GIRL GIANT AND THE JADE WAR

The Monkey King has escaped, heaven is in shambles, and it might all be Thom’s fault.

Eleven-year-old Thom Ngho has come a long way, both figuratively and literally, from hiding her superstrength and evading bullies. She now knows about her divine heritage, has explored the heavens, met gods and immortals, and made friends with the Monkey King himself—that is, until he betrayed her and turned her mother into a cricket. After unwittingly helping the Monkey King take control of the heavens, Thom is on the run along with her dragon friend and a fox demon with secrets of her own. The three plan to make things right, and if that means getting back at the Monkey King, all the better. Thom’s journey takes her from one immortal to another and from the demons’ island to Vietnam while she grapples with the lines between right and wrong and friends and enemies. This sequel to Girl Giant and the Monkey King (2020) zips between obstacles with a greater emphasis on mythological elements and less exploration of Thom’s Vietnamese American identity than in the first book. The narrative explores the complicated relationship between Thom and the Monkey King and how it affects her other relationships as well as her own perceptions of herself, her self-worth, and her self-confidence.

A romp through Vietnamese myth and legend featuring complex characters and questions without easy answers.