There has been a wonderful influx of BIPOC representation in middle school fantasy and this title did not disappoint. Pahua was relatable (not fitting in, feeling different from her peers) and likeable. What I enjoyed about this title was its (not too) dark moments and the message of hope. And not least, its Hmong representation which is not seen often across the genres.

Received an eArc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A new addition to the Rick Riordan Presents line, Pahua and the Soul Stealer follows Pahua, a Hmong girl who has always been able to see the spirits around her. After stumbling across a sad spirit, her attempts to help backfire as the spirit steals her brother’s soul. Now Pahua has to venture into the spirit world with her trusty cat companion and a shaman warrior to save her brother.

This book was another good addition to the Riordan Presents line of books. It had horror elements to it, which I enjoyed. The spirits are creepy and Lee leans into that. While it doesn’t break any new ground, it was an enjoyable ride.

I would recommend this book for intermediate and middle school classrooms.

I appreciate the way these books introduce us to often overlooked mythologies and cultures. I know next to nothing about the Hmong people. And I wouldn't say that I understand the culture now but it introduced some curiosity. That aside, the plot is perfectly complicated. There are the right number of complications for this adventure, each leading logically to the next. The characters are believable.

I loved this book and purchased it for our library. It would be great for a tween book club. There was a lot of action.

Eleven-year-old Pahua can see spirits. In fact, her best friend (her only friend) is a cat spirit. One day, she meets an angry spirit who steals her brother’s soul. Pahua ventures into the spirit world with a shaman warrior student to find the spirit and save her brother.

An action-packed story weaving family, friendship, and adventure with Hmong mythology. Pahua is a wonderful character who begins to find herself while trying to save her brother. She has a great imagination and sense of humor. She cares about others, tries to really see them and to help them.

The narration is wonderful. The expression is just right. The smooth pronunciation of unfamiliar words makes it a great listen.

I received an eARC of this title through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Story: This book was fantastic! The story was well paced, thought out, and engaging. The characters were fleshed out and felt like real people. Pahua is a realistic and beautiful character. She is tough and sensitive to her family even when that can be hard. Through her journey, she learns about herself and her past which impacts her future. Her best friend and spirit she constantly sees Miv is also a great character. The cat spirit reminds of me Jiji from Kiki's Delivery Service. The cat is snarky, secretive, and surprisingly loving.

The setting of the story takes readers from the real world to the spirit world and beyond. The spirits are described and created brilliantly. I loved learning about Hmong culture, spirits, and history. The author did a fantastic job of bringing this all to life for the reader.

Narrator: The narrator of this story did a phenomenal job of creating voices and setting for these characters. Her inflections and energy added to the atmosphere of the story and really brought it to life.

All in all, I loved this story. I think this is one of my favorites from the Rick Riordan presents series.

Like all Rick Riordan presents titles, I went in knowing I would like this story and I was not wrong! Pahua felt like a genuine person and I was rooting for her from the start. Learning about the Hmong people was also fascinating and I think this action-packed story will be a big hit with kids! I've already put our library copy into the hands of a kid!

Great spooky read for youth in middle school! Any kid who loved any of Rick Riordan's books and isn't scared of some ghost action will enjoy this book! Exploring a bit of another's culture always brings a good adventure experience aspect for young readers. I'll be recommending this to my young readers in my library. The audiobook is also well done and will be beneficial to those who are busy or have difficulty reading.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rick Riordan Presents, and Disney Audiobooks for the opportunity to review and Advanced Reader Copy of this title.

Shaman warriors, spirits, demons, dragons, and mythological creatures...Pahua and the Soul Stealer by Lori M. Lee has all of these things and much more!

