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Winnie Zeng #3
Winnie Zeng Shatters the Universe
In the third book of this epic fantasy series, kids from around the world are summoned to compete at the magical Shaman Youth Tournament! But with all the young shamans away, who will defend the human realm from evil spirits?
"A hilarious tussle between homework, family, and heroism." —Kwame Mbalia, #1 New York Times bestselling author
If awards were handed out for multitasking, then Winnie Zeng would come in first place. Between evil spirits and middle school—boy, does she have her hands full. And ordinarily, winter break couldn't come soon enough, but this year marks the return of the Shaman Youth Tournament, where shamans from around the world battle for the title of champion!
When Winnie and her archnemesis, David, are invited to participate, they are quickly trained for their toughest battles yet. But when some of the tournament contestants start acting a little stranger—and a lot stronger—than normal, it’s clear that something’s up.
Soon, it becomes clear that the spirit breakouts in Winnie’s hometown were just the beginning of something larger than any one shaman can tackle. With evil spirits threatening to pour from the spirit realm into the human world, it’s up to all the shamans to take on this mission. It may be the last mission they ever undertake. . . .
"A hilarious tussle between homework, family, and heroism." —Kwame Mbalia, #1 New York Times bestselling author
If awards were handed out for multitasking, then Winnie Zeng would come in first place. Between evil spirits and middle school—boy, does she have her hands full. And ordinarily, winter break couldn't come soon enough, but this year marks the return of the Shaman Youth Tournament, where shamans from around the world battle for the title of champion!
When Winnie and her archnemesis, David, are invited to participate, they are quickly trained for their toughest battles yet. But when some of the tournament contestants start acting a little stranger—and a lot stronger—than normal, it’s clear that something’s up.
Soon, it becomes clear that the spirit breakouts in Winnie’s hometown were just the beginning of something larger than any one shaman can tackle. With evil spirits threatening to pour from the spirit realm into the human world, it’s up to all the shamans to take on this mission. It may be the last mission they ever undertake. . . .
288 pages, Paperback
First published April 30, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 23, 2024
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was, sadly, the last book in this series and my very favorite. I really loved this entire series and this book. I love the main character, Winnie, and how she always somehow gets into shenanigans. She's funny and smart and fun. I also enjoyed the plot a lot. Shaman camp?? Yes. With a tournament? Double yes. And trouble is brewing??? Triple yes.
So, yes, this entire series was a lot of fun, I really liked the magic system and all the characters. I wish it had even more books!
This was, sadly, the last book in this series and my very favorite. I really loved this entire series and this book. I love the main character, Winnie, and how she always somehow gets into shenanigans. She's funny and smart and fun. I also enjoyed the plot a lot. Shaman camp?? Yes. With a tournament? Double yes. And trouble is brewing??? Triple yes.
So, yes, this entire series was a lot of fun, I really liked the magic system and all the characters. I wish it had even more books!
December 26, 2024
By far, my favorite book within the Winnie Zeng series.
In this book, Winnie competes in the Youth Shaman Tournament and as I was reading, it reminded me of a youth version of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (with one major difference: the Goblet of Fire had multiple events of varying skillsets while the Shaman Tournment featured more of a Karate Kid/Cobra Kai style of tournament).
In the previous Winnie Zeng books, I was able to figure out the plots and see the twists and turns occurred long before they were mentioned. However, this book offered more surprising twists; some I did see coming and others that I misinterpreted until the reveal grew much closer.
In this book, Winnie competes in the Youth Shaman Tournament and as I was reading, it reminded me of a youth version of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (with one major difference: the Goblet of Fire had multiple events of varying skillsets while the Shaman Tournment featured more of a Karate Kid/Cobra Kai style of tournament).
In the previous Winnie Zeng books, I was able to figure out the plots and see the twists and turns occurred long before they were mentioned. However, this book offered more surprising twists; some I did see coming and others that I misinterpreted until the reveal grew much closer.
Read
December 22, 2023tl;dr
The perfect conclusion to the previous two books, packed with action and adventure. And cookies!
