The Lotus Flower Champion drew me in with its premise and held me captive with its plot.
Pintip and Love Dunn have created a story with a goregous settting , diverse representation, and excellent pacing. Some dialogue felt slightly stilted and initial world building could feel like info dumping but both of these factors were not enough to take away from my drive to see how the power of these myths came to play into the main character's journey or the powerful connection that I felt with the character over the way their grief and their OCD presented.
I highly recommend this story for fans of Percy Jackson and Sun Bearer trails as it captures the modern myths in a way that such readers will be delighted to find.

Alaia is the unlikeliest of superheroes and I think that's what made me love her so much. She thought she was on a last trip with her dying mother to learn how to manage her OCD on her own, and to get a chance to say goodbye. She ends up living her worst nightmare, stranded on a (dirty) deserted island with a bunch of strangers. What's worse, her mother only has a few days' worth of medicine left to keep her comfortable. Alaia has to grow up fast with this extreme version of exposure therapy, where Thai folktales hold the answers, and no one is who they seem to be on the surface.

The OCD feels real, and not over-the-top. The anguish of losing a parent is deep and sad. I liked that it focused on a good mother-daughter relationship, one with real struggles and real love. Many YA novels focus on the love-interest, so I found this refreshing. There was a wide array of characters that felt natural, and the Thai mythology angle is a nice twist on the fantasy genre that usually focuses on Western characters.

A good read for fantasy fans and realistic fiction fans. Not a lot of romance and just the right amount of action to keep the story moving.

"The Lotus Flower Champion" presents a promising concept that is undeniably interesting and fun. The idea of a family trip to Thailand turning into a thrilling adventure filled with Thai mythology, a lush island, and the unfolding of extraordinary abilities is inherently intriguing. The potential for excitement and wonder is evident, and the notion of the story holds a unique charm.

However, the disappointment lies in the book's execution. It doesn't fully capitalize on the captivating concept, leaving the narrative lacking in excitement and depth. The pacing and character development fall short, hindering the story's ability to realize its full potential.

Additionally, the writing style fails to do justice to the exciting premise, lacking the vividness and eloquence required to truly bring the island setting and Thai mythology to life. The narrative often feels uninspired, preventing readers from fully immersing themselves in this intriguing world.

It's an alluring and entertaining concept, but the execution falls short in delivering the excitement and immersive experience that the story's premise promises. Despite the concept's inherent appeal, the book's underwhelming execution makes it a challenging read for those seeking a more engaging and well-crafted narrative.

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.

It’s a good book. I think it’s classified incorrectly as a YA though. I think I would have enjoyed it more had it been labeled as middle grade and gone in from that perspective. As a YA it I feel like it should have gone a bit deeper into the harder emotional issues the characters deal with.

Alaia was on holiday with her parents when an incident on a boat leaves her, her terminally ill mother, and a group of other holiday makers stranded on an island. But on this island not everything is as it seems ...

This is a beautifully written fantasy drawing on elements of mythology, and I loved it!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for review

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

This book was super cute and I definitely enjoyed the roller coaster of emotions it took me on! I can definitely say that the attributes of a young author shone bright, and I absolutely loved the true depiction of what it's like in the mind of someone who suffers OCD! This book had intriguing components and details from start to finish and even some plot twists I couldn't have imagined if I tried! It truly was a cute little book!

This book is based on Thai lore and fairytales and follows a group who have been abandoned on and island and have to fight their way out, following all rules given to them.
Whilst this book wasn’t as promised, it was enjoyable. The FMC suffers from OCD and I found at times it was obvious the another knew how to write this so well and resonated strongly with the disorder.
This is a YA fantasy adventure novel, packed with Thai lore and mythology, an easy read.

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.

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.

The Lotus Flower Champion is the first book by Pintip and Love Dunn. These mum and daughter have written a book about thai mythology together. I know nothing about this kind of mythology, but do love a good retelling. The book sounded really great so I was excited to dive into it. What will this duo have in store for their readers?