This book is about a Hmong girl named Pahua who has always been a bit of an outcast. She is able to see and talk to spirits that nobody else knows is there. Even her younger brother has started feeling like Pahua is too old to "pretend" in this way. One day Pahua encounters a lonely bridge spirit and feeling sorry for the spirit, she accidentally untethers it from its' bridge. Her younger brother encounters the bridge spirit and then becomes gravely ill. Pahua fears that it is all her fault, so she sets off on a journey to save her brother. Along the way she meets a shaman warrior-in-training and begins to realize the extent of her own powers. The two encounter many obstacles on their journey, but they learn to work together to overcome whatever they may face.

The author and the narrator both do an excellent job of portraying the personalities of the different characters. At times, they are a bit humorous with their sarcastic and witty comments. Conversely, readers are also given insight into how guilty Pahua feels about her brother being ill and how important it is for her to come up with a solution.

I would recommend Pahua and the Soul Stealer to readers that have previously enjoyed the Percy Jackson series or other titles published by Rick Riordan presents. This is a great book for fans of mythology and readers that enjoy action and adventure.

#NetGalley #PahuaandtheSoulStealer #middlegradereads #bookreviews

This is such a fun fantasy! Pahua is a great character, and I loved the balance of vulnerability and humor in the narration. The audiobook reader did an excellent job!

Pahua is such a kick-butt heroine in this Rick Riordan Presents series. I am still obsessed with all these mythologies and have been steadily devouring them. I feel like I learned so much about Hmong mythology and culture from this novel. I am even more in LOVE with Pahua's cat spirit friend, Miv.
Basic premise: Pahua doesn't fit in at school. She sees spirits everywhere, but no one else does. So it often looks like she's talking to herself... and that plus her not standard lunches makes her stand out at school. She also doesn't have much of a life outside of school since she has to rush home to take her of her little brother. Her mom works a lot making charms and traveling to help others. So it's up to Pahua to take care of her brother. He's the only one who knows about her abilities and his imagination is boundless.
Pahua may have accidentally set free a bridge spirit which in turn unleashes a series of unfortunate events and creates our quest to save her brother's soul. Along the way, she makes a friend, encounters allies, faces off against the bad guys and learns more about herself and her culture.
Miv has a dark past. If anything, pick up this novel to find out what dark past Miv has.
I will be adding this one to my collection at school!

11-year old, Pahua Moua, is a bit of an outcast amongst her peers. Because of this, she spends her summer days babysitting her little brother, Matt, and hanging out with Miv, a cat spirit only she can see. That's fine with Pahua though. Matt and Miv are her best friends, who else would she want to hang out with.

Pahua's Dad left them, so her Mom has to work a lot, leaving Pahua and Matt home alone quite a bit. That makes Pahua sad and she frequently wonders why her Dad went away. Her Mom has never really offered up an explanation.

As a Hmong-girl, living in a mostly white town in Wisconsin, Pahua also has that setting her apart from those around her; making her feel isolated at school and in her neighborhood. Pahua also carries a secret. She can see spirits!

One day, exploring near the local haunted bridge, she notices a little ghost girl. Pahua tries to be friendly to her, but this is no innocent appariation and before she knows it, her brother's life hangs in the balance. Matt has fallen into some sort of deep sleep and cannot be awoken. Pahua must risk it all and travel into the spirit realm, battling all sorts of unknown dangers, in order to try to save him.

Surprising no one, I absolutely adored this story. The <i>Rick Riordan Presents</i> imprint is such a gift. Giving Readers the opportunity to learn about myths, legends and cultures from around the world through engaging, action-packed, heart-warming stories is so special.

Lori M. Lee's Middle Grade debut, <i>Pahua and the Soul Stealer</i>, is actually one of my favorite releases thus far and I have read almost all of them.

Pahua is an incredible character. Her spirit, determination and strength, in the face of terrifying odds, never faltered. Her love for her brother kept her going, pushing through some really difficult obstacles.

The entire story was full of the perfect mix of humor, heart and action. From the very first chapter, I was laughing and grew so attached to Pahua as her narrative played out. I listened to the audiobook and it was so well done; highly recommend that format!

