Magical fantasy romp has awesome Korean American girl lead.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Products & Purchases
a little
References to Ralph Lauren Polo, Harry Potter, Winnie the Pooh, BTS (the K-Pop band), Lotte World (in Seoul), Nutella, Cheetos, and the Fortnite video game.
Violence & Scariness
very little
Some moments of peril. Various people try to tame a large bird-human monster; some cast fire spells and other magic. A middle grader also faces the bird-human monster and has a few close calls. Middle graders encounter a few spirits of human souls who have not yet fully crossed over to the afterlife. These ghost spirits might be a bit scary for younger readers. The essence of a middle grader is magically put into a tiny beating human heart, which is placed in a vial and decays over time. The main character also faces instances of prejudice, harassment, and unfair treatment because of being not genetically born a witch, like everyone else. She's often called things like, "fake witch" and "wannabe witch."
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
The main character, who's adopted and not magical, is often called names like "wannabe witch" and "fake witch." There are also a few instances of "badass" (one), "butt," (a few) and "boob" (a few).
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.
Some middle graders tease a peer for having a crush on another student. One kind of magical clan are illusionists and control "beauty and influence." They are depicted as all very attractive people.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
Strong positive themes of friendship, sisterhood, belonging, identity, finding family, and sacrifice.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Riley gains in confidence as she gets closer to her goals. Despite growing up an outsider, she endures unfair treatment, but still has compassion for others. She's brave, persevering, and empathetic. She will not stop until she fixes things. Shows incredible sacrifice for the sake of her family, others, and the world.
Educational Value
very little
Some references to Korean history and historical figures. Also plays with Korean mythology, mythological creatures, and other Korean cultural facts and figures.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Last Fallen Star is the first book in the Gifted Clans series by Graci Kim. It's a middle grade fantasy adventure that merges Korean mythology and folklore with a modern setting -- in Los Angeles' Koreatown. It stars Riley, an adopted and non-magical younger sister who's about to turn 13. She's grown up an outsider -- the metaphor of difference and how it has impacted her sense of identity and belonging is strong. She's endured lots of unfair treatment because of being different, including being called names and not being considered for things (invisibility). Riley's journey is all about finding out what family, sisterhood, friendship, and identity mean. Riley's world is full of cool elemental magic, mysterious creatures, ghosts, and spirits, and a worthy cause to fight for. Some encounters with scorned spirits who haven't fully crossed over into the afterlife might be scary for younger readers, as might the tiny beating human heart in a vial that is a magical representation of Riley's sister, Hattie. Language includes one "badass" and a few instances of "butt" and "boob." Some middle graders tease a peer for having a crush on another student.
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
In THE LAST FALLEN STAR, two Korean American sisters set out to help make one of them feel more included in their magical community. Younger sister Riley is adopted and non-magical, and because of this she's endured teasing, harassment, and even prejudice for not being a "real witch." But Riley and her sister plan to find a secret forbidden spell that will make Riley magical for good. Sounds like a simple plan. What could go wrong?
This middle grade fantasy novel is fun, well-told, and inspiring. The Last Fallen Star features an ambitious fantasy world layered on top of a modern setting, magic, spells, cool creatures, celestial goddesses, and a fantastic girl hero to root for. The story combines Korean history, myth, and folklore with a modern world of magic, and each witch -- male or female -- harnesses their magic in different ways. But like so many heroes before her, Riley is different. Adopted and non-magical, she has felt like she doesn't belong her entire life. Her journey of identity and belonging will speak to many Asian American kids (and many kids generally) who feel similar to Riley because of being Asian or in any other way "different." The story is slow to find its feet, but once it does, hold on. Once Riley's journey properly begins, this book is hard to put down. By the end of her journey, Riley will redefine what it means to be family, to belong, and to be a hero. The story packs a decent emotional punch as well.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Parents can talk about mixing modern ideas of magic with Korean mythology. Did you like the magic in The Last Fallen Star -- the different kinds, the different means of generating it, and the history behind it? How does it compare with other kinds of magic in other popular fantasy books that also have magic?
Why do you think the author made the main character Riley an adoptee? On one hand it justifies her secret origins. But what else might making Riley an adoptee do for the story?
If you were given the chance at being magical but it was incredibly risky, would you still go for it? Why or why not?
Available on:
Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
Last updated:
May 20, 2021
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By JK Sooja
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
