* National Indie Bestseller
* NPR’s Best Books of 2022
* Cosmopolitan’s 13 Best YA Books of 2022
* Finalist for the Locus Award
* Nominated for the Chinese American Librarians Association’s Best Young Adult Fiction Award
* Nominated for the Garden State Teen Book Award
* The Horn Book’s Fanfare list of the best of 2022
* Amazon’s Best Books of April
* ABA Indie Next pick
* Indigo staff pick
* Starred reviews from SLJ, The Horn Book, BCCB
“Glows with ethereal magic.” —NPR
“Our new favorite Romeo and Juliet retelling.” —Cosmopolitan
“Emily X.R. Pan’s sophomore novel is a brilliant story that will have you lingering on every moment.” —Barnes & Noble
“A lyrical love story infused with Chinese mythology.” —Time Magazine
“A beautifully-crafted blend of mythology and modern love story, full of stunning prose, characters who feel achingly real, and magic lurking just behind the ordinary. One of my new favorites!” —Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf
“An effortless fusion of myth and realism, coming of age and fairy tale, this luminous love story cuts bone deep.” —Melissa Albert, New York Times bestselling author of The Hazel Wood
★ “This story takes readers on an enchanted tale of love, loss, expectations, and identity, including a compelling exploration of Taiwanese and Chinese heritage. . . . This novel is a work of art.” —School Library Journal, starred review
★ “In lush prose, Pan retells both the Chinese legend of Chang’e and Houyi and Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The seemingly ordinary setting of ‘1991, in Fairbridge, Where We Lay Our Scene’ opens up to a world full of mystery and magic.” —Horn Book, starred review
★ “A timeless story. . . . The writing is both poetic and frank . . . and a rich cast of characters expands the world. The points of view of the supporting cast add depth and texture to the intricately woven tapestry of first love, intergenerational struggles, and the joys and heartaches of growing up.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review
“Incandescent. . . . Emily X.R. Pan’s singular storytelling makes this fantasy distinctive and romantic. . . . Vivid imagery infuses her tale with an otherworldly magic, even as her characters seem grounded in their present-day, suburban town. Fantasy lovers should adore this enchanting novel.” —Shelf Awareness
“A story of family, love, and magic that will have you lingering on every moment.” —The Everygirl
BOOKSHOP | INDIEBOUND | BARNES & NOBLE | AMAZON | BOOKS-A-MILLION
Translated in / coming soon to Russia & Spain
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Romeo and Juliet meets Chinese mythology in this magical novel by the New York Times bestselling author of The Astonishing Color of After.
Hunter Yee has perfect aim with a bow and arrow, but all else in his life veers wrong. He’s sick of being haunted by his family’s past mistakes. The only things keeping him from running away are his little brother, a supernatural wind, and the bewitching girl at his new high school.
Luna Chang dreads the future. Graduation looms ahead, and her parents’ expectations are stifling. When she begins to break the rules, she finds her life upended by the strange new boy in her class, the arrival of unearthly fireflies, and an ominous crack spreading across the town of Fairbridge.
As Hunter and Luna navigate their families’ enmity and secrets, everything around them begins to fall apart. All they can depend on is their love…but time is running out, and fate will have its way.
An Arrow to the Moon, Emily X.R. Pan’s brilliant and ethereal follow-up to The Astonishing Color of After, is a story about family, love, and the magic and mystery of the moon that connects us all.
