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

GoodReads Summary:
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.
Review:
Can I just call this Percy Jackson but with Asian mythology? Because that’s what it was except definitely for a bit older age range. They definitely swear and I loved it. This story was so much fun. I absolutely adored the mythology and learning more about Asian myths that I’m not familiar with. I also loved the modern setting and how these mythological figures were integrated into today’s world. The story was fast-paced and exciting. It was full of action, but not overtaken by it. There were scenes about college coaching and things like that which I thought was a nice contrast from the action and adventure.
I really liked Genie. She was honestly just really funny. She struggled to balance her regular life with her new godly (I’m not sure that’s the right word, but that’s what we’re going with) abilities and responsibilities. She steps up and helps when she thinks she should and stands up for her beliefs (even against actual gods and goddesses) when she thinks they’re wrong. I completely loved her.
Overall, I think this is a book that people should be talking about. I’d never heard of it until the author was announced to be at a book event I’m going to this year. I’m so glad I found it because it was just genuinely fun to listen to.
Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.