A review by xangemtheelibrarian
The Secret Battle of Evan Pao by Wendy Wan-Long Shang

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

"Maybe they would wonder if they had been misreading it all along, puzzled by the combination of the gentle message and the harsh images. Though why shouldn't mercy show up among skulls and knives and fire? Wasn't mercy just as powerful as intimidation? Maybe even more."

This story may be slow-paced, but it packs a punch. I think I actually like it when books don't magically resolve every single issue in the book. Evan's dad, and their relationship, is still a huge question mark. But seeing how Evan made a home for himself in one of the least hospitable places he could have possibly ended up in, felt the same as when I see a sunflower, tall as I am, thriving out of a crack in the concrete on the shoulder of the highway. 
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