Thoughts
Winnie's back for her third adventure, and she's better than ever! Literally. Winnie's been working hard to become a better shaman, and it shows. I spent the first book disappointed that she gave up so easily, and the second book cheering for her as she grew more confident in herself. In this third book, it's really great to see how far she's come as a shaman, and also as a person. There's a very beautiful coming of age arc over this trilogy that's paced out super well. It was also lovely to see her relationship with David turn into a friendly rivalry rather than full animosity. Far away from the requirements of homework and family, we finally get into the full-on adventure that I've been pining for in the previous two books. A tournament arc! The culmination of all the mysterious threats from previous installments! The tournament in particular was extra fun - fights were clear and easy to read, with some clever tactics in play. Also, there's a spirit boba shop, and I want to visit. As with the previous two books, this one includes recipes for readers to try their hand at baking. Winnie's own original recipe looks like it'd be awesome. The book seems to close the series for now, but the end is just open enough that we might get more in the future. One can only hope.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Books for Young Readers for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
The perfect conclusion to the previous two books, packed with action and adventure. And cookies!
Thoughts
Winnie's back for her third adventure, and she's better than ever! Literally. Winnie's been working hard to become a better shaman, and it shows. I spent the first book disappointed that she gave up so easily, and the second book cheering for her as she grew more confident in herself. In this third book, it's really great to see how far she's come as a shaman, and also as a person. There's a very beautiful coming of age arc over this trilogy that's paced out super well. It was also lovely to see her relationship with David turn into a friendly rivalry rather than full animosity. Far away from the requirements of homework and family, we finally get into the full-on adventure that I've been pining for in the previous two books. A tournament arc! The culmination of all the mysterious threats from previous installments! The tournament in particular was extra fun - fights were clear and easy to read, with some clever tactics in play. Also, there's a spirit boba shop, and I want to visit. As with the previous two books, this one includes recipes for readers to try their hand at baking. Winnie's own original recipe looks like it'd be awesome. The book seems to close the series for now, but the end is just open enough that we might get more in the future. One can only hope.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Books for Young Readers for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
May 19, 2024
2.5
Let me preface this by saying that I enjoy middle grade and have obviously liked the previous two books; however, this was a deeply underehelming and disappointing end.
Firstly, it seemed strange that there was training time and educational sessions before they had the tournament. It felt like they were being taught things thst should've been introduced in the first book, and I felt it was weird that they were even having classes at all. If this is some epic tournament, that's what I want. I want to feel the excitement and nervousness and energy; I want action and cool fight sequences. Instead, it was just some boring descriptions of kids pushing each other around on mats.
I also felt disappointed by the lack of friendship; I don't care if Winnie made a new friend or not but David and Kelly were hardly in this book to be significant. Friendships in middle grade, I feel, can be very strong and sweet and endearing but there was none of that. They were essentially there as placeholders.
Lastly, the ending was anticlimatic. I wasn't concerned when the bad guys showed up because it didn't feel like there were any stakes involved or anything super evil or diabolical was going to go down. And then don't even talk to me about when they defeated the bad guys; it was literally done in a sentence. Honestly, I would much rather have preferred either them losing at the end of this book amd coming back for a fourth or making this book longer with this same premise.
Suffice it to say that the execution of this final (?) book was not the best.
Let me preface this by saying that I enjoy middle grade and have obviously liked the previous two books; however, this was a deeply underehelming and disappointing end.
Firstly, it seemed strange that there was training time and educational sessions before they had the tournament. It felt like they were being taught things thst should've been introduced in the first book, and I felt it was weird that they were even having classes at all. If this is some epic tournament, that's what I want. I want to feel the excitement and nervousness and energy; I want action and cool fight sequences. Instead, it was just some boring descriptions of kids pushing each other around on mats.
I also felt disappointed by the lack of friendship; I don't care if Winnie made a new friend or not but David and Kelly were hardly in this book to be significant. Friendships in middle grade, I feel, can be very strong and sweet and endearing but there was none of that. They were essentially there as placeholders.
Lastly, the ending was anticlimatic. I wasn't concerned when the bad guys showed up because it didn't feel like there were any stakes involved or anything super evil or diabolical was going to go down. And then don't even talk to me about when they defeated the bad guys; it was literally done in a sentence. Honestly, I would much rather have preferred either them losing at the end of this book amd coming back for a fourth or making this book longer with this same premise.
Suffice it to say that the execution of this final (?) book was not the best.
November 19, 2023
This is the third book in the series of Winnie Zeng and her shaman friends. Once again she has to fight evil spirits, though this time she is doing it while at a shaman camp (which she tells her parents is a study camp), where she is supposed to improve her skills.
And of course, she has her archnemesis/friend/rival David, who when her parents here he is going to be at this camp, agree to let her go, not realizing that it is in the spirit dimension, because her parents are clueless to her powers.