ADDITIONAL PRAISE:
“Melding Chinese mythology with Romeo and Juliet, Emily X.R. Pan is here to break and remake your heart.” —Nerdist
“[Pan]’s even better in her second [book]. . . an intimate yet epic story about star-crossed lovers, family feuds, and inescapable destinies.” —Locus Magazine
“Cleverly constructed and elegantly evoked, it brims with originality, magic, and love.” —TOR.com
“Expansive, third-person chapters—including some from the adults’ perspectives—and snippets of lore create a contemporary telling with an otherworldly, age-old feel in this cleverly conceived novel.” —Publishers Weekly
“A lovely, lyrical exploration of how a poignant Chinese myth might play out in a contemporary setting.” —Kirkus
“A masterfully written, heart-destroying story.” —International Examiner
“A new take on Romeo and Juliet that I didn’t know I needed. . . . It’s the kind of legend and love story that will stick with you after reading, and is written so intentionally that each sentence carries with it surprise and magic of its own. Set aside a whole day for this one – you won’t be able to put it down.” —Lark and Owl Booksellers (Georgetown, TX)
“Pan’s writing is so moving, it makes the otherwise ordinary, extraordinary.” —Bright Side Bookshop (Flagstaff, AZ)
“A lyrical retelling of Romeo and Juliet, full of Asian lore and otherworldly magic. Unexpected but perfect ending for truly star-crossed lovers.” —The Dog Eared Book (Palmyra, NY)
“Phenomenal. . . . This was a story about magic and fate—can’t fully grasp if the end left me happy or sad. Ultimately, it was beautiful.” —Steamy Lit (El Cajon, CA)
“A beautiful story that holds up even if you’ve never heard of Romeo and Juliet. . . this gorgeous tale will take your breath away.” —Raven Book Store (Lawrence, KS)
“This story is beautiful and absolutely tragic. With such lyrical writing, the story blooms before you. . . . A fairy tale, a love story, a tragedy, all of this and more can be found among the pages of An Arrow to the Moon.” —Towne Book Center & Café (Collegeville, PA)
“The romance between Luna and Hunter is so sweet and swoon-worthy. . . . No spoilers here, but the ending is *chef’s kiss*.” —The Haunted Book Shop (Mobile, AL)
M E D I A B U Z Z
Locus Magazine: 2023 Locus Awards Top Ten Finalists
Locus Magazine: 2022 Recommended Reading List
TOR.com: An Arrow to the Moon Is an Elegant, Compassionate Reimagining
Locus Magazine: Review of An Arrow to the Moon
NPR: Books We Love: Recommended Reading for Romance
The Horn Book: Fanfare 2022 Booklist
Cosmopolitan: The 13 Best YA Books of 2022 (So Far)
Amazon Books Editors’ Picks: Best Books of April
Time Magazine: 12 YA Books We Can’t Wait to Read This Year
LitReactor: Favorite Kidlit Reads of 2022
Goodreads: Readers’ Most Anticipated New Spring Books
Barnes & Noble: Our Most Anticipated YA Book Releases of April 2022
Paste Magazine: The Best YA Books of April 2022
Business Insider: 20 of the Most Anticipated Young Adult Books
Bustle: The Most Anticipated Books Of April 2022
We Need Diverse Books: Emily X.R. Pan’s An Arrow to the Moon Is A Thoroughly Asian American Story
Women’s Media Center: Emily X.R. Pan Explores Family Secrets, Identity, and Chinese Mythology in New Novel
Publishers Weekly: Q&A with Emily X.R. Pan
International Examiner: This book made me weep on a Sunday evening
BuzzFeed: So Many Fantastic Books Are Releasing In April, And Here Are Our Top Picks
Nerdist: April Is Here to Shower You with 10 Excellent Books
Ms. Magazine: April 2022 Reads for the Rest of Us
Goodreads: The 68 Most Anticipated YA Novels of 2022
Epic Reads: The 16 Most Anticipated YA Books to Read in April
Frolic: Our Most Anticipated YA Reads for April 2022
Goodreads: The Most Anticipated YA Reads of April
BuzzFeed: 40 Highly Anticipated YA Books Releasing In The First Half Of 2022
The Mary Sue: Family Secrets & More Mythological Retellings
Gizmodo: April Is Here to Shower You With 37 New Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books
POPSugar: YA Books to Get Lost in This Year
Book Riot: Your Guide to Spring 2022 YA Books
BuzzFeed: 22 New YA Novels That Reimagine Classic Literature And Mythology
Publishers Weekly: Once Upon a Twist: YA Retellings and Reimaginings
BookPage: 2022 Preview: Most Anticipated Young Adult Books
Epic Reads: Are the Most Anticipated YA Books of 2022 Already On Your Reading List?
Book Riot: Most Anticipated Books of 2022
The Nerd Daily: The Most Anticipated 2022 Book Releases
United By Pop: Spring April with these 20+ new YA 2022 releases
LitReactor: Exciting YA Releases for the First Half of 2022
The Honey Pop: Sweet Reads: April Showers Bring Book Flowers
The Young Folks: April 2022 New Book Releases