The Epic Crush of Genie Lo has the Monkey King, Chinese Mythology in Modern Day San Fransisco

When this first released there was a blog tour and the original, ugly cover made me pass on the book. A choice I regretted once ARC reviews started rolling out. It makes sense then that this made my TBR for the next year. I’m a total Fangirl for Asian mythology and The Epic Crush of Genie Lo redevelops the very popular story of the monkey king.

Did The Epic Crush of Genie Lo pulverize this Asian Fangirl?

To be honest I have a love hate thing going on with Genie Lo. She is certainly a modern girl and its mostly her way or the highway. I’m not this sort of person so it was hard to relate to Genie. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t hate her but she certainly read as a true blue teenager. I think some readers were turned off by how realistic Genie Lo really is to how teenagers talk and act. In the end I found this to be a positive rather than a negative, and I found myself crushing on The Epic Crush of Genie Lo.

My epic crush on the Chinese Mythology.

This was the best part of the story. I totally felt it was so natural and realistic how the mythology slammed into modern times… I loved meeting a goddess and all the demons. There was this lovely fusion of modern language with all the pertinent teenager slang mixed with Chinese philosophy stated in an articulate yet simple way. It totally hooked me!

My epic crush on Quentin, the monkey king.

I loved this hot little monkey and the epicly embarrassing things he’d say about him and Genie Lo. At one point I was like ‘oh no this is total crap’ but it was a neat and natural bit of conflict… because Genie and Quentin together are just hilarious. Their banter makes you totally ship them and want them to work it out. Quentin obviously knows what a partnership looks like and walks the walk.

My epic crush on Genie’s supernatural abilities.

I loved how understanding who she is and what she’s capable of wasn’t enough to be able to do it. Genie had to work at it and the battles were key. They showcased different aspects of herself to Genie and helped her to become the being Quentin already knew her to be. The revelation of these abilities are quite fun and kept me reading.

My epic crush on Genie Lo’s San Fransisco.

For a paranormal book world building can appear quite easy to develop. It’s set in the world we already know and love, a writer simply has to showcase the differences in the world due to the paranormal elements. That’s a lot harder than you’d think.

First, ground the mythological elements in mundane details.

Where I really connected to the story was Genie’s Chinese background. Her parents, her college entrance essays, the culture and her friendships. I identified with her discontent at the racism she experiences. Many don’t see Asians as POC. Genie highlights there are other forms of prejudice and I appreciate seeing that here. I really enjoyed how these details worked together to make the paranormal elements believable and the way Genie related to them as a Chinese American girl.

Next, show how the paranormal impacts those mundane details.

It became easier to sympathize with Genie because effort was made to show us how the mundane things were changing due to the new things in her life. Yunie and their friendship was a big aspect of that. We know they’re friends and we see them slowly drift apart because of the new thing in Genie Lo’s life. This frequently happens at this point of any teens life. Friendship takes effort and Genie Lo reminded us of that.

Finally, showcase specific ways the paranormal works in the world.

It’s important that the paranormal aspects mesh with the real world in concrete ways and this was where the world building really excelled.

• Meeting representatives from both sides of the Chinese Mythology was important to cement the gods and goddesses of heaven vs. the hellspawn and demons of hell. Giving us specific allies and naming the villains helped us visualize both sides.
• Rearranging the details of the monkey king story to spring surprisingly details and unexpected twists was smart. It took elements of Chinese culture that we know and kept Genie’s story fresh and unique.
• Adding in a vital need to battle the demons of hell, grow closer to Quentin and learn to understand her own special characteristics gave the story motivation. Making the revelations about a Genie pop.

There is much to love in The Epic Crush of Genie Lo. Mythology, culture, epic battles and fun twists. Genie Lo though is the key… if you hate her then this won’t be enjoyable to you because its totally about her growth as a person, as being more than a regular Asian girl trying to get into Harvard.

The Epic Crush of Genie Lo is a fun, modern take on Chinese Mythology, particularly that of the Monkey King! It expertly weaves philosophy, teenage concerns, humor and saving the world into a mad romp through San Fransisco… Genie Lo is a teenager you’ll root for as she takes each step along her journey.

4⋆ FOR ADULT READERS, 5⋆ FOR TEEN READERS.