I feel like I am forgetting a ton of things that I wanted to say about this, but in the end, that's probably for the best. Everyone should go into this knowing as little as possible. Let the fun and adventure wash over you. It's a heck of an entertaining, soul-warming, nail-biting ride!!!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney Audio and <i>Rick Riordan Presents</i>, for providing me with a copy to read and review. It was so much fun!

I am looking forward to more releases in this world with Pahua and friends!!!

Pauha was such a great book overall. I loved that Wisconsin gets a feature in a Rick Riordan title. This book will serve as a mirror to many of the Hmong students I've taught in Wisconsin, as well as a window for others to learn about the Hmong culture and storytelling. Representation matters! I really enjoyed this portal filled fantasy, and hope to visit again.

I absolutely love Miv. His straight forward comments, comedic timing, and ability to lighten the mood (even while being attacked by dragons or demons) was one of the best written sidekicks of the year. I am hoping one day we get a short story sharing even more of Miv's past, because the ending had me just as shocked as Zhong.

I continue to be delighted by Rick Riordan Presents' selections. This latest addition to the imprint takes its inspiration from the Hmong culture. Pahua, the main character, was a strong protagonist and I was definitely rooting for her. I especially liked her ghost cat/demon buddy, Miv. I struggled a little with some of the other secondary characters. The narration by Samantha Tan was quite good. I think the only reason I wouldn’t rate this one higher is because I read it shortly after reading “The Last Fallen Star”, another excellent debut into the Rick Riordan Presents collection. I felt that one just had a little more sparkle to it. That said, I would certainly pick up the next installment and am curious to see where Lori M. Lee takes the story next.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Lori M. Lee does an amazing job bringing the mythology of Southeast Asia to life. I didn’t know much about the Hmong culture and this book made me want to reach out to learn more. I loved how the characters were well developed but still slightly flawed. I adored the introduction of the spirits that only Pahua could see without making it feel creepy. The action was fast paced and I can’t wait to read more about Pahua and her life as a shaman warrior.

The narrator of the audiobook (Samantha Tan) did a phenomenal job of bringing the script to life. She showed emotion and passion for the story. The only slight annoyance was there was a long pause between the chapters that cut into the flow of the storyline. Even with the pause, I would definitely listen to another story with this narrator.

I received an early edition of the audiobook through NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley!
Aru Shah will always hold a special place in my heart when it comes to Rick Riordan Presents books but I LOVE Pahua Moua! The audiobook version of this book was especially beneficial because I got to hear the Hmong words. Plus the narrator gave a perfect voice to literally every character. Samantha Tan wasn't on my radar until this book but she is now!
Pahua is an outcast in her small town. Her mother moved her family to a small town where they are the only Hmong family for miles. School is miserable and her only real friend is a spirit cat named Miv (pronounced Mii). Pahua sees spirits everywhere. Unbeknownst to her, her ability to not only see these spirits but communicate with them is unheard of in the Hmong shaman community. When a dangerous spirit kidnaps her younger brother's soul, Pahua joins a shaman warrior-in-training on a quest to the spirit realm to rescue him.
Pahua avoids using violence as much as possible throughout her adventures. I don't know Hmong myths (I'm embarrassed to say I didn't realize the Hmong culture existed), but I believe myths in many cultures tell stories of cunning heroes who don't need to kill their enemies - and Pahua embodies that cunning.
I want to listen to her story again already! The biggest downside to getting to listen to this book early is that I have that much longer to get the sequel.

Review for the Narrator: Samantha Tan does an amazing job as the narrator for this book. She is soft spoken and is an excellent story teller who brings life to the characters. For those who enjoy listening to audiobooks, you will not be disappointed with her presentation of this amazing story.

