Girl Giant and the Jade War

Girl Giant and the Monkey King #2

by Van Hoang

In this sequel to Girl Giant and the Monkey King, Thom and her friends set off on a far flung adventure to save the Heavens and the Jade Emperor from certain destruction.

Thom Ngoh thought the Monkey King was her friend—he taught her to control her super strength and to stand up for herself. But really he was just using her. He tricked her into stealing from the Heavens and releasing him from his 500-year prison. Now the Monkey King is waging a war against the Heavens and Thom must do everything in her power to fix the mess she made.

Determined to prevent a war, Thom and her dragon friend Kha set off on an adventure across the Heavens to search for allies. But with the stakes higher than ever, the price for help may be more than Thom is willing to pay. . .

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Mythology, Fiction, Magic, Childrens, Young Adult

320 pages, Hardcover

First published December 7, 2021

About the author

Van Hoang's first name is pronounced like the van in minivan. Her last name is pronounced “hah-wawng.” She earned her bachelor’s in English at the University of New Mexico and her master’s in library information science at San Jose State University. She was born in Vietnam, grew in up Orange County, California, and now resides in Los Angeles with her husband, kid, and two dogs.

Reviews

[Van Hoang]

I've always seen GIRL GIANT as something that didn't belong to me, but a story that needed to be written for kids like me.

So today, as GIRL GIANT AND THE JADE WAR releases, I just want to remind myself of that: I wrote this story for those of us who have always felt lost and unseen, living in a world they didn't come from but unable to return to a place they don't know. For kids who had trouble embracing who we are, who never fit in. For the awkward, the different, for any kid who needs to hear this: I see you. I wrote this for us.

Biggest heartfelt thanks to everyone who made this happen, especially Mary C. Moore for always pushing me to be a better writer and Mekisha Telfer for making this the best story it could be. Thank you to everyone on the Roaring Brook / Macmillan team for making this book into the beautiful, tangible work of art that it is.

To all my fellow authors, bloggers, bookstagrammers, teachers, and library friends who have been so supportive throughout this journey. And of course to all my readers past, present, and future for letting these characters take up space in your lives. Especially those who stuck it out through the cliffhanger. I love you and I'm sorry 🥲 and I hope it was worth it.

[Belles Middle Grade Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was 1 of my most highly anticipated sequels, & releases period. It did not disappoint. This was PHENOMENAL! I think I like it even more than the 1st book-& I LOVED the 1st book. Call me kooky, but I still love that trickster the Monkey King with my whole heart lol Even though he is this immortal god, there’s so much that is relatable about him. The feeling of never belonging anywhere, & just wanting all the great things the world(the heavens in his case)has to offer for him & his friends. To belong. To stop being punished for just being what he is, something he didn’t choose. He has the best intentions, just not always the right methods lol There are also SO many amazing messages in here. Can’t say everything I want to say about all I loved, because I don’t want to spoil. But the adventure in this 1 was kicked up several notches, & I loved it. There was also even more of the mythological elements to this 1 which I LOVED. I had such a great time. All the characters are so well done in these, but for me personally I feel such a connection to Thom, & the Monkey King. Thom is such a relatable character, & you root for her, your heart strings tug at the battle she’s going through emotionally..the complexities of her friendship with the trickster god, & the problems it cause with her other friends who see no gray area-to them he is 100%bad. She struggles with this, because she saw something else in him. They are so alike, & their connection to each other even feels so special. She also struggles with self doubt & acceptance, & trying to find where she belongs. Easy to see why she sees more to the Monkey King..I LOVE the way the ending came together, & I hope & pray there will be more! I’m so excited about so many things from the ending & where it can go so pleaaaassseeeee let there be more! lol My heart is also so happy for all the kids who will feel seen in this in many different ways. All the kids who feel like they don’t fit in or belong anywhere, who have trouble believing in & accepting themselves, & then the kids who will see this kick butt young girl who looks like them, & a book that has their culture represented in it, etc. That is beyond words awesome. HIGHLY recommend. Another STUNNING cover front & back by Nguyen Quang & Kim Lien as well!💜

[belle ☆ﾐ (thisbellereadstoo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

after her giant mistake of helping the monkey king, thom is trying to reverse all the wrongdoings but she’s afraid that nobody would believe her anymore. even when she’s going around finding allies to stop wukong with her friends, she felt isolated and alone. she just want to make things right but nothing is going the way she wants it to.

in this instalment, thom and her friends need to find a way to trap the monkey king once more without the help of the four immortals and buddha. this story is pretty similar to the original but van hoang put her own twist into the tale. if van hoang wants, i think she can expand this into a series with the monkey’s journey to the west.

there were a lot of conversation surrounding discrimination and stereotypes about race. while the monkey king’s objective of equality for his demon race, the way he went around doing it was wrong. overall, i liked this duology. it was filled with adventures and twists and turns. anyone familiar with the myth of sun wukong knows that he’s extremely mischievous so i was just waiting for the chaos to ensue.

