Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
160th out of 800 books
—
621 voters
Gateway
by
Sharon Shinn
As a Chinese adoptee in St. Louis, teenage Daiyu often feels out of place. When an elderly Asian jewelry seller at a street fair shows her a black jade ring—and tells her that “black jade” translates to “Daiyu”—she buys it as a talisman of her heritage. But it’s more than that; it’s magic. It takes Daiyu through a gateway into a version of St. Louis much like 19th century...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
October 15th 2009
by Viking Juvenile
(first published October 9th 2009)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
More lists with this book...
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,477)
Gateway by Sharon Shinn has a rather beautiful, colorful cover featuring two people hiding behind a red parasol. Frankly, that was the most striking thing about Gateway. It had all of the elements to be really awesome: parallel universes, cultural subversion, the fact that it's YA, and a romantical element. (Romantical is a word frequently used by Flava Flav). However, Gateway was one of those books which, well, I read it, and moved on to the next book without any sort of a second thought.
Read...more
Read...more
This review first published on my blog: http://starrryeyeddreams.wordpress.co...
Gateway tells the story of Daiyu, a Chinese-American teenager living in St. Louis, who suddenly finds herself transported to an alternate world. In this world, Jia, as Daiyu quickly learns, it is the Han, a people very similar to the Chinese, who explored the new world, and Shengleng--the city Daiyu knew as St. Louis--is the most important city in the world. Because her Chinese heritage lets her pass as Han, Daiyu is...more
Gateway tells the story of Daiyu, a Chinese-American teenager living in St. Louis, who suddenly finds herself transported to an alternate world. In this world, Jia, as Daiyu quickly learns, it is the Han, a people very similar to the Chinese, who explored the new world, and Shengleng--the city Daiyu knew as St. Louis--is the most important city in the world. Because her Chinese heritage lets her pass as Han, Daiyu is...more
Daiyu, a Chinese girl adopted by Caucasian parents, lives a fairly normal and boring life in St. Louis. Then one summer day at the fair, she buys a black jade ring, and suddenly finds herself in a fantastical alternate universe where St. Louis is inhabited by people who look like her. Daiyu is rescued by a young Caucasian man named Kalen, who takes her to two servants of the gods, Ombri and Aurora, who tell her that she has been brought to their world to help vanquish a rebel. She is understanda...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Daiyu, a relatively independent teenager who was adopted from China as a baby, finds herself drawn to a ring she saw at a vendor stand at the St. Louis Fair. When she purchases the ring, she is transported, not back in time – but to an alternate universe. The universe is a near replica in terms of geography to her home in St. Louis but the buildings and modes of transportation are different and the people all look Chinese, they speak an unknown language (which the ring enables visitors to interp...more
Oh "instalove"... how I hate you...
Let's start with the fact it is very clear where the author decided to actually take an interest with this book. We know absolutely nothing about Daiyu before she is thrown into another universe and told she has to get rid of this evil man. Her character is never truly developed. Most of the time, when something happens, I'm sitting thinking "umm, okay." I don't know if her actions are within her normal character because Shinn never told us what that is! The on...more
Let's start with the fact it is very clear where the author decided to actually take an interest with this book. We know absolutely nothing about Daiyu before she is thrown into another universe and told she has to get rid of this evil man. Her character is never truly developed. Most of the time, when something happens, I'm sitting thinking "umm, okay." I don't know if her actions are within her normal character because Shinn never told us what that is! The on...more
Recently, I have read quite a number of books that I would call "readable". I only use this term to describe a book when I had a lot of problems with the story, but the problems do not stop me from finishing the book. However, this does not mean that I enjoyed it either.
Gateway would have been such an interesting novel. I mean, what a great concept. Daiyu is an adopted Chinese daughter of Caucasian parents. She buys a ring from a vendor and then is whisked away into an alternate universe (calle...more
Gateway would have been such an interesting novel. I mean, what a great concept. Daiyu is an adopted Chinese daughter of Caucasian parents. She buys a ring from a vendor and then is whisked away into an alternate universe (calle...more
4 likes · like · see review
view all 4 comments
I should start out by saying that I love Sharon Shinn’s novels. Her Samaria Novels and The Twelve Houses Novels are my favorites. When I picked up Gateway I somehow failed to miss the fact that it’s a young adult novel. Not that there’s anything wrong with young adult novels. I read plenty of them. It’s just not what I was expecting when I picked up Gateway.
