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The Lotus Flower Champion
No escape. Follow the rules. And don’t count on reality—in this uniquely vibrant romantasy from NYT bestselling author Pintip Dunn and daughter Love Dunn…
It looks like paradise…only it’s not.
This was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime family trip to Thailand. One last wish for my dying mama. Instead, we’re stranded on a lush, stunning island with ten strangers—held captive as Thai mythology unfolds around us…and within us.
Now we’re being tested. We’re expected to face our greatest fears—and possible deaths—in hopes of awakening some kind of dormant gift…or curse. One by one, we’re transforming, echoing the strange and sometimes wondrous abilities found in Thai folktales.
But my mama has only days to live, my papa is missing, and I’m forced to trust a group of strangers…including our evasive, dark-eyed tour guide, who resembles a minor god. Toss me in the ocean and feed me to the naga now.
Only I’m no hero. My days are managed by numbers and the compulsions that used to keep me safe.
I have to prove how far I can go. To survive. To protect my family.
And to find a way off this perilous island where everything is a lie…including reality.
It looks like paradise…only it’s not.
This was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime family trip to Thailand. One last wish for my dying mama. Instead, we’re stranded on a lush, stunning island with ten strangers—held captive as Thai mythology unfolds around us…and within us.
Now we’re being tested. We’re expected to face our greatest fears—and possible deaths—in hopes of awakening some kind of dormant gift…or curse. One by one, we’re transforming, echoing the strange and sometimes wondrous abilities found in Thai folktales.
But my mama has only days to live, my papa is missing, and I’m forced to trust a group of strangers…including our evasive, dark-eyed tour guide, who resembles a minor god. Toss me in the ocean and feed me to the naga now.
Only I’m no hero. My days are managed by numbers and the compulsions that used to keep me safe.
I have to prove how far I can go. To survive. To protect my family.
And to find a way off this perilous island where everything is a lie…including reality.
Kindle Edition
First published October 3, 2023
5 people are currently reading
4286 people want to read
About the author
Pintip Dunn
18 books1,007 followersPintip Dunn is a New York Times bestselling author of young adult fiction. She graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with an A.B., and received her J.D. at Yale Law School.
Her novel FORGET TOMORROW won the 2016 RWA RITA® for Best First Book, and SEIZE TODAY won the 2018 RITA for Best Young Adult Romance. Her books have been translated into four languages, and they have been nominated for the following awards: the Grand Prix del'Imaginaire; the Japanese Sakura Medal; the MASL Truman Award; the TomeSociety It list; and the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award.
Her other titles include REMEMBER YESTERDAY, THE DARKEST LIE, GIRL ON THE VERGE, STAR-CROSSED, and MALICE.
She lives with her husband and children in Maryland.
Her novel FORGET TOMORROW won the 2016 RWA RITA® for Best First Book, and SEIZE TODAY won the 2018 RITA for Best Young Adult Romance. Her books have been translated into four languages, and they have been nominated for the following awards: the Grand Prix del'Imaginaire; the Japanese Sakura Medal; the MASL Truman Award; the TomeSociety It list; and the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award.
Her other titles include REMEMBER YESTERDAY, THE DARKEST LIE, GIRL ON THE VERGE, STAR-CROSSED, and MALICE.
She lives with her husband and children in Maryland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
November 4, 2023
Pintip wrote one of my favourite dystopian series and when I saw this I was excited to dive into her beautiful writing style.
The lotus flower champion is intriguing and the mystery had me looking for hidden clues right from the start. Pintip isn’t afraid to indulge in difficult personality traits and topics. I enjoyed the culture and OCD elements.
Alaia is on a trip to Thailand with her family. It’s a challenging time for her because her mothers sick. When a boat trip goes wrong her family get separated and the magical adventure begins.
She’s told about Thai folklore and starts to see more than before. This gave me a range of emotions- happy, sad and excitement. An interesting read and I’m glad to see more from this author.
YA
Adventure
Mystery
A dash of romance
The lotus flower champion is intriguing and the mystery had me looking for hidden clues right from the start. Pintip isn’t afraid to indulge in difficult personality traits and topics. I enjoyed the culture and OCD elements.
Alaia is on a trip to Thailand with her family. It’s a challenging time for her because her mothers sick. When a boat trip goes wrong her family get separated and the magical adventure begins.
She’s told about Thai folklore and starts to see more than before. This gave me a range of emotions- happy, sad and excitement. An interesting read and I’m glad to see more from this author.
YA
Adventure
Mystery
A dash of romance
October 4, 2023
I’m not sure what’s with all the 3 star reviews. I love YA novels and this one will be gobbled up by a YA audience and anyone who likes YA novels! It kept me interested right from the start!
Nothing is quite as it seems when a mother’s wish to die peacefully back home in Thailand on a beautiful Island, turns into a nightmare when they go on a yacht excursion and end up trapped on a magical island.
Alaia, her mama, and 10 others must fight to find a way off this island where magic is running wild and their captor has set up traps for them. Can you trust anyone around you? Is anything what it seems?
Find out October 31st when this action packed, emotional YA novel is released!
Thank you Entangled Teen and NetGalley for this ARC!
Nothing is quite as it seems when a mother’s wish to die peacefully back home in Thailand on a beautiful Island, turns into a nightmare when they go on a yacht excursion and end up trapped on a magical island.
Alaia, her mama, and 10 others must fight to find a way off this island where magic is running wild and their captor has set up traps for them. Can you trust anyone around you? Is anything what it seems?
Find out October 31st when this action packed, emotional YA novel is released!
Thank you Entangled Teen and NetGalley for this ARC!
October 31, 2023
I have only read a few books by Pintip Dunn, but I really enjoyed them. So I was very excited when I heard about this one and was happy to get a copy from the publisher to read! While I’ve categorized it as a fantasy for the title of this blog post, it almost had some sci-fi and magical realism to it instead, or as well. The authors took different folktales from I believe Thailand or maybe some other Asian cultures that are similar, and then kind of cherry picked bits and pieces to create the different abilities the characters might acquire while on this magical island. But it was more than just the abilities, all of it fed into different situations from the folktales woven from these bits and pieces.
The science fiction aspect comes from the fact that it is a scientist holding them on this island and studying to see how they will develop the powers/abilities, and then trying to use it to bring someone back from the dead, as well as possibly other things. While I had a feeling about one person who does betray at some point, I didn’t see some of the other things that came, or that there would be more than one betrayal, or was it really? I’ve seen the complaints in the reviews, and I guess I do see their point that it isn’t really comparable to some of the things it was suggested to be like. But in the end I quite enjoyed it. It was a bit long for me overall at 400 pages, but again, I will definitely look for more books by this author, and her daughter, together or on their own!
Review first posted on Lisa Loves Literature.
The science fiction aspect comes from the fact that it is a scientist holding them on this island and studying to see how they will develop the powers/abilities, and then trying to use it to bring someone back from the dead, as well as possibly other things. While I had a feeling about one person who does betray at some point, I didn’t see some of the other things that came, or that there would be more than one betrayal, or was it really? I’ve seen the complaints in the reviews, and I guess I do see their point that it isn’t really comparable to some of the things it was suggested to be like. But in the end I quite enjoyed it. It was a bit long for me overall at 400 pages, but again, I will definitely look for more books by this author, and her daughter, together or on their own!
Review first posted on Lisa Loves Literature.
September 29, 2023
★★★
-
This book was described as 'Squid Games meets Peter Pan', but both components didn't even show up in the book. A bit of a slow start, but after you get past the beginning there was a lot of action. This was inspired by elements from Thai folktales, which was what made me want to read this book in the first place. This was very predictable in my opinion, you would think that there would be a lot of high stakes with the book being described as 'Squid Games meets Peter Pan', but the stakes weren't really all that high. I'm not exactly sure how to describe this feeling I got, but like at a scene where you think someone was actually going to be killed off, you just knew they weren't going to die. A lot of the plot twists were fairly predictable.
It's interesting to read about a character like Alaia, who has OCD; the authors did a really great job on portraying Alaia's emotions and struggles on how it felt to have OCD. Meanwhile a lot of the other characters like Rae, Lola, Kit and such, didn't have much of a personality... it was more like they were just there but didn't contribute much.
The ending felt kinda rushed, everything kinda happened in the last 10%. I'm not sure if there's going to be a sequel, but the epilogue felt like it was setting up for one (or it could just be an open ending).