[Susie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I savored every word… I want a third book now!!!

[C.J. Milbrandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picking up right where Bk1 left off, Thom launches into a quest for help to undo the monumental mess she's helped to make. An exciting (and folk lore informative) conclusion the adventure. Highly recommended!

[Emi Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a heartwarming, funny, and utterly charming follow-up to the excellence that was Girl Giant and the Monkey King. Additionally, if any gods or deities of note are reading this, I would like a pair of bickering dragon uncles at the universe's earliest convenience, thank you kindly.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very satisfying sequel to the first book. Just as much fun with important lessons on friendship and taking responsibility. Gorgeous imagery that really comes to life. Excellent series!

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an EARC of this novel. The free copy did not influence my review.

Van Hoang is back with an amazing sequel to Girl Giant and the Monkey King! To be honest, I don't remember all of the details from the first book because I read it over a year ago, but this book quickly caught me up. It picks up right after the first book with Thom and her friends going after the Monkey King as he tries to destroy the heavens. They have to travel to try and find allies to help them in the war, but that is very hard to do seeing as some of the only people who care live in the heavens.

This series is perfect for fans of Rick Riordan who are looking for a new series to read! This book is one of the best fantasies that I've read all year. Definitely recommend!

Ages 9+

[Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. review to come!

_____

I adore this series! In the first book, Thom made a deal with the Monkey King, one that backfired big time. In this new installment, Thom needs to track down the Monkey King to not only save her mother from spending her lifetime as an insect, but to stop the Monkey King from taking over the Heavens!

I loved the characters and the amazing descriptions of all of the different settings of this book! I highly recommend it to anyone interested in middle grade fantasy! (But make sure you read Girl Giant and the Monkey King first!)

[eve.lyn._.reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

🐉🐚🦊Girl Giant and the Jade War🦊🐚🐉
3.5 Stars
After the startling betrayal, Thom wants to find the Monkey King and fix what went wrong. At heart, Thom wants revenge. Her anger at being manipulated, and desperate to turn her mother human again, Thom has made many mistakes. One of the worst is that many have lost their trust in her. Now Thom has to fix everything:
-Find the Monkey King and Stop his demon army
-Struggle with her morals... what everyone else is saying-but what about what she feels is right?
-Earn Kha, and Jae's trust.
-Find allies
Will Thom be able to save what was lost?

This was an equally exciting book, the second book in the series. In this book, Thom has accepted her strength, but struggles with her morals. Not to stereotype, but I find a lot in certain books I read that the protagonist wants to save the world but not have a specific reason. They could walk away at any second yet they feel like they have to because they were chosen. What I liked was that Thom was not the Chosen One. She had a specific reason. She was not selfless. She was realistic in the way her actions and reactions made sense. They weren't crafted to make her 100% likable to the point where she was unrelatable. I loved that there were several times where she doubted herself and she questioned what she was doing right. She had specific reasons for doing everything, and she chose what she believed in instead of what was forced on her.

Van Hoang has a entertaining, charismatic writing style. The ending was inconclusive, so I hope that there will be another book. I liked how this book weaves together different mythologies. The dragon-humans were absolutely amazing... especially Kha. Though I felt like certain relationships seemed to drop at the end and be unresolved, I enjoyed the relationships for the most part.

