by Samantha White
Northwest Asia Weekly
“Zachary Ying and the Dragon King”
By Xiran Jay Zhao
Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2022
Zachary Ying knows very little about his Chinese ancestry. His single mom was too busy working to make ends meet to share anything, and he only learned about Western history and mythology in school (many of us can attest to this). So when the 12-year-old learns that he was born to carry the spirit of China’s first emperor — and must seal the leaky portal to the Chinese underworld before the impending ghost moon kicks in — he is pathetic. is unprepared.
Things went awry almost immediately when the First Emperor didn’t take possession of Zack’s body, but instead bound himself to Zack’s AR gaming headset. This leads the demon to capture Zac’s mother’s soul – making the mission even more urgent as he may lose her forever.
“Zachary Ying” is an adventure story about a boy who is constantly worried about the opinions of others and learns to let go and trust his own strength. As the book progresses, it’s been great to see Zack come back to himself, find his voice, and stand up for himself and others. This growing confidence comes from one of the most notorious tyrants in history providing nonstop commentary in his headset, as well as spending time with Simon and Melissa – two other children he joins on the mission , they are also two other children (appropriately combined) of famous emperors of China.
Part of what makes Zach so eager to fit in is that he not only comes from an immigrant background, but he is also Muslim and part of a minority in China. Additionally, his father was killed by the Chinese government for speaking out in the community. Zhao does a great job of balancing these facts with Chinese history and mythology, with an interesting story that keeps readers smiling throughout the book while wanting to learn more about these various characters, legends, and historical moments.
“Sister Blackwater”
Author: Zen Zhuo
Trump, 2021
Life could be better for Jessamyn Teoh. Out of the closet, bankrupt and unemployed, she is moving back to Malaysia with her parents – a country she hadn’t been to in years. Things go downhill from there when she starts hearing a new voice in her head and learns it’s the ghost of her estranged grandmother.
When Jesse’s grandmother was alive, she was a psychic medium for a deity called Sister Blackwater. Mamaw, now dead, is determined to settle accounts with a business magnate who offends God (and Mamaw, for various reasons), and she recruits Jesse (against her will) to help her. Trapped in a world full of gods, ghosts and family secrets, Jesse must figure out how to deal with a vengeful god, and perhaps an even more vengeful grandmother, who has committed crimes against snooping into Jesse’s private life and exploiting Jesse’s body. The crime is a felony without guilt. I’m really excited to see Jess get stronger and have more confidence in herself to gain more autonomy in her body and life – not just how it relates to the soul that owns her.
In any culture, life with family is complicated. And in “The Blackwater Sisters,” Cho shows how families become just as complex (if not more complex) in death. The relationship between Jess’ mother and Mamaw was strained, and the revelation Jess got when he learned why was both surprising and humorous (at least to me). When you strip out the supernatural, you get a story of three generations of women who are learning how to talk to each other – which I understand because mother-daughter relationships are complex, Asian or otherwise.
Throughout the story, Cho contains stories about various Chinese deities, some of which I know about, but most of which I don’t. I really enjoyed learning about the different gods and what they represent. I also appreciate how Cho humanized the deity with personalities and qualities that readers would recognize among their fellow human beings (I especially like how this deity doesn’t hesitate to share his thoughts on his offerings).
“Nuclear Family”
Joseph Han
Counterpoint, 2022
Things are going well for Mr. Zhao and Mrs. Zhao. They’re on the verge of fulfilling their dream of franchising their Korean lunch restaurant, Cho’s Delicatessen, all over Hawaii (Guy Fieri’s visit helped boost their popularity). Their daughter Grace is working for them while she is finishing her final year of college, and their son Jacob has just moved to Seoul to teach English.
Then a viral video shows Jacob trying unsuccessfully to cross North Korea’s Demilitarized Zone, with nothing to protect Chos from the consequences. Suspicion caused a drop in restaurant sales, and each member handled it differently. From Grace getting more and more stoned and her family in decline, to Mr. Cho’s rage at everyone worried that Jacob, who was detained by the South Korean government, would never be able to return home.
But what no one knows is that Jacob is possessed by the ghost of his lost maternal grandfather, and his desire is to cross the chasm and find his family in the North.
Jumping from the perspectives of different characters, “Nuclear Family” is set in the months before a nuclear missile false positive in 2018, and tells the story of a family confronting things they don’t know about each other and what they don’t know about themselves. Although so much The point of view is confusing at times, but I enjoy it. Reading about how different characters react and react to situations helps to better picture what’s going on throughout the book.
While Chos’ separation from Daniel is the main plot, Han also explores the separations the family has experienced over the decades and generations. This is a theme that many people – especially those with immigrant backgrounds – can understand. Han’s approach is heartfelt and sometimes funny – a reminder that there is beauty and light even in the darkest of times.
Samantha is available at info@nwasianweekly.com.