Not too big of a fan with the writing, but I think it's probably because it's a middle grade read. Some parts made me cringe, but other than that it was alright. Overall this was a rather enjoyable fast paced read, but pretty forgettable in my opinion.
🪷 thank you entangled publishing for the e-arc through netgalley!
-
This book was described as 'Squid Games meets Peter Pan', but both components didn't even show up in the book. A bit of a slow start, but after you get past the beginning there was a lot of action. This was inspired by elements from Thai folktales, which was what made me want to read this book in the first place. This was very predictable in my opinion, you would think that there would be a lot of high stakes with the book being described as 'Squid Games meets Peter Pan', but the stakes weren't really all that high. I'm not exactly sure how to describe this feeling I got, but like at a scene where you think someone was actually going to be killed off, you just knew they weren't going to die. A lot of the plot twists were fairly predictable.
It's interesting to read about a character like Alaia, who has OCD; the authors did a really great job on portraying Alaia's emotions and struggles on how it felt to have OCD. Meanwhile a lot of the other characters like Rae, Lola, Kit and such, didn't have much of a personality... it was more like they were just there but didn't contribute much.
The ending felt kinda rushed, everything kinda happened in the last 10%. I'm not sure if there's going to be a sequel, but the epilogue felt like it was setting up for one (or it could just be an open ending).
Not too big of a fan with the writing, but I think it's probably because it's a middle grade read. Some parts made me cringe, but other than that it was alright. Overall this was a rather enjoyable fast paced read, but pretty forgettable in my opinion.
🪷 thank you entangled publishing for the e-arc through netgalley!
October 1, 2023
Rated 3.5 Stars
The Lotus Flower Champion was an enjoyable read but it didn't work for me all the way. The challenges grated on my nerves after a while. I got the point of them and even though I loved seeing the growth, strength and resilience come forth in the heroine I still found them annoying. I wasn't all the way sold on the romance either. It felt lacking in some ways while also being cute and sweet. What I did like was the infusion of Thai folklore into the story and the edge of the seat moments of which there were a few. While this didn't fully work for me I am interested in reading other books by these authors.
Copy provided by publisher through NetGalley
The Lotus Flower Champion was an enjoyable read but it didn't work for me all the way. The challenges grated on my nerves after a while. I got the point of them and even though I loved seeing the growth, strength and resilience come forth in the heroine I still found them annoying. I wasn't all the way sold on the romance either. It felt lacking in some ways while also being cute and sweet. What I did like was the infusion of Thai folklore into the story and the edge of the seat moments of which there were a few. While this didn't fully work for me I am interested in reading other books by these authors.
Copy provided by publisher through NetGalley
October 15, 2023
THE LOTUS FLOWER CHAMPION is an intriguing YA fantasy with a lot of mystery and a bit of magic. Alaia is on a trip with her parents as a last request from her mother, who is dying from cancer. She is determined to make the last days her mother has count, filling them with smiles. However, their trip does not go as planned when the boat that they are on begins to sink, and they board a life raft only to end up on a deserted island.
The island seems particularly unusual for its lack of animals and any kind of civilization. They band together with the people from their life raft to try to survive until help can arrive, but they soon learn that they are part of an experiment to see whether they can manifest powers from mythology. Alaia is determined to be strong and get off the island before her mother runs out of the medications keeping her comfortable, but she is struggling with her OCD, a constant in her life. As time progresses, Alaia will do whatever it takes to escape and keep her mother safe.
What I loved: This was such an imaginative premise, and it was intriguing to see how it was slowly revealed to the reader. The mystery of what was going on, whether they would be able to escape, and how the powers might manifest really kept the pages turning. The insights the reader is given into the Thai mythology was also really fascinating and provided additional context for what was happening to the people stranded on this island.
The strongest element of the story was Alaia's OCD and the ways that she knows to cope with it as well as the way it makes her feel. Having OCD is a challenge for her, but the strength that she uses to overcome it is the core of her being. This representation felt quite genuine and was critical to the story and Alaia's character.
Themes around power, the human spirit, manipulation, betrayal, and the difficulty of facing our inner (and outer) challengers were all really compelling. Alaia needs inner strength, and it is this which she begins to embrace and acknowledge as she pushes herself to the limit for both her OCD and for her survival.
There were a lot of great characters in the story as well, as we get to know the rest of the group along the way. Mateo was a particular favorite of mine, but there were also several other strong characters that really added to the story. Even with a large cast, it was relatively easy to remember the characters and not allow them to go bad.
What left me wanting more: As a small thing, the story began to feel repetitive after the halfway mark. Additionally, the romance fell a little flat, perhaps because of how much is spent within Alaia's head rather than on conversations.
Final verdict: THE LOTUS FLOWER CHAMPION is a fascinating and clever YA fantasy with compelling characters and an intriguing premise. Recommend picking this one up if you like a bit of mystery and magic in your fantasy!
Please note that I received an eARC. All opinions are my own.
The island seems particularly unusual for its lack of animals and any kind of civilization. They band together with the people from their life raft to try to survive until help can arrive, but they soon learn that they are part of an experiment to see whether they can manifest powers from mythology. Alaia is determined to be strong and get off the island before her mother runs out of the medications keeping her comfortable, but she is struggling with her OCD, a constant in her life. As time progresses, Alaia will do whatever it takes to escape and keep her mother safe.
What I loved: This was such an imaginative premise, and it was intriguing to see how it was slowly revealed to the reader. The mystery of what was going on, whether they would be able to escape, and how the powers might manifest really kept the pages turning. The insights the reader is given into the Thai mythology was also really fascinating and provided additional context for what was happening to the people stranded on this island.
The strongest element of the story was Alaia's OCD and the ways that she knows to cope with it as well as the way it makes her feel. Having OCD is a challenge for her, but the strength that she uses to overcome it is the core of her being. This representation felt quite genuine and was critical to the story and Alaia's character.
Themes around power, the human spirit, manipulation, betrayal, and the difficulty of facing our inner (and outer) challengers were all really compelling. Alaia needs inner strength, and it is this which she begins to embrace and acknowledge as she pushes herself to the limit for both her OCD and for her survival.
There were a lot of great characters in the story as well, as we get to know the rest of the group along the way. Mateo was a particular favorite of mine, but there were also several other strong characters that really added to the story. Even with a large cast, it was relatively easy to remember the characters and not allow them to go bad.
What left me wanting more: As a small thing, the story began to feel repetitive after the halfway mark. Additionally, the romance fell a little flat, perhaps because of how much is spent within Alaia's head rather than on conversations.
Final verdict: THE LOTUS FLOWER CHAMPION is a fascinating and clever YA fantasy with compelling characters and an intriguing premise. Recommend picking this one up if you like a bit of mystery and magic in your fantasy!
Please note that I received an eARC. All opinions are my own.
February 1, 2024
I really enjoyed the exploration of the mother/daughter relationship in this novel as well as the representation of the main character. The mythological elements were interesting but ultimately I found the plot predictable — probably because I no longer fit in the target audience for this.
October 15, 2023
4.5 Stars!! I honestly don’t think I’ve ever rated a ya book this highly before but honestly following the characters and their journey was the best thing I’ve experienced. This book had me hooked from the get go and I 100% recommend it. Thank you to the publishers on NetGalley for letting me read a copy of this amazing book!
November 4, 2023
I would like to express my gratitude to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for generously providing me with access to this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
"Lotus Flower Champion" proved to be an enchanting and magical book, interwoven with captivating Thai folktales. It takes readers on a journey with twelve individuals stranded on a remote island, where they confront their emotions, strengths, fears, and adapt to the challenges of their harsh environment.
The portrayal of Alaia's character was particularly skillful. She is a young girl who, struggles with OCD, seeks solace in comfort of her parents and and burdened by the impending loss of her mother due to terminal cancer. Alaia's journey resonates with the challenges faced by many teenagers in similar circumstances. Her growth as she conquers her fears, learns to live independently and battles her OCD is portrayed with great depth and authenticity.
Bodin, my poor boy, didn't deserve his father's shitty behavior. However, the way he cares for Alaia with tenderness and love was heartwarming.
The supporting characters were equally delightful to follow, especially Mateo, Sylvie, and Rae.
Overall, it was a good read. However, at times I felt like the story telling could have used some improvements. The plot twist was a bit predictable and ending felt a bit rushed..