That said, even though it’s not what I was expecting, this is an amazing story. I love Daiyu, and her quirky family reminded me of my own...more
That said, even though it’s not what I was expecting, this is an amazing story. I love Daiyu, and her quirky family reminded me of my own...more
Daiyu is the Chinese adopted daughter of caucasian parents in St. Louis. She's finishing up a summer internship and helping her father (and his latest homeless helper) fix up a house when she steps through the famous Arch and finds herself in an alternate world where the Han have colonized the Americas.
If you're looking for action, suspense, adventure, or political ramifications of a Chinese colonization of America, then this is not the book for you.
While Daiyu is being trained by world-jumpers...more
If you're looking for action, suspense, adventure, or political ramifications of a Chinese colonization of America, then this is not the book for you.
While Daiyu is being trained by world-jumpers...more
Daiyu is a Chinese teen who was adopted by an American couple and moved to St. Louis when she was a baby. She was happily leading a normal teenaged life when one day at a street fair, she met an old woman who convinced her to buy a black jade ring and gave her a rose quartz necklace with a request to deliver it to another merchant on the other side of the Gateway Arch. Wearing the ring and carrying the necklace, Daiyu passed under the famous American landmark and was instantaneously transported...more
I picked this up because it looked interesting. It turns out, I've read other books by Sharon Shinn and really liked them. This one was very different. It's not time travel; it's switching between alternate universes. It reminds me a little of Kristen Cashore's Graceling in that there is a character with such charisma that people who hear him talking believe that what he's saying is right.
<>
Some things seem to be in the story for no reason. Why can she tell Qiji stones from normal stones?...more
<>
Some things seem to be in the story for no reason. Why can she tell Qiji stones from normal stones?...more
Sorry if I'm repetitive in my review but I have nothing else to say. :P
Gateway had a wonderful premise sounded somewhat original, so I was hoping that I would love it but it did not meet my standards. When I first read the summary, I expected Gateway to be fast-paced with lots of action going on as she was recruited a spy. But the entire book was slow for me and I felt some chapters could have been edited out.
There was a lot of background information provided which I felt that it gave the reade...more
Gateway had a wonderful premise sounded somewhat original, so I was hoping that I would love it but it did not meet my standards. When I first read the summary, I expected Gateway to be fast-paced with lots of action going on as she was recruited a spy. But the entire book was slow for me and I felt some chapters could have been edited out.
There was a lot of background information provided which I felt that it gave the reade...more
An intriguing little YA story about a girl who crosses into another world and is given a mission to bring down a tyrant there -- whom she's not entirely convinced really is one -- and her very human adventures along the way. Aside from the magic of the gates and the existence of multiple worlds (and some convenient translation-y business that's not entirely explained) there's no magic here - just a sweet little YA romance/adventure.
As with everything else by Shinn, it's well-written and the char...more
As with everything else by Shinn, it's well-written and the char...more
1 like · like · see review
Daiyu is ordinary. At least she always has been. With the exception of her adoption from China, she has never been anywhere. Never traveled. Never seen much of the world beyond Saint Louis.
But when the old woman at the fair offers to sell her a ring—a ring that was “meant” for Daiyu—our heroine forks over fifteen dollars, slips the ring on her hand, and steps through . . . a Gateway.
Into a different world. A place where she is special. Where Daiyu can sense the precious stones that tumble throug...more
But when the old woman at the fair offers to sell her a ring—a ring that was “meant” for Daiyu—our heroine forks over fifteen dollars, slips the ring on her hand, and steps through . . . a Gateway.