This is a cute series of adventures of Winnie as she gains more skills with each book. She has gone from merely connecting with her overspirit, who is her grandmother, who was also a shaman, to learning to fly.
I do enjoy how Winnie has to learn how to do everything, that she isn’t born being a good shaman. This is a fun series for those who like to see their heroines grow with each book. Winnie has to bake confidence cookies to keep confident as to her abilities, something that would be nice to have around. And yes, you do get the recipes at the end of the book, though as to whether they will work like they did for Winnie is up to your magical abilities.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out the 30th of April 2024.
And of course, she has her archnemesis/friend/rival David, who when her parents here he is going to be at this camp, agree to let her go, not realizing that it is in the spirit dimension, because her parents are clueless to her powers.
This is a cute series of adventures of Winnie as she gains more skills with each book. She has gone from merely connecting with her overspirit, who is her grandmother, who was also a shaman, to learning to fly.
I do enjoy how Winnie has to learn how to do everything, that she isn’t born being a good shaman. This is a fun series for those who like to see their heroines grow with each book. Winnie has to bake confidence cookies to keep confident as to her abilities, something that would be nice to have around. And yes, you do get the recipes at the end of the book, though as to whether they will work like they did for Winnie is up to your magical abilities.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out the 30th of April 2024.
August 7, 2024
winnie’s relationship with her grandmother is adorable. whenever winnie is feeling dejected or unconfident, her grandmother is always there to cheer her up or encourage her. i think it’s very easy for individuals to see how much effort they have put into doing something and in winnie’s case, training to be a shaman is hard work that she has put in but doesn’t see.
kids facing off terrifyingly huge foes in middle grade novels never failed to surprise me. they need to have so much mental strength to fight their flight mechanism. the book focused on winnie and her friends fighting off daunting evil beings. the inclusion of chinese mythology and concept of good versus evil played into the story really well, as always.
for most of the book, we are spending time in the spirit realm with winnie training and fighting in the tournament. as time passed, winnie started to realise that her friends and classmates are being weird at some moments. she doesn’t really know what to think of it, but was alert that something is happening. because of that, she was able to recollect herself when things started to go haywire. i really enjoyed winnie’s character throughout the whole trilogy and her friendship with david was really sweet as well. although they had their differences, they worked well together.
kids facing off terrifyingly huge foes in middle grade novels never failed to surprise me. they need to have so much mental strength to fight their flight mechanism. the book focused on winnie and her friends fighting off daunting evil beings. the inclusion of chinese mythology and concept of good versus evil played into the story really well, as always.
for most of the book, we are spending time in the spirit realm with winnie training and fighting in the tournament. as time passed, winnie started to realise that her friends and classmates are being weird at some moments. she doesn’t really know what to think of it, but was alert that something is happening. because of that, she was able to recollect herself when things started to go haywire. i really enjoyed winnie’s character throughout the whole trilogy and her friendship with david was really sweet as well. although they had their differences, they worked well together.
April 21, 2024
Winnie Zeng Shatters the Universe is the third (and I believe final book) in this delightful middle grade fantasy series, and I’ve enjoyed the ride. This final book does a great job on a personal front for Winnie and her friends, as well as being truly fun and engaging on a fantasy front. Plus, the foodie element remains present, from confidence cookies to spirit boba, and there’s recipes at the end once again.
Winnie’s coming-of-age has been a major thread throughout the series, and I love how she not only develops in terms of her shamanic powers, gaining new skills over time, but also on a personal level too, with her friendships and even rivalries continuing to develop in compelling ways this time around.
The tournament setup is very cool, and is a great way to present the mythological elements early on, as well as the inciting incident with the attack by the Four Evil Beings. The story was exciting and fast-paced, and a perfect epic conclusion for the series.
This was an enjoyable series, and I hope Katie Zhao writes more in this vein in the future. If you’re looking for a fun middle grade fantasy series with Chinese mythology.
Winnie’s coming-of-age has been a major thread throughout the series, and I love how she not only develops in terms of her shamanic powers, gaining new skills over time, but also on a personal level too, with her friendships and even rivalries continuing to develop in compelling ways this time around.
The tournament setup is very cool, and is a great way to present the mythological elements early on, as well as the inciting incident with the attack by the Four Evil Beings. The story was exciting and fast-paced, and a perfect epic conclusion for the series.
This was an enjoyable series, and I hope Katie Zhao writes more in this vein in the future. If you’re looking for a fun middle grade fantasy series with Chinese mythology.