The ending was okay. I liked the important message and how it circulated around different perspectives and belongings.
✅PLOT
✅PLOT TWIST
✅CHARACTERS

[Ashley Dang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magical beings, friendship, war, and an adventure of a lifetime. Thom Ngoh is still reeling from her so called friend’s betrayal, the Monkey King. He had taught her to control her super strength and help her stand up for herself... yet he was also tricking her to steal from the Heavens and release him from his 500 year prison. now that he is free he plans to wage war against the Heavens and fight to give a place to his demon monkey brethren. Thom must now fix this mess and do everything she can to stop him from hurting people. Thom and her dragon friend Kha thus are set off on an adventure to find help from the Heavenly beings in stopping the Monkey... and yet everything comes with a price. It doesn’t help that a Monkey King clone has come to Thom and tells her he is still her friend and must protect her at all cost... and soon Thom finds herself struggling to see whose side she is on and how to save everyone. This was such a fun read and the friendship and grey areas were so well portrayed in this story. The dynamic between Thom and the Monkey King was my favorite aspect of the book. Thom and the Monkey King are both trying to do what they think is right, and yet there is this strong bond between the two of them despite everything thats happened, The ending of the story was just perfect and so sweet, I truly loved how this book wrapped up and would definitely recommend this series!

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[Julia Pika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley & Roaring Brook Press for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a sequel to Girl Giant & the Monkey King and picks up right where the first book left off. The Monkey King, Wukong betrayed Thom and tricked her into throwing the Heavens into chaos by releasing Wukong himself and reuniting him with one of the most powerful weapons in the universe. As Thom processes the heartbreaking betrayal, she sets out with her friends (are they her friends or are they just there to keep an eye on her?) to fix her mistakes and imprison Wukong once again. Problem is...can Thom ever forgive herself for her mistakes?

I had no idea this was the second book...whoops. I still was able to follow along pretty well, though. I LOVED this book, it's an awesome story with great writing! I have to go get the first one now, ha. Thom deals with a lot of self-doubt and insecurity which is refreshing to see in a children's adventure book, but I also liked that the book doesn't make Wukong 100% evil. He's an idiot, yes, but he has really good reasons for it and the book shows how morally grey Thom's world is.

Wukong (Monkey King) is a really fun character too, I love all the scenes he's in! Definitely a GREAT pick for any Rick Riordan fan since it includes a ton of Vietnamese mythology!

[Waka Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been waiting for this sequel and it did not disappoint! As opposed to trying to get rid of her super-strength, Thom grows into it in this story, and the Monkey King, with all his personality, tricks, and frustrating (yet curiously endearing) personality traits is also back. While the adventures, fantastical settings, and vivid descriptions will keep young readers engrossed in the story, the relationships that develop between the main characters, and the social questions raised in the book will provide much food for thought long after they have finished reading.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*
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While I missed Thom's mom for the bulk of this story (the mother-daughter relationship was a great part of the first book in this series), her mom was a cricket for a large part of this story. I understand that her absence helped Thom grow, but I kind of missed her. When she (and her big personality) returned, I was so happy!
I loved the complexities of friendships that was explored in this sequel. Thom has some very real anger toward the Monkey King (rightly so!). She might not always have acted in the best way, but she does try to make amends. Thom is not perfect, but she's immensely likable, relatable, and I found myself rooting for her throughout. I hope to read more of her adventures in the future!

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group through NetGalley.
Hoang returns readers to Thom's world shortly after the Monkey King defeated her in the first book. She, Kha and and Concao are must left on the island and must deal with the aftermath. They begin their journey to find a way back into the heavens to confront the Monkey King and defeat the demons. As they search for help, Thom struggles with the delineated good versus evil identifications the Jade Kingdom has made for fairies, demons and gods/goddesses. Readers will consider this as well as the story unfolds. Each of the characters matures and suffers discouragement as the journey progresses. They find a way to succeed and with help from the Goddess of Mercy, they defeat the Monkey King and restore the heavens with some modifications for more equity at the end. The final chapters set up a third book if Hoang chooses to continue the tale.

[USOM · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

While it was easy to get swept away with the action in Girl Giant and the Jade War, I loved the themes the most. It begins with action and high stakes almost immediately. For Thom she has to contend with the consequences of her actions plus the realization of her betrayal. Because while not everyone can relate to a huge war brewing, we can relate to trusting someone and having them betray us. Of feeling foolish for believing in someone.

In Girl Giant and the Jade War, Thom questions just how much of us we inherit. She has to figure out how much of us are defined by our nature. That people aren't inherently all good or bad. It's a big truth to reconcile. To have to see all these shades in between And while there's these high stakes, it's also a book about hurt and revenge. About being pushed further than we want to be and feeling like we have no choice.

full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...

[Lizzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, this felt like a big step down from the first book. The pacing was wild, and there was so much going on, in stark contrast to the first book which was laser focused on one central conflict. I respect that the central trio (Concao, Thom and Kha) disagreed with each other and suffered consequences for their actions. But it was laborious to read and they all were pretty unlikable here.

