An arrow to the moon by Emily X.R. Pan

Luna Chang has a picture perfect life - loving parents, financial freedom, perfect grades. Enter Hunter Yee - financially challenged, struggling student, disgruntled family. The Yees and the Changs are enemies, a seemingly long forgotten wrongdoing has caused the two families to never see or speak of each other, ever since Hunter and Luna were young. But now Hunter attends the same high school as Luna, even rides the same bus as her - their paths are crossing everywhere. They even discover they have the same birthdate... Ever since the night they met and accidentally brushed hands, strange things have been happening in their hometown of Fairbridge. Fireflies flock to Luna, cracks appear in the earth, rivers run wild. Could it have anything to do with the stone the Hunter's father has tucked away for safety? And Hunter's family is running from something, or someone... And even though they know they aren't meant to have anything to do with the other, they can't help being drawn to each other...

Written from multiple character view points (including main characters, parents, siblings, and more), this urban fantasy myth novel jumps seamlessly from one perspective to the next. Essentially a Romeo and Juliet reinterpretation with romance, magic and Chinese mythology, readers will find the book has a unique feel, while still being relatable. Little bits of history are sprinkled into the book as a fun little taster of Chinese history, with many cultural aspects being included, including Chinese medicine. Fans of cultural books such as The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea by Axie Oh and Parachutes by Kelly Yang will find this an enjoyable read.

Themes: Fantasy, Culture, Enemies, Relationships, Secrets, Racism, Families, Romance.

Melanie Pages