Into a different world. A place where she is special. Where Daiyu can sense the precious stones that tumble throug...more
This review was originally posted on my review blog : http://fallingofftheshelf.blogspot.com
Daiyu was adopted when she was very young by an American family, and being the only Chinese member of her family can sometimes be a little stressing. When she is shopping at the local fair in St. Louis she meets an elderly Asian woman, who happens to be selling jewelry. She tells Daiyu that "black jade" translates to "Daiyu", and this sparks a significant interest in her. She is drawn to the ring, and eve...more
Daiyu was adopted when she was very young by an American family, and being the only Chinese member of her family can sometimes be a little stressing. When she is shopping at the local fair in St. Louis she meets an elderly Asian woman, who happens to be selling jewelry. She tells Daiyu that "black jade" translates to "Daiyu", and this sparks a significant interest in her. She is drawn to the ring, and eve...more
Daiyu, who was adopted from China when she was a baby, lives in St. Louis and is spending her summer as an intern at a headhunting firm. She spends her 4th of July beneath the St. Louis arch, and when a jewelry vendor shows her a ring of black jade, known in Chinese as "daiyu," she impulsively buys it. She soon after passes beneath the arch and is swept into a parallel universe where the ruling class is Chinese.
Alone and confused, Daiyu is rescued by a white (cangbai) boy who seems to be expecti...more
Alone and confused, Daiyu is rescued by a white (cangbai) boy who seems to be expecti...more
Dec 09, 2009
Erin
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
teenagers who read fantasy or like parallel worlds
3 1/2 stars, actually.
Gateway is the story of Daiyu, a Chinese-American teenager who buys a ring at a fair in St. Louis, MO, and ends up in a world called Jia the instant she walks under the St. Louis Arch. She's been brought there to infiltrate the upper echelons of the local Han society and get close enough to the charming prime minister that she can slap a bracelet on his wrist and send him back to his own world before he can do any more damage on Jia. During her training, she falls in love w...more
Gateway is the story of Daiyu, a Chinese-American teenager who buys a ring at a fair in St. Louis, MO, and ends up in a world called Jia the instant she walks under the St. Louis Arch. She's been brought there to infiltrate the upper echelons of the local Han society and get close enough to the charming prime minister that she can slap a bracelet on his wrist and send him back to his own world before he can do any more damage on Jia. During her training, she falls in love w...more
What an excellent story! Sixteen-year-old Daiyu is mysteriously spirited away from St. Louis to Shenglang, a city in a parallel world where she grudgingly accepts the task of ridding the country of its evil prime minister. As she is meticulously trained, she quickly falls for Kalen, a boy her age who helps her navigate her strange new surroundings. She knows that when she returns home, however, no time will have passed, and she will have no memories of her adventure. Daiyu struggles with the tas...more
I read GATEWAY in two nights, and I really enjoyed it. I don't read much YA fantasy, but I loved that this book was set in my hometown of St. Louis and I adore the cover! When 17-year-old Daiyu buys a dragon ring from a vendor at Fair St. Louis and then carries a necklace with a strange stone beneath the Arch as a favor to the woman, she finds herself transported into another "iteration," a world that seems like China but isn't. She's found by a young man named Kalen who takes her to a couple, O...more
This book is about a girl who is chosen (unbeknownst to her) to travel through space to an alternate universe to help a man and a woman send [who they say is:] an evil man back into his own universe. During her stay in the alternate universe, she falls in love. This book had alot of potential, but it never really got there for me. I think it was lacking depth and believability. Call me a cynic, but the whole "falling-in-love-at-first-sight" thing...hard to believe, especially in a fictional book...more
Gateway being my first venture into Sharon Shinn's works, I was ultimately impressed. She has quite the ability to bring a story to life with rich detail and a solid plot. I was immersed quickly in Daiyu's new world, along with the strange and interesting facts. This book was a great start to, what I hope, an exciting new series.