Wukong remains the best and most enjoyable character, and every time he entered the picture the book got way better. Though Thom's internal struggle on whether to trust Wukong or not felt way too redundant from the first book.

There's still a lot of good stuff here. The core message still works, and is sure to resonate with a lot of people. But the story structure and character writing missed the mark for me this time. Perhaps the third installment will be the series' return to form.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75. This was a HEAP better than the first book in the series, ESPECIALLY with regard to the pacing. I also really liked the way Hoang wrote the friendship drama between Thom and Kha. However, I still thought it could have been more compelling, and there were also some issues I had with the ending. First of all, the friendship drama Thom had with her best friend back where she used to live is NEVER addressed. But more importantly, I didn't understand why Thom was being punished so harshly. She was literally tricked and manipulated into doing what she did and also she is ELEVEN.

As a side note, I listened to the audiobook and although it was better than the first book, it still didn't captivate me like I wanted it to.

[Nathan Dehoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sequel continues the adventures of Thom Ngho, who was tricked by the Monkey King Sun Wukong into getting his cudgel back from the heavens. Now he's planning an invasion with an army of demons and planning to send the gods to live in the hells. And he's turned Thom's mother into a cricket. Thom, accompanied by her friend Kha and the fox demon Concao, seeks help from the remaining three of the Four Immortals to return to the heavens and stop him. They eventually succeed through trickery, using a device that appeared in Journey to the West, but it doesn't end there. Thom realizes that Wukong, while his methods are totally wrong, does have a valid point, and does what she can to mend relations between the gods and demons. I find it interesting that the books regularly refer to lesser immortals as fairies, which is apparently a common translation for tien. It might have something to do with the suppression of religion by the communist government, but I'm not sure about that.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thom mistakenly trusted the Monkey King and set him free to cause havoc to the learn. She goes on a quest to undo her wrong. This story was interesting in that the main character though full of determination and spirit falters by making poor decisions. The poor decisions cause lasting consequences that I feel are a set up for further installments in this series. The pacing of the novel was fast. From the first page and on the action continued. The world is flushed out with us seeing the different gods, fairies and daemons. My final verdict is that this was an interesting read, not perfect.

[Tara Aldredge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thom cannot believe the Monkey King betrayed her. Even though he is the immortal trickster, she thought he was her friend. But he’s turned her mom into a cricket, and now he’s leading a demon army into the heavens. And she’s the one who set him free, making this all possible. Thom is determined to stop him and make things right. She just has to figure out how.

A fun adventure involving myth and magic, trust and friendship. Recommend reading the first book first.

[Karen Cohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Girl Giant and the Jade War is a fun and fascinating look into Vietnamese mythology, and a more than worthy sequel to Girl Giant and the Monkey King; in many ways, this is more a continuation than a sequel. I enjoy learning about the mythology of other cultures, and this is a wonder example of mythology adapted into a story for modern times. Recommended for upper elementary and older. Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for my review.

[Gryphon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just as fantastic as the first one, perhaps even more so. I really liked how there were no defined bad guys, and no one was evil just to be evil. It was really well-done. All of the conflicts were understandable, and the friction was just friction-y enough.

Plus, the cover is amazing.

[Haneul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was even better than the first book, starting right where it left off. The quicker pacing and higher stakes made for a very enjoyable adventure story, and a deeper look to the characters' motivations and internal struggles. I also really liked the discussion on good vs. evil, and the Monkey King's amoral nature.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good story to teach the lesson that not everything is black and white and just because something has always been done one way, doesn't mean it's a good way.

I do disagree about Kha being a good friend to Thom. Literally everything he did was to please his dad, not actually help Thom out. Just saying you're friends doesn't make you friends.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this title more than the first in the series. The lessons don't overpower the plot, and the ending was very satisfying. Readers will learn a lot about Vietnamese legends and Buddhist beliefs. In a somewhat overcrowded middle grade fantasy field, not my first choice, but a book I will recommend to certain readers.

[Fanna]

January 02, 2021: this cover is so effin cute ah

[S!]

THIS COVER YOU GUYS!!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

While obviously not as original as its predecessor, still a worthy sequel.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another hit with my 9-year-old! Excellent sequel, hope they is a third! Could have been condensed a tad.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just so fun.