"Lotus Flower Champion" proved to be an enchanting and magical book, interwoven with captivating Thai folktales. It takes readers on a journey with twelve individuals stranded on a remote island, where they confront their emotions, strengths, fears, and adapt to the challenges of their harsh environment.
The portrayal of Alaia's character was particularly skillful. She is a young girl who, struggles with OCD, seeks solace in comfort of her parents and and burdened by the impending loss of her mother due to terminal cancer. Alaia's journey resonates with the challenges faced by many teenagers in similar circumstances. Her growth as she conquers her fears, learns to live independently and battles her OCD is portrayed with great depth and authenticity.
Bodin, my poor boy, didn't deserve his father's shitty behavior. However, the way he cares for Alaia with tenderness and love was heartwarming.
The supporting characters were equally delightful to follow, especially Mateo, Sylvie, and Rae.
Overall, it was a good read. However, at times I felt like the story telling could have used some improvements. The plot twist was a bit predictable and ending felt a bit rushed..
September 22, 2023
Thank you Entangled and NetGalley for the arc copy. All of these comments are my own.
When I got this arc it said it was like Squid Games meets Peter Pan but this book gave no resemblance to either of those. It was very much just Thailand Folktales, which wasn’t necessarily bad. I don’t know much about the Thailand culture but I did find this folktale fun and interesting to read about.
The story was good but the action was a little underwhelming for me. Although I did enjoy it for the most part; I did just want more from it. There were parts that made me sad, laugh, and happy which I think great for a book to do.
I do think a lot of YA readers will enjoy this!
3 stars!
When I got this arc it said it was like Squid Games meets Peter Pan but this book gave no resemblance to either of those. It was very much just Thailand Folktales, which wasn’t necessarily bad. I don’t know much about the Thailand culture but I did find this folktale fun and interesting to read about.
The story was good but the action was a little underwhelming for me. Although I did enjoy it for the most part; I did just want more from it. There were parts that made me sad, laugh, and happy which I think great for a book to do.
I do think a lot of YA readers will enjoy this!
3 stars!
September 12, 2025
This was a perfect beach read.
Young adult, vibes of the "lost" TV-series, mystery, adventure, innocent romance and a good display of OCD which I found really well made.
The plot is a bit simple and the Thai legends weren't featured enough for my taste , that's why I deducted one star, but it was an enjoyable read. :)
Young adult, vibes of the "lost" TV-series, mystery, adventure, innocent romance and a good display of OCD which I found really well made.
The plot is a bit simple and the Thai legends weren't featured enough for my taste , that's why I deducted one star, but it was an enjoyable read. :)
October 14, 2023
Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for providing me this ARC!
Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan of the book. The story felt stiff, disjointed and weird. The characters are way too cartoonish, the dialogue is VERY weird in places and their reactions to what unfolds in front of them is unnatural. The ending was rushed and happened too fast in my opinion in the weirdest ways.
The Thai folktales and description of OCD were the only saving grace for this book for me.
Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan of the book. The story felt stiff, disjointed and weird. The characters are way too cartoonish, the dialogue is VERY weird in places and their reactions to what unfolds in front of them is unnatural. The ending was rushed and happened too fast in my opinion in the weirdest ways.
The Thai folktales and description of OCD were the only saving grace for this book for me.
April 25, 2024
This had a slow beginning and never really took off for me. I enjoyed the lore and OCD rep, but felt the book lacked high enough stakes to keep me invested in the outcome. The romance also felt rushed.
November 3, 2023
Thank you to the publisher for my finished copy!
The Lotus Flower Champion is a fun and fast read, perfect for YA readers of all ages, including younger readers looking for more of a challenge. If you have reader in your life who loves Percy Jackson, this is a fantastic option for them!
I loved the pacing of this one, with short chapters that almost always ended with a little reveal or twist that made the novel un-put-down-able. The relationships developed in an interesting way, and there was just enough romance to keep me interested, but it was innocent enough for most young readers.
The Lotus Flower Champion is a fun and fast read, perfect for YA readers of all ages, including younger readers looking for more of a challenge. If you have reader in your life who loves Percy Jackson, this is a fantastic option for them!
I loved the pacing of this one, with short chapters that almost always ended with a little reveal or twist that made the novel un-put-down-able. The relationships developed in an interesting way, and there was just enough romance to keep me interested, but it was innocent enough for most young readers.
November 10, 2023
dnf at 15%
i just really disliked the writing style and the fatphobic comments throughout the story, even if they were said by unlikable side characters
i just really disliked the writing style and the fatphobic comments throughout the story, even if they were said by unlikable side characters
October 11, 2023
Thank you Entangled and NetGalley for the arc copy. All of these comments are my own.
When I got this arc it said it was like Squid Games meets Peter Pan but this book gave no resemblance to either of those. It was very much just Thailand Folktales, which wasn’t necessarily bad. I don’t know much about the Thailand culture but I did find this folktale fun and interesting to read about.
The story was good but the action was a little underwhelming for me. Although I did enjoy it for the most part; I did just want more from it. There were parts that made me sad, laugh, and happy which I think great for a book to do.
I do think a lot of YA readers will enjoy this!
3 stars!
When I got this arc it said it was like Squid Games meets Peter Pan but this book gave no resemblance to either of those. It was very much just Thailand Folktales, which wasn’t necessarily bad. I don’t know much about the Thailand culture but I did find this folktale fun and interesting to read about.
The story was good but the action was a little underwhelming for me. Although I did enjoy it for the most part; I did just want more from it. There were parts that made me sad, laugh, and happy which I think great for a book to do.
I do think a lot of YA readers will enjoy this!
3 stars!
October 27, 2023
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I’ve always wanted to read more from Pintip Dunn, and I was drawn to the blurb for The Lotus Flower Champion. I was also touched by the idea of her collaborating with her daughter, although the concept did mean the book was more likely to be hit-or-miss. Sadly, this book was more in the “miss” category, but there are still some things I enjoyed about it.
I loved the Thai folktale influences. I don’t know a ton about Thai culture, but I feel like I got a good feel for the folklore and even some of the customs. And having them distilled in a somewhat familiar tournament style setup was quite cool, creating a fast-paced read, and high-action environment for the characters to navigate.
I also really liked the insights into how Alaia navigated the world with OCD. I was particularly struck by one particular passage: “It’s strange: most kids crave independence from their parents, but to me, they’re safety. When I’m with them, it feels like things can’t go wrong. And that’s all I ever crave, really. For things to feel right.” That and a few other sentiments spoke to me, as while I don’t have OCD, I am neurodivergent, and I definitely feel that it has impacted how I navigate the world in a similar way. So, despite any other issues I had with this book, her character and how she was pushed from her comfort zone to take on new challenges absolutely made me feel seen.
But I couldn’t help but feel underwhelmed otherwise. I did find myself excited by the action, but it felt mostly superficial, as the story otherwise didn’t have much impact. And for a book billed as a “romantasy,” any romance that was present felt very shallow and underdeveloped.
But this could also be chalked up to it being “too young” for me, and it’s doubly the case with one of the authors themselves being a high schooler. I am happy there are younger authors like Love Dunn coming on the scene and helping to curate YA to their taste, especially since it feels like publishers have gone out of their way to push teens out in order to appeal to older readers.
So, while I wasn’t super-won over by this book, I am still a Pintip Dunn fan and will continue to read books from her, and follow Love’s potential career prospects going forward. And if you’re a teen reader or shopping for a teen reader in your life, and looking for a fun romantic fantasy-adventure that takes influence from Thai folklore, I’d recommend checking this out!
I’ve always wanted to read more from Pintip Dunn, and I was drawn to the blurb for The Lotus Flower Champion. I was also touched by the idea of her collaborating with her daughter, although the concept did mean the book was more likely to be hit-or-miss. Sadly, this book was more in the “miss” category, but there are still some things I enjoyed about it.
I loved the Thai folktale influences. I don’t know a ton about Thai culture, but I feel like I got a good feel for the folklore and even some of the customs. And having them distilled in a somewhat familiar tournament style setup was quite cool, creating a fast-paced read, and high-action environment for the characters to navigate.
I also really liked the insights into how Alaia navigated the world with OCD. I was particularly struck by one particular passage: “It’s strange: most kids crave independence from their parents, but to me, they’re safety. When I’m with them, it feels like things can’t go wrong. And that’s all I ever crave, really. For things to feel right.” That and a few other sentiments spoke to me, as while I don’t have OCD, I am neurodivergent, and I definitely feel that it has impacted how I navigate the world in a similar way. So, despite any other issues I had with this book, her character and how she was pushed from her comfort zone to take on new challenges absolutely made me feel seen.