March 14, 2024
I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's through NetGalley.
This third in the trilogy wraps the story well. Winnie, David and Kelly along with many other Shamans all attend the Shaman Youth Tournament during winter break. The tournament begins as any do but hints are offered that this one will not be traditional. Soon, The Four Evil Beings wreak havoc on the tournament and the human world. Naturally, they head for Groton and the records repository. Six of the Shaman did not suffer from the sleep spell so must save both of the worlds. It's not every day teenagers combine with gods but they make this work and vanquish the evil spirits.
The story flows smoothly and Zhao offers information on the gods and other beings. Her characters are flawed and offer a look at a variety of human emotions and reactions when challenged. I appreciate the high energy Zhao maintains through her writing style. Middle grade readers will be delighted with this third book. If she does not write any more, the series wraps well.
This third in the trilogy wraps the story well. Winnie, David and Kelly along with many other Shamans all attend the Shaman Youth Tournament during winter break. The tournament begins as any do but hints are offered that this one will not be traditional. Soon, The Four Evil Beings wreak havoc on the tournament and the human world. Naturally, they head for Groton and the records repository. Six of the Shaman did not suffer from the sleep spell so must save both of the worlds. It's not every day teenagers combine with gods but they make this work and vanquish the evil spirits.
The story flows smoothly and Zhao offers information on the gods and other beings. Her characters are flawed and offer a look at a variety of human emotions and reactions when challenged. I appreciate the high energy Zhao maintains through her writing style. Middle grade readers will be delighted with this third book. If she does not write any more, the series wraps well.
June 22, 2024
This book, the third in the series, reunites its protagonist, Winnie Zeng, with her frenemy David and her former nemesis Kelly as the three are among the shamans invited to the Shaman Youth Tournament during winter break from school. As always, there are humorous moments, plenty of magic, and some surprises along the way. Winnie trains hard and somehow manages to pull out several victories during her competitive rounds, thanks to her own hard work and the support of her grandmother--oh, yes, and some delicious and sustaining cookies appropriately called Confidence Black Sesame Cookies and some Ube Coconut Sugar Cookies [recipes are in the back matter]. But Winnie has the feeling that all is not right at the tournament, and there is mischief afoot and danger for the entire world. This satisfying, cultural rich continuation of Winnie's adventures will keep fans of the series on their toes even while they root for Winnie to embrace her inner strength and dismiss her doubts.
August 4, 2024
Winnie and David have been invited to participate in a winter break camp for Shamans, culminating in a tournament where the young shamans battle each other. But Winnie notices that some of her fellow campers are acting strangely, and she fears that evil spirits may have infiltrated the camp I love that
Winnie is such an unlikely hero. She still makes cookies as baking is her way to channel her grandmother's power - I can't wait to make and try confidence cookies (recipe included). I would have liked to see more interaction with other shamans her age at the camp, it seemed strange as she was given a roommate she didn't know, she mostly hung around with David and Kelly. Not sure how I felt about children fighting each other as a plot point, especially as it was pretty combative, rather than magical. Includes another epic battle. I understand this is the final book in the trilogy. The characters (both human and mythological) are Chinese
Cross posted to http://kissthebook.blogspot.com
Winnie is such an unlikely hero. She still makes cookies as baking is her way to channel her grandmother's power - I can't wait to make and try confidence cookies (recipe included). I would have liked to see more interaction with other shamans her age at the camp, it seemed strange as she was given a roommate she didn't know, she mostly hung around with David and Kelly. Not sure how I felt about children fighting each other as a plot point, especially as it was pretty combative, rather than magical. Includes another epic battle. I understand this is the final book in the trilogy. The characters (both human and mythological) are Chinese
Cross posted to http://kissthebook.blogspot.com
May 1, 2024
Another fun installment in the Winnie Zeng series! I enjoyed this one very much. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this.
Winnie and her friend/rival David are off to the Shaman Youth Tournament which is basically a 10 day camp over winter break where all young shamans come to the spirit world to compete head to head for the grand prize. But naturally things go awry, and Winnie and her friends must figure out how to combat the evil spirits before they threaten the balance of the world.
As always, there are some delicious recipes included. Let me tell you, I have a major hankering for black sesame chocolate chip cookies now! The description had my mouth watering and I've got to give it a try.
Can't wait to see what's up next for Winnie and the other youth Shamans! Recommended for ages 8+.
