all of that in this review.

This is a book that you really need to read for yourself. And once you start you won’t be able to stop! It’s just that great of a read.

The Epic Crush of Genie Lo follows a Chinese-American girl named Genie Lo as she comes up close and personal with the legends and folklore of her family’s native China. She discovers that she has inherited strange, supernatural powers as well as a destiny far from the one she would have chosen. Genie would much rather have a future attending some Ivy League school rather than one fighting demons straight from Chinese lore. But with the help of a mysterious boy named Quentin she learns to use those powers to defeat them.

All while trying to keep her normal life together, I might add.

I love Genie as a character. She’s just such an amazingly kick-ass heroine — and she’s one of the most relatable characters I’ve come across in young adult fiction in a long while. She’s a very determined individual and though she’s faced with some truly outrageous, supernatural challenges she always overcomes. She’s also headstrong. And she’s hard on herself — even when as readers we know that juggling sports, school, and demon hunting is a lot!

The relationships throughout the book are great, too. While this book focuses primarily on her and Quentin (and don’t get me wrong – their dynamics are awesome) I found a lot of her other relationships just as compelling. Her home life isn’t perfect and while she loves her parents, her relationships with both certainly have their own unique quirks. And I love how her and her best friend, Yunie, are together.

But, yes, she and Quentin are pretty great and I love how their relationship develops over the course of the book. Things aren’t rushed. They certainly take their time getting from point A to point B — but how can you not love a little bickering and teasing along the way? But if romance isn’t your thing don’t worry. You can still enjoy this book. I’m not a huge romance fan and the book focuses more on Genie and the demonic activity most of the time. So while it says ‘Epic Crush’ don’t let that discourage you from reading!

Now, as far as the plot goes, the book owes a lot to the classic Chinese folktales about Sun Wukong – the Monkey King. If you’re not familiar with the story don’t worry. Debut author F.C. Yee does an amazing job of not just explaining it to readers but having Genie Lo herself explain it. Readers who may already be familiar with the story will appreciate her ‘CliffsNotes’ versions of the stories. Meanwhile readers who may not have heard the story before will likely find themselves eagerly looking to learn more. I can only hope that this book inspired readers – especially younger ones – to get interested in Chinese folklore and mythology in a way that the Rick Riordan books have encouraged kids to look into Greek and Roman mythology.

All in all, The Epic Crush of Genie Lo is a great book with a fantastic, kick-ass heroine. If you’re looking for a fun read full of excitement and adventure this is the book for you. Also, according to the author there’s a sequel in the works! (So get excited, people.)

DISCLOSURE: A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. The review was published as part of a book tour promoted by Rockstar Books.

"I've seen people come and go over the ages," said Quentin. "And rarely, very rarely, I see them come back."

* * *
3 / 5

The Epic Crush of Genie Lo was a riot. It was inventive, funny, and based in Chinese folklore and a legend I was entirely unfamiliar with. Featuring Genie Lo, an ancient reincarnated spirit in the form of a sixteen year old American girl, struggling to prepare to get into Ivy League schools whilst the demons of hell are intent on destroying her life. Oh, and there's this totally crazy boy, Quentin Sun, a new transfer student who's calling himself the Monkey King. What the heck is that all about?

"I have no illusions as to why I've been on varsity volleyball since I was a freshman. It's because I'm tall. Ridiculously tall. Grossly tall. Monstrously tall"

Genie Lo is a normal girl (if a little too tall for her mother's liking) until, one day, she sees a boy being badly beaten up in an alleyway. After making a police report, that very same boy swaggers into her classroom as a new transfer student with not a scratch on him: Quentin Sun. He's brassy, cocky, and his English is very slightly off and he's exceptionally keen to get close to Genie. Weirdly so. But that's not as weird as the demons that pop up and then the goddess, because hold on readers, Genie's life is about to get weird.

The book is very Young Adult, with a sassy and unashamedly violent heroine, a romance you've seen coming from miles away, and a mysterious boy who's eyes literally sparkle, but it's also self-aware which stops it being a cliche mess. Instead it's funny. What makes The Epic Crush of Genie Lo stand out from other "teenager discovers that they're actually a super-powerful being" books is the mythology: it's very heavily based on the legend of Sun Wukong, which the book helpfully explains to those, like me, who are very ignorant of Chinese folklore.

"He was prodding a corpse. My soul had left my body a long time ago. It had flown to the top of Mount Can't Even, planted it's flag, and dissipated into the stratosphere"

For the first half of the book, I really enjoyed it. I laughed and flipped pages avidly. But as I neared the end my interest waned; the plot twist was unsurprising, the characters fell into being a bit cliche, and there were a few loose ends, like Genie's close friend Yunie and her classmate, which were left hanging around. I felt like the pacing was off as the story fell into a typical "hunt down x many demons and save the world" sort of plot, one that I've read many times before.

This book is an awesome retelling of a myth I had never heard of and I really think it did an amazing job of integrating Chinese culture. Most of the time, it was a great laugh! At times, however, the writing felt a bit too young than the age I believe it was aiming at and the plot moved too slowly. I do really recommend this book to those that love mythological retellings!

My favorite thing about The Epic Crush of Genie Lo is how hilariously funny it was. Genie’s a smart, snarky Bay Area high school sophomore suddenly faced with a dangerous alternate reality of that she’s not sure she wants to – or has time to – be part of. (Of course, she doesn’t have any choice!) Her commentary on everything, from school to her parents to her new reality as a demon slayer, had me laughing the whole way through.

I’m not at all familiar with Chinese folklore but loved learning more about it and was happy to have a change from the usual Western mythology/cosmology. And I loved that The Epic Crush of Genie Lo reminded me a lot of early Buffy the Vampire Slayer – the snark, the high school setting, the demons.

There was no romance to speak of in this, and I think some of the personal relationships in this could have been developed a little more. The ending suggests that there could be more books to come, so hopefully there will be time for all that.

Definitely recommend if you love funny, action-packed stories!

If you are feeling down, the Epic Crush of Genie Lo is the perfect laugh out loud, roller coaster adventure. We follow a driven and cranky Genie, a young girl with her eyes on the Ivy League prize. She doesn't let hot guys that drop from the sky, grouchy gods or a heavy work load stand in her way! Fun, and fresh and peppered with nuggets of Chinese mythology, the Epic Crush of Genie Lo is a great addition to the YA genre.