But I couldn’t help but feel underwhelmed otherwise. I did find myself excited by the action, but it felt mostly superficial, as the story otherwise didn’t have much impact. And for a book billed as a “romantasy,” any romance that was present felt very shallow and underdeveloped.
But this could also be chalked up to it being “too young” for me, and it’s doubly the case with one of the authors themselves being a high schooler. I am happy there are younger authors like Love Dunn coming on the scene and helping to curate YA to their taste, especially since it feels like publishers have gone out of their way to push teens out in order to appeal to older readers.
So, while I wasn’t super-won over by this book, I am still a Pintip Dunn fan and will continue to read books from her, and follow Love’s potential career prospects going forward. And if you’re a teen reader or shopping for a teen reader in your life, and looking for a fun romantic fantasy-adventure that takes influence from Thai folklore, I’d recommend checking this out!
October 7, 2023
The Lotus Flower Champion was a wild ride. I can honestly say that for the entire book the only thing I felt like I could predict was who became the champion. The story definitely keeps you guessing as you try to figure out the fate of each of the castaways. There were so many things I enjoyed about this book and a couple things that just fell short in my opinion.
Things I liked:
It was so nice to see representation of what dealing with OCD can look like and how it affects your day today. The character growth Alaia experienced was also written very well. I also really enjoyed the fact like I there were several twists that I didn’t see coming when usually I feel like I can predict what happens next. The use of Thai folktales was really interesting too as I have know prior knowledge to such things.
Things I didn’t like:
At times I felt like the pacing was strange. It felt a little clumsy to read through. If anything this would be what knocked a star off my review and kept the rating from 4 stars to more like 3.5 stars. It took me a while to get interested enough to sit and binge read mostly because of the writing style.
Overall I really enjoyed the story and would recommend for a preteen to teenage audience.
I received this book as an advanced reader copy from Entagled Publishing and NetGalley. All thoughts and options are my own.
Things I liked:
It was so nice to see representation of what dealing with OCD can look like and how it affects your day today. The character growth Alaia experienced was also written very well. I also really enjoyed the fact like I there were several twists that I didn’t see coming when usually I feel like I can predict what happens next. The use of Thai folktales was really interesting too as I have know prior knowledge to such things.
Things I didn’t like:
At times I felt like the pacing was strange. It felt a little clumsy to read through. If anything this would be what knocked a star off my review and kept the rating from 4 stars to more like 3.5 stars. It took me a while to get interested enough to sit and binge read mostly because of the writing style.
Overall I really enjoyed the story and would recommend for a preteen to teenage audience.
I received this book as an advanced reader copy from Entagled Publishing and NetGalley. All thoughts and options are my own.
July 9, 2025
~ 4.5 ~
So it was really good and I loved all the stories and, the book was just so rich and magical. The only thing I didn’t like was the way Alaia reacted to Bodin towards the end, like I don’t think just kissing him made sense. It felt like she just immediately got over the fact that he tricked her, and yes, maybe I could get over it, but it was the SECOND time he tricked her. Like, seriously?
So it was really good and I loved all the stories and, the book was just so rich and magical. The only thing I didn’t like was the way Alaia reacted to Bodin towards the end, like I don’t think just kissing him made sense. It felt like she just immediately got over the fact that he tricked her, and yes, maybe I could get over it, but it was the SECOND time he tricked her. Like, seriously?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 30, 2023
I received this ARC in exchange for a fair review.
CW: conversations around death and dying, loss of a parent, cancer, child abuse and neglect
This was such a great read! It's full of magic and myths! It's diverse and full of twists and turns. An island where X-men meets Maze Runner and entwined in Thai folklore. And representation of mental disorders as the main character Alaia has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. However, I cannot speak to the accuracy of the portrayal of the condition since I do not have it myself.
Alaia's mother is dying of cancer and to give her one last moment of true peace before she passes, they head to Thailand for one final adventure. While on a sightseeing cruise, the ship goes down after explosions in the engine room compromise the ship's integrity. The last thing Alaia remembers is getting on the lifeboat before waking up on a sandy beach in the middle of the ocean. Eleven other survivors are with her, including her mother. A series of events reveals that they're here for a purpose: to push them to their emotional and physical limits in hopes of revealing hidden abilities all around Thai folklore. Many refuse to play the game of their captor who has set up the island in such a way as to facilitate their research and experimentation.
I liked the variety of magical abilities. They weren't your typical set of pyromancy, telekinesis, and shapeshifting. Some served a single purpose and others were fairly useful. I don't want to give too much away without spoiling the adventure but I will say one character either spews flowers or worms from her mouth depending on the words she says and another person can turn into a crocodile!
As someone who is very close to her mother, this book definitely keeps me on the edge of my seat because I already struggle with the concept of losing my mother. I can't imagine what Alaia's going through knowing her mother is dying.
I like that every character gets a moment in the story. Something that highlights who they are. Not many stories do that I feel. It's like once those characters are introduced, they just remain in the periphery until they're needed again. My favorite characters were Mateo and Sylvie who show so much strength and spirit throughout the story.
I also liked how my questions were actually answered. I have a habit of looking for continuations of details that are brought up and love when I get answers to them. If I don't, it tends to impact my review without me realizing it. (whoops!)
Ok, clearly you see this isn't a 5-star review so let's talk about the things that weren't my favorite.
-I didn't think that they went as in-depth with the myths as they could have. There were definitely some stories told, but not all of them.
-I wanted to love Rae. I think she's still a strong character but she went back and forth from being this (pardon the phrase) badass to being "the mean girl". She'd redeem herself and then say something pretty crappy.
-There's a plot twist that I won't go into specifics of but it basically happens twice and as good as a gotcha moment is, it's less effective the second time. Kinda ruins the vibe because then you're just looking to have it happen a third time.
-There's also a scene towards the end that I wish we had dwelled on just a little longer. To really feel in that moment. Granted, I'm sure it would have ruined me if it did, but it just happened so fast I think it would've been more impactful on the reader if we held that moment just a little bit longer both before and after.
Otherwise, I enjoyed the read! Happy reading!
CW: conversations around death and dying, loss of a parent, cancer, child abuse and neglect
This was such a great read! It's full of magic and myths! It's diverse and full of twists and turns. An island where X-men meets Maze Runner and entwined in Thai folklore. And representation of mental disorders as the main character Alaia has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. However, I cannot speak to the accuracy of the portrayal of the condition since I do not have it myself.
Alaia's mother is dying of cancer and to give her one last moment of true peace before she passes, they head to Thailand for one final adventure. While on a sightseeing cruise, the ship goes down after explosions in the engine room compromise the ship's integrity. The last thing Alaia remembers is getting on the lifeboat before waking up on a sandy beach in the middle of the ocean. Eleven other survivors are with her, including her mother. A series of events reveals that they're here for a purpose: to push them to their emotional and physical limits in hopes of revealing hidden abilities all around Thai folklore. Many refuse to play the game of their captor who has set up the island in such a way as to facilitate their research and experimentation.
I liked the variety of magical abilities. They weren't your typical set of pyromancy, telekinesis, and shapeshifting. Some served a single purpose and others were fairly useful. I don't want to give too much away without spoiling the adventure but I will say one character either spews flowers or worms from her mouth depending on the words she says and another person can turn into a crocodile!
As someone who is very close to her mother, this book definitely keeps me on the edge of my seat because I already struggle with the concept of losing my mother. I can't imagine what Alaia's going through knowing her mother is dying.
I like that every character gets a moment in the story. Something that highlights who they are. Not many stories do that I feel. It's like once those characters are introduced, they just remain in the periphery until they're needed again. My favorite characters were Mateo and Sylvie who show so much strength and spirit throughout the story.
I also liked how my questions were actually answered. I have a habit of looking for continuations of details that are brought up and love when I get answers to them. If I don't, it tends to impact my review without me realizing it. (whoops!)
Ok, clearly you see this isn't a 5-star review so let's talk about the things that weren't my favorite.
-I didn't think that they went as in-depth with the myths as they could have. There were definitely some stories told, but not all of them.
-I wanted to love Rae. I think she's still a strong character but she went back and forth from being this (pardon the phrase) badass to being "the mean girl". She'd redeem herself and then say something pretty crappy.