Winnie and her friend/rival David are off to the Shaman Youth Tournament which is basically a 10 day camp over winter break where all young shamans come to the spirit world to compete head to head for the grand prize. But naturally things go awry, and Winnie and her friends must figure out how to combat the evil spirits before they threaten the balance of the world.
As always, there are some delicious recipes included. Let me tell you, I have a major hankering for black sesame chocolate chip cookies now! The description had my mouth watering and I've got to give it a try.
Can't wait to see what's up next for Winnie and the other youth Shamans! Recommended for ages 8+.
May 24, 2024
I feel like I saw that this is the last book in this series, though there is definitely room for more.
This installment sees Winnie and David going to the Shaman Youth Tournament but, surprise, there's evil spirits thrown in.
Like previous books, I think this will be well-liked with the intended audience, but I also think it continues to be a bit obvious with some plot points and needlessly repetitive. It is always "the Shaman Youth Tournament" and never just "the tournament" and always "the Groton mustard tower" and never just "mustard tower" or "tower". It feels unnatural in the text.
It's been a while since I read either of the previous books, but this one did a good job recapping all the important parts from them so it was still easy to know what was going on and who was who.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy.
This installment sees Winnie and David going to the Shaman Youth Tournament but, surprise, there's evil spirits thrown in.
Like previous books, I think this will be well-liked with the intended audience, but I also think it continues to be a bit obvious with some plot points and needlessly repetitive. It is always "the Shaman Youth Tournament" and never just "the tournament" and always "the Groton mustard tower" and never just "mustard tower" or "tower". It feels unnatural in the text.
It's been a while since I read either of the previous books, but this one did a good job recapping all the important parts from them so it was still easy to know what was going on and who was who.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy.
July 5, 2024
An absolutely stunning next book in the Winnie Zeng series :) I loved the use of mythology, the iconic tournaments where you meet new and old friends, the training 'montage' moments, and more.
Spoilers below for my favorite portions:
Spoilers below for my favorite portions:
February 1, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for this DRC.
What can go wrong at a magical Shaman Youth Tournament. If you are Winnie Zeng, lots of things. Winnie and her sometimes archnemesis, David, have been training hard and are ready to well this knock out round only tournament. Winie and her friends begin to realize that some of the other Shaman kids are acting a little too strong, and really, did their eyes just flash red? Winnie has to round up friends and sort of enemies to fight the evil spirits.
Another fun adventure for Winnie, David and Kelly. The relationships with her family, friends and ghostly grandmother are wonderful. The recipes are great, too.
#WinnieZengShatterstheUniverse #NetGalley
What can go wrong at a magical Shaman Youth Tournament. If you are Winnie Zeng, lots of things. Winnie and her sometimes archnemesis, David, have been training hard and are ready to well this knock out round only tournament. Winie and her friends begin to realize that some of the other Shaman kids are acting a little too strong, and really, did their eyes just flash red? Winnie has to round up friends and sort of enemies to fight the evil spirits.
Another fun adventure for Winnie, David and Kelly. The relationships with her family, friends and ghostly grandmother are wonderful. The recipes are great, too.
#WinnieZengShatterstheUniverse #NetGalley
February 5, 2025
I did read the first 2 books just didn't have time to review so let me do this first. I absolutely adore Lao Lao and Joe's relationship (team... LaoJoe? I'm sounding like Keefe Sencen) ... it gives off the sibling fighting vibe which is super interesting to read. I actually like the fact Winnie does exactly the opposite of what her mentors said not to do which makes it more appealing + catching. If you want smth about spirits + fighting + ancestors + teen fighting + food this is for you but read book 1 or it won't make sense at all. <3
August 29, 2024
Not bad, not great. Possibly the worst book in the series so far. The stakes are high and yet nothing really happens. Plot doesn’t get going until last 30 pages or so. Suffers from the same problems as the last book, namely that the MC seems utterly incapable of getting along with other female characters for reasons that are never explained to the reader. Enjoyed David and Winnie bonding at the end.
Read
August 3, 2025i like the ending. I like Lao laos's sassiness. David sure was sneaky
July 5, 2024
I thought this was an excellent addition to the series. I do not know if this series will conclude as a trilogy or not. If it does, I think that Zhao concluded things well but if she plans for more entries in the series, then she left the door open just enough that further adventures fit right in. Winnie shows a great deal of maturity in this installment, learning and growing from her experiences in the first two novels as well as this entry.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews