This book really touched me! It is a immigrant story in which the main character finds her place. On her adventure, Lan finds her courage and strength - which in turn helps her to face her new situation in Toronto. I loved this magical story full of adventure and supporting friendships. No Place Like Home is a read I would have loved when I was 10 years old - and it is one, I believe, young readers of today would enjoy.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME manages to complete an impressive balancing act between being heartbreaking, magical, and just ... well, adorable.

It follows Lan, a girl who finds herself sucked into a fantasy story after immigrating with her father from Vietnam to Toronto. Linh Nguyen does a phenomenal job exploring the complicated feelings of moving to an unfamiliar country, especially when moving means leaving behind half your family -- my heart absolutely ached for Lan!

Interestingly, perhaps because the real-world plot ached so keenly with emotion, the fantasy aspects of the story felt a little more flat to me. I struggled to connect with the characters in the story-world, and the magical plot itself felt ... I don't know, hollow. The magic system was cool, we had some gorgeous Narnia vibes happening, but it all felt quite arbitrary and thin and I couldn't always remain engaged.

However, there is much to love here, and I can see NO PLACE LIKE HOME being popular with a wide variety of middle grade audiences, especially those who love portal fantasies.

It was easy to soak into this middle grade fantasy book with a great premise, and I know my children will love it when they get the chance to read it this summer. There are some great themes about culture, immigration, family life, and indentity and fitting in. There is a quest that was fun to follow along with. It is adventurous and there are great friendship moments and the magical elements were new and fascinating.