A Korea’s Morning Calm nomineeA Ohio’s Buckeye List nomineeA Tomes’ It List nominee
“This richly detailed novel kept me turning the pages well into the night. Jae Hwa starts off as a strong character and ends as a noble one, using both her brains and her brawn to win the day.” —Beth Revis, New York Times bestselling author of Across the Universe
“Farley brings South Korea’s fascinating culture and mythology into vivid detail in this shining debut, and Jae is a compelling heroine. An exotic, thrilling read, Gilded had me utterly entranced!” —Jessica Khoury, author of Origin
“Energy, adventure, and ancient Korean legends whisk the reader away to lands real and spirit bound. Jae Hwa proves to be a worthy heroine as she accepts the challenge of her life, learns that even tough girls can fall for nice boys, and finds that Korea has become her true home. Further adventures are on the way.” —Booklist
“Gilded is an extremely fun book that offers the perspective of a Korean-American teen living in a foreign country. It’s also a twist on standard paranormal books, with new monsters and mythical beings. Jae Hwa is a great role model—a strong fighter who’s still unsure she can defeat Haemosu. She’s real and believable. Gilded also has interesting locales, a romance, side characters, and Korean myth and history. After finishing the first book, readers will be eager to dive into the second one, Silvern.” —Common Sense Media (5 stars)
06/01/2014
Gr 7 Up—Four years after her mother's death, 16-year-old Korean American Jae Hwa Lee and her father leave Los Angeles behind to move to Seoul, South Korea. Jae's biggest concerns are fitting in at her new international school and keeping up with her classes, along with maintaining her status as a hard-core black belt. When her formidable grandfather warns her that the demigod Haemosu has stolen the soul of the firstborn female in her family for generations, and she is next, Jae isn't sure what to believe. The teen soon discovers that her grandfather's warnings prove all too real, and she must use her tae kwon do and archery skills, as well as unexpected help from her enigmatic and attractive classmate Marc, to escape the fate of the women who came before her. While the premise sounds promising, the story does not completely fulfill expectations. The breakneck pace leaves the plot feeling scattered and lacking emotional depth. While Jae has potential as a strong female protagonist, other characters are not fully developed, and become overused caricatures: the intelligent, attractive love interest with a mysterious secret; the dismissive workaholic parent. The Korean setting and myths make for an interesting backdrop, but stop short of providing readers with a rich, fully realized cultural experience. Recommended for large collections where fantasy is in high demand.—Kelsey Johnson-Kaiser, Columbus Public Library, WI