-There's a plot twist that I won't go into specifics of but it basically happens twice and as good as a gotcha moment is, it's less effective the second time. Kinda ruins the vibe because then you're just looking to have it happen a third time.
-There's also a scene towards the end that I wish we had dwelled on just a little longer. To really feel in that moment. Granted, I'm sure it would have ruined me if it did, but it just happened so fast I think it would've been more impactful on the reader if we held that moment just a little bit longer both before and after.
Otherwise, I enjoyed the read! Happy reading!
November 1, 2023
This review is originally posted on my blog, June Reads Books.
"But now I know that numbers aren't magic. They never have been. They may be a part of my life. But they don't have to rule me" (chapter 45).
Congratulations to Love Dunn on her debut novel, co-written with her mom, Pintip Dunn. This story was such a fun introduction to Thai folktales for me, and had me invested from beginning to end!
Two things that I feel like Dunn and Dunn do well here is give a great representation of OCD and grieving someone who has not passed yet. All encompassed in a story about a magical island and the lengths people will go to survive.
As someone who does not have OCD, I felt such empathy for Alaia as she is forced into a scenario where safety and certainty are non-existent. As she is thrust into situations where her OCD was screaming at her, where she couldn't get clean enough, where she couldn't complete her counting rituals to keep her and her mama safe, her emotions were deeply tangible. I do wonder what someone with OCD would think about this portrayal, though, because at the end of the book, it seemed like Alaia's OCD is practically non-existent. I do feel like her personal growth in overcoming hard situations in the midst of her disorder is believable, and maybe, just maybe, she was able to take some of that magic home with her to help her manage her day-to-day life better, but it really felt almost forgotten at the very end and I had a hard time believing that.
As someone who has watched someone die, had to say goodbye before they were fully gone, Dunn and Dunn handle this theme very well. Alaia's mama has terminal cancer, all she wants is to go home to Thailand once more with her family to go in peace. All Alaia wants is to make her mama smile 121 times on their trip so that she will feel like she's given her everything she can before they part. While they are stranded on this strange island, fighting for the opportunity to leave, Alaia is not only battling her OCD, but the ever present grief in knowing when to stop holding so tightly, learning how to function without the person she loves most while she is not yet gone. The emotions in this story are plentiful, painful, and beautiful.
While this is such a beautiful story that I obviously thoroughly enjoyed, I do wish we had a little bit more to make it feel more complete. I wanted a little more character building from the other people stranded on this island with them. I also wanted to know more about Bodin's family dynamic - granted, I realize why we didn't get much for a while; there is a great sense of mystery around him - do we trust him or not? But once more is revealed, I wanted just a little bit more: to understand his family more, to help with his character development, to give his and Alaia's romance a little more sustenance.
Pintip and Love Dunn wrote a very engaging, enchanting story of magic, learned strength, found family, and a deep admiration for the traditional Thai folktales they grew up with.
"But now I know that numbers aren't magic. They never have been. They may be a part of my life. But they don't have to rule me" (chapter 45).
Congratulations to Love Dunn on her debut novel, co-written with her mom, Pintip Dunn. This story was such a fun introduction to Thai folktales for me, and had me invested from beginning to end!
Two things that I feel like Dunn and Dunn do well here is give a great representation of OCD and grieving someone who has not passed yet. All encompassed in a story about a magical island and the lengths people will go to survive.
As someone who does not have OCD, I felt such empathy for Alaia as she is forced into a scenario where safety and certainty are non-existent. As she is thrust into situations where her OCD was screaming at her, where she couldn't get clean enough, where she couldn't complete her counting rituals to keep her and her mama safe, her emotions were deeply tangible. I do wonder what someone with OCD would think about this portrayal, though, because at the end of the book, it seemed like Alaia's OCD is practically non-existent. I do feel like her personal growth in overcoming hard situations in the midst of her disorder is believable, and maybe, just maybe, she was able to take some of that magic home with her to help her manage her day-to-day life better, but it really felt almost forgotten at the very end and I had a hard time believing that.
As someone who has watched someone die, had to say goodbye before they were fully gone, Dunn and Dunn handle this theme very well. Alaia's mama has terminal cancer, all she wants is to go home to Thailand once more with her family to go in peace. All Alaia wants is to make her mama smile 121 times on their trip so that she will feel like she's given her everything she can before they part. While they are stranded on this strange island, fighting for the opportunity to leave, Alaia is not only battling her OCD, but the ever present grief in knowing when to stop holding so tightly, learning how to function without the person she loves most while she is not yet gone. The emotions in this story are plentiful, painful, and beautiful.
While this is such a beautiful story that I obviously thoroughly enjoyed, I do wish we had a little bit more to make it feel more complete. I wanted a little more character building from the other people stranded on this island with them. I also wanted to know more about Bodin's family dynamic - granted, I realize why we didn't get much for a while; there is a great sense of mystery around him - do we trust him or not? But once more is revealed, I wanted just a little bit more: to understand his family more, to help with his character development, to give his and Alaia's romance a little more sustenance.
Pintip and Love Dunn wrote a very engaging, enchanting story of magic, learned strength, found family, and a deep admiration for the traditional Thai folktales they grew up with.
September 27, 2023
"The Lotus Flower Champion" is a standalone ya contemporary fantasy, inspired by Thai mythology, written by Pintip Dunn and Love Dunn.
Compelling, fast-paced and dynamic book that kept me highly entertained. A good mix of action, Thai mythology and family dynamics, sprinkled with a bit of romance. I don't consider it a perfect story, some elements didn't convince me, but overall I still enjoyed it.
I liked the writing a lot! Simple, effervescent and light, accompanied by vivid descriptions, kept me glued to the pages from beginning to end. The fast pace, combined with the presence of short chapters, enticed me to keep going, making me reach the end without almost realizing it. In my opinion, the author did an excellent job in portraying the emotions and turmoil of the protagonist, so much so that I felt them quite a bit and empathized with her.
The plot proceeds briskly, quickly and smoothly, full of action and adventure. After a slower, introductory beginning, the story accelerates and becomes a whirlwind of events, at times a bit too frenetic. I admit that I perceived several plot holes, several convenient situations, and a rushed ending, but overall I was convinced. I found the numerous anecdotes and stories regarding Thai mythology and folklore really interesting! In addition, the story deals with important issues such as OCD and the presence of a parent with terminal cancer, in a way that I found quite intense. On more than one occasion I confess to being moved and shedding a few tears!
I loved Alaia, the protagonist with her single first person pov! Alaia is a 17-year-old girl, daughter of two doctors, on vacation in Thailand for what should be a once-in-a-lifetime family trip. A last wish for her dying mother, suffering from terminal cancer. Alaia wants to make the experience perfect; she wants to make her mother smile so she can give her happy moments. Unfortunately, fate has other plans for them. Alaia is an extremely complex and tormented character, whose characterization I enjoyed so much. Alaia suffers from a strong and insidious OCD, which often makes her life really difficult. I appreciated the way it was portrayed, the attention behind the various details. Seriously, I was moved by Alaia and cheered for her! Also I cried over the relationship with her mother, painfully sweet and intense.
The rest of the secondary characters seemed rather shallow to me. I found them flat, poorly analyzed, albeit functional to the story. There is a romance component, never dominant over the plot, which unfortunately didn't convey much to me.
All in all, this is a fast, light, and engaging read, not without its flaws, which I recommend maybe when you are looking for a quick, easy-going book!
Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Compelling, fast-paced and dynamic book that kept me highly entertained. A good mix of action, Thai mythology and family dynamics, sprinkled with a bit of romance. I don't consider it a perfect story, some elements didn't convince me, but overall I still enjoyed it.
I liked the writing a lot! Simple, effervescent and light, accompanied by vivid descriptions, kept me glued to the pages from beginning to end. The fast pace, combined with the presence of short chapters, enticed me to keep going, making me reach the end without almost realizing it. In my opinion, the author did an excellent job in portraying the emotions and turmoil of the protagonist, so much so that I felt them quite a bit and empathized with her.
The plot proceeds briskly, quickly and smoothly, full of action and adventure. After a slower, introductory beginning, the story accelerates and becomes a whirlwind of events, at times a bit too frenetic. I admit that I perceived several plot holes, several convenient situations, and a rushed ending, but overall I was convinced. I found the numerous anecdotes and stories regarding Thai mythology and folklore really interesting! In addition, the story deals with important issues such as OCD and the presence of a parent with terminal cancer, in a way that I found quite intense. On more than one occasion I confess to being moved and shedding a few tears!
