Shelf Awareness--An Arrow to the Moon

PB Review: An Arrow to the Moon

An Arrow to the Moon by Emily X.R. Pan (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 400p., ages 12-up, 9780316464055)

An Arrow to the Moon is an incandescent YA retelling of Romeo and Juliet infused with Chinese mythology. Emily X.R. Pan's singular storytelling makes this fantasy distinctive and romantic.

Luna Chang's parents consider her a blessing, though lately Luna feels crushed by their expectations. Hunter Yee is "a wayward star, shooting in the wrong direction," whose angry parents, on the run from some scary "random dude," are always finding fault with him. The two sets of parents despise each other but when Luna and Hunter meet, Luna immediately has the "magnetic and bizarre" feeling that they're being pulled together; Hunter forgets to breathe. The teens feel at peace together even as the ground splits open and a mysterious crack begins to snake through Fairbridge, their otherwise nondescript town. As the cracks multiply, Luna and Hunter realize they may have set something ancient into motion. When an old associate of Hunter's parents arrives on the scene, the danger escalates: Hunter's parents need to disappear once again, time feels as if it's "coming to an end" and the entire world seems filled with "wrongness." Luna and Hunter reluctantly begin trying to understand the phenomenon, fearing they may be the only ones who can fix it.

In this reinterpretation, Pan (The Astonishing Color of After) perfectly blends Shakespearean tragedy with traditional Chinese myths about a girl who guards the moon and a "boy who made the stars fly." Vivid imagery infuses her tale with an otherworldly magic, even as her characters seem grounded in their present-day, suburban town. Fantasy lovers should adore this enchanting novel. --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger, and children's book author.

Discover: This luminous, romantic tale of young love is a Chinese mythology-influenced Romeo and Juliet set in a mundane suburban town.