Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin

Synopsis:
The moon is missing from the remote Village of Clear Sky, but only a young boy named Rendi seems to notice! Rendi has run away from home and is now working as a chore boy at the village inn. He can't help but notice the village's peculiar inhabitants and their problems-where has the innkeeper's son gone? Why are Master Chao and Widow Yan always arguing? What is the crying sound Rendi keeps hearing? And how can crazy, old Mr. Shan not know if his pet is a toad or a rabbit?


But one day, a mysterious lady arrives at the Inn with the gift of storytelling, and slowly transforms the villagers and Rendi himself. As she tells more stories and the days pass in the Village of Clear Sky, Rendi begins to realize that perhaps it is his own story that holds the answers to all those questions.

Newbery Honor author Grace Lin brings readers another enthralling fantasy featuring her marvelous full-color illustrations. Starry River of the Sky is filled with Chinese folklore, fascinating characters, and exciting new adventures.
(Synopsis from Goodreads.)

My Thoughts:
I love books about folklore. I find folklores of different countries to be fascinating. I especially love learning anything I can about Asian folklore. Some of the the folklores stories from Asia are really creative and amazing. Therefore, it's no surprise that I really enjoyed Starry River of the Sky.

I read Starry River of the Sky for the Bout of Books readathon, and enjoyed it immensely. At first, I wasn't sure whether I liked the main character, Rendi, or not. However, as the story goes on, he goes through some major character growth and development. He becomes a much more mature character. By the end of the book, I liked him quite a bit. My favorite character was Mr. Shan. He made me laugh quite a bit. 

The plot could be slow at times in the beginning, as the reader is trying to figure out why all of this crazy stuff is going on. However, when everything is woven together at the end and revealed, it was pure magic. I didn't figure out anything at the end before it happened. I also loved the illustrations in the book. They added a lot to the story, and helped to visualize everything in my head.

I enjoyed Starry River of the Sky quite a bit. It was a good middle grade novel that also teaches a lesson about life. It made me excited to read Grace Lin's companion novel, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon.

I give Starry River of the Sky: 4/5.

Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://www.gracelin.com/
Website: http://www.gracelinbooks.com/
Blog: http://www.gracelinblog.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorGraceLin
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pacylin
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/59390.Grace_Lin

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.