I loved Alaia, the protagonist with her single first person pov! Alaia is a 17-year-old girl, daughter of two doctors, on vacation in Thailand for what should be a once-in-a-lifetime family trip. A last wish for her dying mother, suffering from terminal cancer. Alaia wants to make the experience perfect; she wants to make her mother smile so she can give her happy moments. Unfortunately, fate has other plans for them. Alaia is an extremely complex and tormented character, whose characterization I enjoyed so much. Alaia suffers from a strong and insidious OCD, which often makes her life really difficult. I appreciated the way it was portrayed, the attention behind the various details. Seriously, I was moved by Alaia and cheered for her! Also I cried over the relationship with her mother, painfully sweet and intense.
The rest of the secondary characters seemed rather shallow to me. I found them flat, poorly analyzed, albeit functional to the story. There is a romance component, never dominant over the plot, which unfortunately didn't convey much to me.
All in all, this is a fast, light, and engaging read, not without its flaws, which I recommend maybe when you are looking for a quick, easy-going book!
Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 25, 2023
Rating: 4/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.
This book starts off with Alaia and her parents going on a trip for her mother’s last request before she dies from cancer. Everything started out magically and they spent a lot of time together until one day they went out on a boat and nothing from that point went the way that they thought it would. Their boat starts to sink and when they board a raft, they find themselves drugged. When they awaken people from the boat are on a deserted island. Where nothing is as it seems, there are no animals or any people other than other people from the boat.
Everyone on the island soon finds out that they were not just washed up to this island, but everything was planned by an evil man who is running experiments on the survivors to see if he can find the only one that shows the powers of being The Lotus Flower Champion. Not only is Alaia and her mother together on this island with the other survivors but they cannot find her father and for Alaia that is even worse because she has OCD, and she struggles with things not being perfect, she is having to deal with being all around sand, dirty and no clean clothes. Alaia thought this was her hell, but she would soon find out that it was just the start.
I really enjoyed the mix of mystery and mythology in this book. I thought the author’s writing style was fresh and the plot was something that I have not read before. I loved that the survivors had to wait to develop their powers, and having to wait it out to see who got what was done well. I thought the Thia mythology was interesting to learn about and see how mythologies matched the survivors. There was some romance in this book, but it was more of a subplot, it was still there but it was more about Alaia and her disorder along with trying to unlock everyone’s powers.
I thought the author did an amazing job shining the light on OCD, I know a few people in life that have suffered with OCD. So, it was nice to an author add the real struggles that Alaia was/went through in this book. I enjoyed learning how Alaia coped with it, but more than that the strength that she had to help her overcome her moments when it was bad. I also enjoyed that the author added characters that didn’t know about OCD and ones that did and helped Alaia in moments that she was too far gone.
The other characters in the book were well developed and you can easily find their place in this book.
I did find that at times the book did slow-down in pace, and I found myself thinking about other things, but it didn’t last long and then I was hooked again.
If you like YA fantasy, mythologies, great rep on OCD, mystery, all with a little romance. You should pick this book up.
I want to thank Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.
This book starts off with Alaia and her parents going on a trip for her mother’s last request before she dies from cancer. Everything started out magically and they spent a lot of time together until one day they went out on a boat and nothing from that point went the way that they thought it would. Their boat starts to sink and when they board a raft, they find themselves drugged. When they awaken people from the boat are on a deserted island. Where nothing is as it seems, there are no animals or any people other than other people from the boat.
Everyone on the island soon finds out that they were not just washed up to this island, but everything was planned by an evil man who is running experiments on the survivors to see if he can find the only one that shows the powers of being The Lotus Flower Champion. Not only is Alaia and her mother together on this island with the other survivors but they cannot find her father and for Alaia that is even worse because she has OCD, and she struggles with things not being perfect, she is having to deal with being all around sand, dirty and no clean clothes. Alaia thought this was her hell, but she would soon find out that it was just the start.
I really enjoyed the mix of mystery and mythology in this book. I thought the author’s writing style was fresh and the plot was something that I have not read before. I loved that the survivors had to wait to develop their powers, and having to wait it out to see who got what was done well. I thought the Thia mythology was interesting to learn about and see how mythologies matched the survivors. There was some romance in this book, but it was more of a subplot, it was still there but it was more about Alaia and her disorder along with trying to unlock everyone’s powers.
I thought the author did an amazing job shining the light on OCD, I know a few people in life that have suffered with OCD. So, it was nice to an author add the real struggles that Alaia was/went through in this book. I enjoyed learning how Alaia coped with it, but more than that the strength that she had to help her overcome her moments when it was bad. I also enjoyed that the author added characters that didn’t know about OCD and ones that did and helped Alaia in moments that she was too far gone.
The other characters in the book were well developed and you can easily find their place in this book.
I did find that at times the book did slow-down in pace, and I found myself thinking about other things, but it didn’t last long and then I was hooked again.
If you like YA fantasy, mythologies, great rep on OCD, mystery, all with a little romance. You should pick this book up.
I want to thank Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.
November 6, 2023
Special thanks to the author(s), publisher, Goodreads and/or NetGalley for the review copy. All views and opinions expressed are honest and my own.
This book follows Alaia’s journey alongside her mom and ten other individuals trapped on an island, forced to awaken their inner abilities.
The concept is interesting but not a unique one. This story does a good job executing the game island scenario while weaving Thai folktales. I felt that the folktales have been simplified enough that they don’t lose their original essence, but are easy enough for someone without any exposure to understand. I liked how each folktale connected with an ability and was related to the events occurring to our twelve stranded individuals.
The stakes for obtaining freedom are pretty simple and there are quite a bit of twists and turns to accompany the added suspense. However, there’s nothing at stake and this makes most of the events fall flat. The supposed “villain” doesn’t really feel like a villain at the end either, although they are by their actions. For me, I think it was the writing as it unfortunately doesn’t evoke emotions. It stays measured throughout, making romantic scenes feel the same as scenes displaying conflict.
The story is descriptive which helps paint a beautiful landscape of the island our characters are stranded on. I enjoyed how the descriptions were mainly painted through the characters’ nonchalant observations as it made it feel more realistic.
I loved how the story depicted Alaia’s OCD. I found the scenes well written and it helped me obtain a different understanding about the struggles with OCD. This was definitely the highlight of the story and an eye opener for me.
That said, the rest of the characters, except Matteo, fell flat in comparison. I’m actually quite conflicted on how I feel about this, because these twelve individuals aren’t on the island for long and Alaia doesn’t open up with a lot of them. So it does make sense to know less about them, but I feel like I have an incomplete picture about them which left me unsatisfied. Maybe this story would have been better as a series so each character could have been ironed out.
Overall, this was a bittersweet and informative read. I can’t say I was connected to any of the characters but I did enjoy reading about Thai folktales and I do love the concept. Also, this book does cover the topics of abuse, neglect and death, so I’d be weary of those. I would recommend this solely for the Thai folktales and OCD representation.
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf
This book follows Alaia’s journey alongside her mom and ten other individuals trapped on an island, forced to awaken their inner abilities.
The concept is interesting but not a unique one. This story does a good job executing the game island scenario while weaving Thai folktales. I felt that the folktales have been simplified enough that they don’t lose their original essence, but are easy enough for someone without any exposure to understand. I liked how each folktale connected with an ability and was related to the events occurring to our twelve stranded individuals.
The stakes for obtaining freedom are pretty simple and there are quite a bit of twists and turns to accompany the added suspense. However, there’s nothing at stake and this makes most of the events fall flat. The supposed “villain” doesn’t really feel like a villain at the end either, although they are by their actions. For me, I think it was the writing as it unfortunately doesn’t evoke emotions. It stays measured throughout, making romantic scenes feel the same as scenes displaying conflict.
The story is descriptive which helps paint a beautiful landscape of the island our characters are stranded on. I enjoyed how the descriptions were mainly painted through the characters’ nonchalant observations as it made it feel more realistic.
I loved how the story depicted Alaia’s OCD. I found the scenes well written and it helped me obtain a different understanding about the struggles with OCD. This was definitely the highlight of the story and an eye opener for me.
That said, the rest of the characters, except Matteo, fell flat in comparison. I’m actually quite conflicted on how I feel about this, because these twelve individuals aren’t on the island for long and Alaia doesn’t open up with a lot of them. So it does make sense to know less about them, but I feel like I have an incomplete picture about them which left me unsatisfied. Maybe this story would have been better as a series so each character could have been ironed out.
