Gateway

Opening line–”Daiyu looked over the assortment of jewelry at the old woman’s booth and didn’t see anything she liked.”

First of all, I loved the cover. The designer had obviously read the book, or knew enough about it to be true to details like the color of Kalen’s hair. It had just the right feel, and it made me happy.

I liked the book itself. It felt very sold, well-written, well thought out. I liked the fact that it was multi-cultural without that feeling forced. The idea of an alternate universe where the equivalent of China is the dominant culture was fascinating, although I’m not entirely sure that I bought the interaction between the different groups in that world.

If this sounds a little lukewarm, I guess that’s because it is. I did like it. I found it an enjoyable read. And yet, I was never wowed, never blown away by the writing or the setting. The characters never made me really fall in love with them. I did very much like the fact that Daiyu takes the time to consider whether the people she finds herself with are trustworthy or not, instead of blindly following whatever they tell her to do.

I think part of my…problem is too definite a word…difficulty? with the book was that I didn’t buy into the romance. It seemed just a little forced, like it was there because it was supposed to be, somehow.

Final verdict? Interesting, well-written book, with a nicely done inclusion of other cultures.

Book source: public library
Book information: Viking, 2009 ( )

Daiyu, who was adopted from China as a baby and who lives in St. Louis, walks under the Gateway Arch after a transaction with a mysterious old woman, and finds herself in an alternate version of the city -- a different version of the whole world, in fact. There, she meets two operatives who travel between the many different worlds, and who have drawn here there to help them apprehend a suave, crooked politician. She also meets a charming local boy to whom she immediately feels a strong connection. Daiyu must decide who to trust, how to act, and what she is willing to sacrifice for love.

While not as good as some of Shinn's other writing (I like her Twelve Houses series best), this was a good read. I feel vaguely dissatisfied about the ending, but not enough that it ruined my appreciation for the book. ( )

Another Shinn, set in St. Louis and an alternate version of it. I blew through this one on a plane and it was an entertaining young adult fantasy but not as strong as most of her work. The characters lacked the depth that I’m used to with her work, but the plot moved along well and kept me reading. ( )

A lovely, if not overly complex, novel about traveling through space (and time). Gateway follows the story of Daiyu (adopted from China) as she travels from one version of St. Louis to another. Once in the alternate world, she must embark on a mission -- without knowing if it's right, and that's one of the things that makes the novel so good. There are consequences to all of Daiyu's actions, some good and some bad. What I especially liked about the book was the ending. It's not a series, thus I wasn't sure how everything was going to be resolved, especially the love interesting, but Shinn did something few YA authors try and made it work absolutely perfectly. This was a beautiful, thoughtful, easy to read YA novel. ( )

If you haven't read Sharon Shinn's YA works, I recommend them. What I love most about Shinn is her books, while sometimes involving romance, never center around that romance. There's no predictable endings and the characters always face complex issues. While Gateway isn't as good as The Safe-Keeper's Secret was, it still has plenty of strength on its own.

Daiyu is the adoptive daughter of a couple who was unable to have a child of their own. Adopted from China and brought over to the States when she was a baby, she knows very little of China and has never been to visit it. Now a teenager, she is a hard worker and looking to go to college soon - that is, until she stumbles across a "gateway" to another reality, a reality in which China discovered the United States.

St. Louis is renamed, the landmarks we all know are gone, and the largest minority are Caucasians. But evil still exists - and it's against that evil that Daiyu has to figure out where she stands and what decisions she needs to make regarding her future.

This was a very easy book to read, the story flowed well and Sharon Shinn's development was great, as always. It seemed a little stilted in parts, however, almost like she was writing for an audience younger than the subject matter would normally speak to - but overall I had a blast with Gateway and will be recommending it. ( )