In this book Alaia is the main character. Her mum is dying and she is struggling to let go of her. The whole situation doens't make her feel safe and really triggers her OCD at times. I really loved the way the OCD is worked out, it felt so real which you don't see often in books. In addition, the having a family member with cancer thing is also one lots of people can relate with.

This book is like a mix between The Hunger Games and The I land except the murder part is missing. However this book is described as a mix between Squid game and Peter Pan. I can't really find myself in the Peter Pan part, but the story does have insane games. I really loved the way the game developed, with the upcoming powers. However I really felt for Alaia's mum since she really is on her last strenghts during this book. It all feels so real and you just have to be compasionate with the characters while reading.

This book has the emotional vibes worked out perfectly. I really admire that. In addition the mythology is also a nice add to the story. Nothing in this book is boring and I really enjoyed reading The Lotus Flower Champion. This book is real fun to read and I would recommend it for sure. Therefore I give this book a 4,5 star rating.

I was provided an ARC of this title for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was very Survivor meets fantasy with a healthy dash of Thai folklore thrown in, and it was honestly such an engaging read from start to finish.

An intriguing and action-packed plot and very relatable characters made this YA fantasy an all around very fun and fast-paced read.

Thanks to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was a wild ride. I really liked the main character. I felt like I could relate to her a lot, despite not having OCD myself (or at least not to that degree). But the pace of the story felt a bit off. I can't quite put my finger on what the issue was, though.

Overall a good book, but maybe it would've worked better as a duology?

4.5 stars!

This was a super unique story filled with magic, love, history, and tradition. This is a YA fantasy but it’s really sophisticated and complex in it’s story-telling.

I really loved all of the Thai traditions, folklore, and setting. The characters were all well-developed and distinct.

Thank you to EntangledTeen and the authors for this e-ARC! It was such a joy to read

Percy Jackson meets The Hunger Games is how I've described Pintip Dunn & Love Dunn's The Lotus Flower Champion. Alaia's story is written in such a way that I was sure if I looked up she'd be in my living room.

The new trend of making culture a character and emphasizing character traits that previously would have been hidden is done so spectacularly well in this story.

I truly enjoyed learning so much about Thai folklore and the nods at honorifics and cultural norms was blended in so well that I didn't even realize I was learning those things until I had learned them.

I would have liked to have gotten a better look into the side characters instead of many of them just seemingly being there to further the plot elements. Some of the twists were predictable, but the ending still managed to surprise me.

I look forward to reading more from this writing duo.

"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.

This book tells the story of the heroine's adventure filled with Thai folktales and a bit of romance.
The heroine's dying mother wanted the whole family to visit Thailand. However, the heroine's family ends up stranded on an island with ten strangers while being tested to awaken dormant powers by facing their own fears and possibly end up with a deathly outcome. The heroine must try to find a way to escape and survive this ordeal while also facing her own issues that can either derail or help her during this chaotic time.

This is nice, quick read that features a relatable character that is facing so many things during the story. I liked the main character and her growth in this book. There were also some secondary characters that were memorable in the book, including the heroine's family. I liked the Thai mythology aspect of this book, though the romance didn't stand out as much as I would have liked it to be. Though easy-to-read, I would appreciate a bit more details in certain areas of the story for a smoother transition. Overall, a nice introduction to the authors' writing style and the Thai folktales.


** Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own. **

Alaia is supposed to be honoring her mother's dying wish with a once-in-a-lifetime family trip to Thailand. But everything is not what it seems. Instead, she is stranded on an island with ten strangers and her dying mother as Thai folktales come to life around them. And her father is missing. As things get more and more desperate, Alaina has to see if she can outsmart their captor to save her family.

Written by a mother-daughter dup, The Lotus Flower Champion is a romantasy steeped in Thai folklore and mythology. There is action, adventure, mystery, mythology, magic, and just a dash of romance. I thoroughly enjoyed diving into a culture and mythology base that I previously had no exposure to. This is a fast paced, emotional read that will wreck you! Alaina is an amazing character and I loved watching her overcome everything thrown her way.

Thank you to NetGalley, the authors, and Entangled Publishing for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.

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!