Overall, this was a bittersweet and informative read. I can’t say I was connected to any of the characters but I did enjoy reading about Thai folktales and I do love the concept. Also, this book does cover the topics of abuse, neglect and death, so I’d be weary of those. I would recommend this solely for the Thai folktales and OCD representation.
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf
December 21, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for give me an advanced copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
Amé esta historia! Confieso que al comienzo me dio un poco de miedo leerla en inglés porque es fantasía, y por lo general los libros de fantasía incluyen un lenguaje y términos propios un poco más complejos de entender si eres de nivel avanzado en el idioma. Y, adicional a eso, esta historia tiene de base varios cuentos tradicionales Tailandeses, mitos de su cultura y palabras asociadas a ellos. Peeeero, aun con eso y todo, la sinopsis de la historia y mi instinto coincidieron en que me podía gustar bastante. Entonces la curiosidad también hizo lo suyo y pues, me lancé a leer.
Disfruté demasiado leer la historia. Todo comienza muy tranquilo, con la protagonista y su familia de viaje por unas vacaciones soñadas en Tailandia. Sin embargo, en medio de un paseo en el mar, el barco tiene complicaciones y luego de evacuarlo en botes salvavidas, quedan 12 personas varadas en una isla paradisiaca pero desierta, sin comunicación con el exterior ni forma de salir de ahí.
Hasta ahí, según yo, todo normal aún. Lo loco comienza cuando estos sobrevivientes se dan cuenta de que esta isla no es normal, hay cierta magia escondida en ella. Y, además, (leer bajo su propio riesgo)
Estos sobrevivientes, deberán poco a poco comenzar a interactuar y conocerse. La protagonista deberá luchar con su mente y su OCD (TOC) que intenta dominarla en cada paso en una isla desconocida donde no hay nada bajo su control, ni si quiera el rápido deterioro en la salud de su madre, a quien quiere sacar de ahí a toda costa. Distintos caracteres, opiniones y edades deberán convivir y comenzar a trabajar como un equipo si quieren lograr salir de allí y regresar a sus hogares y familias.
En esta historia yo encontré un poco de todo, aventuras, emociones, romance (muy cute), magia, folclor, intriga, superación, acción, drama, traiciones, peleas y así podría seguir y seguir. Según yo, es muy completa. No podía dejar de imaginar que quedaría estupendo en una película.
En fin, una historia donde lo ancestral conoce a lo moderno. Una tierna historia escrita por madre e hija y con una bellísima relación madre-hija entre sus páginas.
Sinceramente lo recomiendo, creo que sería un estupendo regalo de navidad para adolescentes y jóvenes y quizá incluso niños.
Me encantaría que tuviera una segunda parte, si fuera el caso, la leería sin duda.
Amé esta historia! Confieso que al comienzo me dio un poco de miedo leerla en inglés porque es fantasía, y por lo general los libros de fantasía incluyen un lenguaje y términos propios un poco más complejos de entender si eres de nivel avanzado en el idioma. Y, adicional a eso, esta historia tiene de base varios cuentos tradicionales Tailandeses, mitos de su cultura y palabras asociadas a ellos. Peeeero, aun con eso y todo, la sinopsis de la historia y mi instinto coincidieron en que me podía gustar bastante. Entonces la curiosidad también hizo lo suyo y pues, me lancé a leer.
Disfruté demasiado leer la historia. Todo comienza muy tranquilo, con la protagonista y su familia de viaje por unas vacaciones soñadas en Tailandia. Sin embargo, en medio de un paseo en el mar, el barco tiene complicaciones y luego de evacuarlo en botes salvavidas, quedan 12 personas varadas en una isla paradisiaca pero desierta, sin comunicación con el exterior ni forma de salir de ahí.
Hasta ahí, según yo, todo normal aún. Lo loco comienza cuando estos sobrevivientes se dan cuenta de que esta isla no es normal, hay cierta magia escondida en ella. Y, además, (leer bajo su propio riesgo)
Estos sobrevivientes, deberán poco a poco comenzar a interactuar y conocerse. La protagonista deberá luchar con su mente y su OCD (TOC) que intenta dominarla en cada paso en una isla desconocida donde no hay nada bajo su control, ni si quiera el rápido deterioro en la salud de su madre, a quien quiere sacar de ahí a toda costa. Distintos caracteres, opiniones y edades deberán convivir y comenzar a trabajar como un equipo si quieren lograr salir de allí y regresar a sus hogares y familias.
En esta historia yo encontré un poco de todo, aventuras, emociones, romance (muy cute), magia, folclor, intriga, superación, acción, drama, traiciones, peleas y así podría seguir y seguir. Según yo, es muy completa. No podía dejar de imaginar que quedaría estupendo en una película.
En fin, una historia donde lo ancestral conoce a lo moderno. Una tierna historia escrita por madre e hija y con una bellísima relación madre-hija entre sus páginas.
Sinceramente lo recomiendo, creo que sería un estupendo regalo de navidad para adolescentes y jóvenes y quizá incluso niños.
Me encantaría que tuviera una segunda parte, si fuera el caso, la leería sin duda.
October 13, 2024
i’m being very generous with the two stars here. i liked the portrayal of ocd and the thai folklore twists but for the love of god, i hated the half-cooked romance.
i always say this but if you can’t write romance, please remove the aspect altogether. the twist would have worked just fine even if the main leads weren’t romantically involved.
but alas, we got the cringe romance between the beautiful wasian alaia and bodin. just because!
when i tell you i almost threw my kindle away when i read this. my girl, you just met him yesterday? what the fuck are you blabbering about? bodin’s strong attraction to her also made no sense because until the middle of the book, they barely interacted with one another.
boy, what are you talking about? you barely know this girl. you’re better off saying you only like her because she’s exceptionally prettier than all the other girls. maybe i would respect you better.
alaia’s ocd seemingly cured because of ~love~ also annoyed me in the end. wouldn’t recommend this to anyone.
i always say this but if you can’t write romance, please remove the aspect altogether. the twist would have worked just fine even if the main leads weren’t romantically involved.
but alas, we got the cringe romance between the beautiful wasian alaia and bodin. just because!
“Thank you,” I say gratefully. The moment lengthens. Our eyes lock together, and he leans closer, as though to confess something intimate or…I don’t know, kiss me. My mind scrambles. We just met. And yet…I want to explore this unfamiliar feeling. Is this it? Am I about to have my first kiss, right here, right now, on this godforsaken island, with the sun beating down on me and Mama twenty feet away, the other castaways liable to pop up at any minute?
when i tell you i almost threw my kindle away when i read this. my girl, you just met him yesterday? what the fuck are you blabbering about? bodin’s strong attraction to her also made no sense because until the middle of the book, they barely interacted with one another.
“There is this one girl,” he says, his tone contemplative. “Should I tell you about her?”
“Yes?” I say, when I really mean maybe.
“She’s pretty. I noticed that in the first half second. But that’s not why I’m drawn to her. Why I want to be around her all the time. She’s the opposite of what I’m used to. You see, she has the biggest capability to love out of anyone I’ve ever met. She doesn’t trust easily, but when she does open up, I can tell that she gives all of her heart.”
boy, what are you talking about? you barely know this girl. you’re better off saying you only like her because she’s exceptionally prettier than all the other girls. maybe i would respect you better.
alaia’s ocd seemingly cured because of ~love~ also annoyed me in the end. wouldn’t recommend this to anyone.
October 29, 2023
Alaia and her parents go to Thailand as one of her mother’s last wishes before her cancer takes her away. They go on a yacht tour when suddenly the yacht starts sinking and they abandon ship. While on a lifeboat, they drink water that puts them to sleep and they wake up stranded on an island with the other survivors trying to figure out how to get off this island.
I’m not quite sure what to say about this book 😅
What I did enjoy is learning about Thai myths and their stories, which I found fun and interesting to read about. There’s a unique found family that occurs here, and some interesting magic that occurs.
I do feel like the book was a bit thrown together. I didn’t really understand why certain people were selected to be on this island to gain powers, it was very random. A lot of what happened kind of just happened and it was rather confusing to me, I guess the pacing was a bit abrupt and fast for me. Not enough world and character building for me.
It also seemed like it was two stories, a story about the island and a story about Alaia and who she is and about her learning to control her OCD. It was all kind of mushed together.