Review for the Book submitted with the NetGalley ARC Release:
The Hmong culture is deep, thoughtful, and full of such great stories. I was really excited and curious to see how the author would weave a tale worthy of such a great culture. Post-read, I feel the author did a good job of showing how each family handles heritage differently, highlighting simple acts of religious acknowledgement in the day to day routines (such as the house gods), and gave a good overview of a very complex deity system. My only complaint, which is actually proving to be a trend within storytelling these days, is having a character be dropped into an absolute unknown situation and the other characters shaming them for not having immediate knowledge. I feel it is creating drama where there needs to be no drama. Pahua can see and interact with spirits, but does not understand the world in which they live. When thrust into that world, I felt a bit angry at the reaction the other characters displayed upon learning of her ignorance. The character banter improved, but it did put me on edge for a good part of the book. Overall, I feel this book is another good asset to the Rick Riordan world and I look forward to the sequel when it is published.

5 stars

This book should definitely be in every Elementary and Middle School library, but it is a book that older kids and adults will enjoy as well, especially if you're a fan of mythologies of different cultures. In this debut novel, Pahua is an 11-year old Hmong girl who sees and can speak to all the spirits that her mom taught her about, but neither her mom nor most people (including her Shaman aunt) can see them. Although she hasn't told anyone except her younger brother that she can see spirits, her classmates make fun of her and think that she's crazy or not quite there. Her best friend is a cat spirit named Miv, but she is otherwise pretty friendless. When some bullies goad her into checking out a bridge said to be haunted by a girl, she accidentally untethers an angry spirit which leads to her younger brother's spirit being stolen. The story describes her quest to save her brother's spirit, but along the way, she learns about who she is and what that means in the context of her family.

Just like the other books in the Rick Riordan Presents imprint, this one explores the mythology and culture of another country, in this case, the Hmong people. I loved listening to this as an audiobook because it was helpful for me to listen to the names and the various Hmong phrases being spoken correctly. There is much to love about this book, including some of the historical events that lead to Pahua and her family being refugees from Laos, as well as how they originally moved from China into Southeast Asia. I loved that this story was about two young girls being the heroes with one using her fighting skills (Zhong) and the other using her understanding others and letting her heart (empathy) lead to alternative choices (Pahua). I loved that from an uncertain beginning of their partnership, they ended up sticking up for each other and really trusting their lives to the other. I also loved Miv the cat spirit and definitely wanted one of my own, lol! I knew nothing about the mythology of the Hmong people and only a little about their culture, so that was another thing that I loved about this book.

Although there is definitely a resolution to this book, it's clear that this is the first of a series as Pahua has a lot of work that remains to be done. I'm looking forward to seeing more of her, Miv, and Zhong in future adventures!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Audiobook provided by NetGalley, Disney Audiobooks, and Rick Riordan Presents in exchange for an honest review.

I am REALLY loving the voices and stories that Rick Riordan Presents are elevating!

In Lee's novel, we meet eleven-year-old Pahua who is still reeling from her father leaving and her mother moving her and her brother to a new community where they know no one... and where her fellow classmates tease her for not being a traditional white American. While she knows a little about her Hmong culture, she doesn't feel a strong tie to her heritage either so she's adrift not really fitting in anywhere. She's lonely, without any friends outside of her little booth and the cat spirit that no one else can see. Until one day Pahua accidentally interacts with a human ghost that steals her brothers soul and forces Pahua to face who she truly is and where she comes from.

Lee does such a great job keeping her characters true to their ages while still sending them on an unbelievable adventure where they need to fight off dragons and worse. And there is a strong message of "believe in yourself" woven throughout the narrative. I loved learning a little more about Hmong mythology, and overall this was a really exciting read! Yay for two fearless female tweens that learn how to work together to save the world!

I can't decide if I wish I cat spirit BFF, or a spirit horse of my own... maybe both?

Samantha Tan does an excellent job with the audiobook narration as well.

This was excellent. A culture and tradition I knew nothing about, beautifully told. Pahua's empathy is the best, and Miv is even better. Cat spirit best friends forever!!!
Every character in this book is honestly great, and the world is gorgeous and believable and I feel like I could map it, it felt so right. I'll be eagerly looking out for the sequel.