I also wasn’t a huge fan of the romance. I mean it was okay, Bodin wasn’t my favorite, but it was a cute first love.
There were some twists, but I saw them from the beginning and some of the “evil” that occurred seemed a bit over the top, and excessive. Although, I have to say, when one is grieving, they may do things without thinking, so there is that.
Overall, it was an okay story. I mean it kept my attention and I wanted to know how it ended. It just wasn’t my favorite. Definitely was an easy read! And I recommend it since I know others would enjoy this unique story!
I received a free digital copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I’m not quite sure what to say about this book 😅
What I did enjoy is learning about Thai myths and their stories, which I found fun and interesting to read about. There’s a unique found family that occurs here, and some interesting magic that occurs.
I do feel like the book was a bit thrown together. I didn’t really understand why certain people were selected to be on this island to gain powers, it was very random. A lot of what happened kind of just happened and it was rather confusing to me, I guess the pacing was a bit abrupt and fast for me. Not enough world and character building for me.
It also seemed like it was two stories, a story about the island and a story about Alaia and who she is and about her learning to control her OCD. It was all kind of mushed together.
I also wasn’t a huge fan of the romance. I mean it was okay, Bodin wasn’t my favorite, but it was a cute first love.
There were some twists, but I saw them from the beginning and some of the “evil” that occurred seemed a bit over the top, and excessive. Although, I have to say, when one is grieving, they may do things without thinking, so there is that.
Overall, it was an okay story. I mean it kept my attention and I wanted to know how it ended. It just wasn’t my favorite. Definitely was an easy read! And I recommend it since I know others would enjoy this unique story!
I received a free digital copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
October 19, 2023
The Lotus Flower Champion is a magical, powerful YA fantasy adventure filled with intrigue till the very end! I've never read a book quite like this one--and that's a very good thing. Just when I thought I had the plot figured out, it twisted again, taking me to unexpected places.
I really loved the interweaving of Thai culture and traditional legends throughout. The explanation of the island where the characters are stranded and the magic system that rules it (as well as the ending that it ultimately leads to) were very satisfying.
The main character, Alaia, while dealing with something most of us will never face, was also extremely relatable. As the mother of a neurodivergent child myself, I appreciated the window into the inner workings of a main character whose experience in the world is different from the so-called norm. Alaia's down-to-earth straightforwardness and vulnerability were appealing, and I couldn't wait to see how she'd rise to the ever-escalating challenges, growing in bravery and self-knowledge. Her close relationship with her mother was particularly touching. I love the fact this story was written by a mother-daughter co-writing team!
There's a very sweet first-love story as well (which is always a big plus for this reader!) It'll hook older readers (like me,) but there's nothing in the story that would make it inappropriate for middle-grade readers, and I can see them loving it as well.
If you like a good supernatural mystery with a twisty plot, a little light romance, and a unique, magical setting, The Lotus Flower Champion is the book for you.
I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of this book and have provided my honest review.
I really loved the interweaving of Thai culture and traditional legends throughout. The explanation of the island where the characters are stranded and the magic system that rules it (as well as the ending that it ultimately leads to) were very satisfying.
The main character, Alaia, while dealing with something most of us will never face, was also extremely relatable. As the mother of a neurodivergent child myself, I appreciated the window into the inner workings of a main character whose experience in the world is different from the so-called norm. Alaia's down-to-earth straightforwardness and vulnerability were appealing, and I couldn't wait to see how she'd rise to the ever-escalating challenges, growing in bravery and self-knowledge. Her close relationship with her mother was particularly touching. I love the fact this story was written by a mother-daughter co-writing team!
There's a very sweet first-love story as well (which is always a big plus for this reader!) It'll hook older readers (like me,) but there's nothing in the story that would make it inappropriate for middle-grade readers, and I can see them loving it as well.
If you like a good supernatural mystery with a twisty plot, a little light romance, and a unique, magical setting, The Lotus Flower Champion is the book for you.
I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of this book and have provided my honest review.
October 20, 2023
- I read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book given to me by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own -
This was both very different from typical YA literature and still felt all the same - the biggest surprise was probably that the main protagonist Alaia has OCD and the book both explores her and her condition really beautifully, making sure that people who not have OCD can understand her struggles and also see how strong she is when she learns how to work with her condition. While Alaia is written quite well and in-depth, this makes all the other not so well characterised castaways seem less than actual people but more like walking two or thee word character descriptions. So it comes to no surprise that most of the personal conflict falls quite flat.
Plot wise there is a lot to say. The book keeps comparing itself to ‘squid game’ and ‘Peter Pan’ and both are not really true. But it tries to follow the typical trope of „castaways surviving in a game-like environment with one big bad who has been controlling everything from the beginning” and is very predictable with it’s plot. Both the romance and th character developments, deaths and who is going to be the Lotus Flower Champion are quite easy to guess from the beginning. The myths are interesting by themselves but a quick look at the source material reveals that the book uses quite many without real depth or accuracy to the real stories to further the plot.
The writing style could use some work in parts but I overall enjoyed reading this book, even if it has its flaws and doesn’t work for me all the way through.
This was both very different from typical YA literature and still felt all the same - the biggest surprise was probably that the main protagonist Alaia has OCD and the book both explores her and her condition really beautifully, making sure that people who not have OCD can understand her struggles and also see how strong she is when she learns how to work with her condition. While Alaia is written quite well and in-depth, this makes all the other not so well characterised castaways seem less than actual people but more like walking two or thee word character descriptions. So it comes to no surprise that most of the personal conflict falls quite flat.
Plot wise there is a lot to say. The book keeps comparing itself to ‘squid game’ and ‘Peter Pan’ and both are not really true. But it tries to follow the typical trope of „castaways surviving in a game-like environment with one big bad who has been controlling everything from the beginning” and is very predictable with it’s plot. Both the romance and th character developments, deaths and who is going to be the Lotus Flower Champion are quite easy to guess from the beginning. The myths are interesting by themselves but a quick look at the source material reveals that the book uses quite many without real depth or accuracy to the real stories to further the plot.
The writing style could use some work in parts but I overall enjoyed reading this book, even if it has its flaws and doesn’t work for me all the way through.
October 30, 2023
Thai mythology slams into a teen's desire for her mother and herself to survive on an island, which is filled with dangers...and not all come from the nature around them.
Alaia has only two goals during her family's vacation, to spend every possible moment with her mother and to keep a smile on her mother's face. After several rounds of chemo, it's clear her mother won't hold on much longer. While Alaia's OCD is making the stay in Thailand challenging, it's worth every effort for her mother. When an ship excursion turns into disaster, Alaia and her mother find themselves stranded with several other passengers on a deserted island. It may look like paradise, but every part of it holds unexpected dangers. Add a madman's desire to use them as guinea pigs in testing myth's reality, and Alaia isn't sure that any of them are going to survive.
While this one didn't really hold the promised Squid Games atmosphere (the stakes are nearly high enough for that), it is a quick-paced read with enough tension to keep those pages turning. The beginning takes a little bit to settle in, but after that, the stories flows leading from one situation to the next. The island is as beautiful as it is deadly, and the other characters add the right spice at the right times. Several of these were especially strong and really dug in. The romance wasn't the most exciting, but it settles fine along the way for the extra touch. It's the Thai mythology and Alaia's own struggles, which stick out in these pages to make it worth a glance. I received a DRC and enjoyed the original twists.
Alaia has only two goals during her family's vacation, to spend every possible moment with her mother and to keep a smile on her mother's face. After several rounds of chemo, it's clear her mother won't hold on much longer. While Alaia's OCD is making the stay in Thailand challenging, it's worth every effort for her mother. When an ship excursion turns into disaster, Alaia and her mother find themselves stranded with several other passengers on a deserted island. It may look like paradise, but every part of it holds unexpected dangers. Add a madman's desire to use them as guinea pigs in testing myth's reality, and Alaia isn't sure that any of them are going to survive.
While this one didn't really hold the promised Squid Games atmosphere (the stakes are nearly high enough for that), it is a quick-paced read with enough tension to keep those pages turning. The beginning takes a little bit to settle in, but after that, the stories flows leading from one situation to the next. The island is as beautiful as it is deadly, and the other characters add the right spice at the right times. Several of these were especially strong and really dug in. The romance wasn't the most exciting, but it settles fine along the way for the extra touch. It's the Thai mythology and Alaia's own struggles, which stick out in these pages to make it worth a glance. I received a DRC and enjoyed the original twists.
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