Daiyu was instantly likable - hardworking, kind, and average. She was easy to connect with, and her confusion while traveling was completely understandable. Kalen, as we...more
Daiyu was instantly likable - hardworking, kind, and average. She was easy to connect with, and her confusion while traveling was completely understandable. Kalen, as we...more
Based on the starred reviews of this author's other books, I was expecting a top-of-the-line fantasy adventure. I was disappointed. There was nothing wrong with the plot, but the whole basis of the 'iterations' was unfounded and a bit weak, considering other fantasy novels out there. It was like, "Oh yeah a long time ago there were these gods and stuff but whatever, we just have all these alternate realities now." As for technical quality, the writing was quite juvenile. The characters were flat...more
Gateway is a smart, simple book, pleasant enough to read on a hot summer day, sweet without being especially emotional... nice. The world building is unique and effective enough, though relatively simple. The characters are interesting and engaging, though without a lot of depth. There wasn't much of a sense of urgency about the whole thing, though, so it wasn't especially dynamic. It's a cute little book and I'm definitely curious to read Sharon Shinn again.
Language-G (says God but in reference to Deity), Sexual Content-PG, Violence-PG. Daiyu has been transported to another iteration (world) via the St. Louis Arch which is really a gateway to other worlds. Once there, she meets Kalen, a boy she quickly comes to care about. The only thing preventing their relationship from progressing is the fact that Daiyu is only there on a dangerous mission and once completed, she will return back to her original world. Will she accomplish her mission and if she...more
I was very excited to read this book when I picked it up from the library, but I found it to be somewhat disappointing. The idea was very interesting and captivating, but Daiyu really got on my nerves for some reason; probably because it took her forever to stop complaining and being bitter about her situation. Her character was not very developed and I felt that she was a bit unrealistic. I ended up skimming the second half of the book, so I don't know if it got better at some point. I'm not a...more
Daiyu is a Chinese teenager adopted by an American couple living in St Louis. On a street stall she is persuaded to buy a black jade ring which she's told was meant for her, and as she helps the seller by taking a necklace to a prospective buyer, she suddently finds herself in a parallel universe. This is a version of what the Earth could have been, given a few different events taking place.
In her new world, Daiyu realises that even if the geography is about the same as in Earth, many other thin...more
In her new world, Daiyu realises that even if the geography is about the same as in Earth, many other thin...more
The main attraction of this novel, for me, is that it is about a teenage girl who just happens to have been adopted from China. That she was has nothing at all to do with the story (except that she needs to look Chinese) and this is a rare and wonderful thing. I'll be saving it for my daughter so that there is at least a handful of books she can read like this -- one would think there will be more by the time she is a teen.
Beyond that -- I am a fan of Sharon Shinn, though her later works have no...more
Beyond that -- I am a fan of Sharon Shinn, though her later works have no...more
The first chunk is rather blah and some other interspersed parts as well, but I was rather intrigued by the end. I'm sure I'll analyze it later and find it not-so satisfying (kind of preachy: rich people are evil, poor people are pitiable, helpless, and good). But I couldn't put it down near the last 30 pages, even though I knew how it'd end! And even though I am horribly dissatisfied with the ending! Far too abrupt and 180.
I feel as though this were a series; it does not seem complete. But it...more
I feel as though this were a series; it does not seem complete. But it...more
I wanted to like this book far more than I actually did.
I am probably going to have to write my review of it another time, once I've managed to clarify my thoughts. Right now, all I can really say is that the book seemed too light. Shinn's books so often deal with questioning the accepted state of affairs, with the disillusionment that comes with adulthood.
This book did not tackle those issues in the way I was expecting, and while that may be a good thing--after all, I'd rather not be able to p...more
I am probably going to have to write my review of it another time, once I've managed to clarify my thoughts. Right now, all I can really say is that the book seemed too light. Shinn's books so often deal with questioning the accepted state of affairs, with the disillusionment that comes with adulthood.
This book did not tackle those issues in the way I was expecting, and while that may be a good thing--after all, I'd rather not be able to p...more
A beautiful young lady, adopted from China, and living with her family in St. Louis, unwittingly purchases a gift for herself and accepts a minor task that will take her under the St. Louis arch and whisk her away to an alternate St. Louis-Earth where the Chinese rule the land. Fascinating plot. Interesting and believable alternate reality with adventure and romance thrown in. Is there a sequel? I hope so. I want to know if she gets the guy--and that it meant in more ways than one. Just read it...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
I’ve been writing stories and poems since I was eight years old. My first poem was about Halloween: "What is tonight? What is tonight?/Try to guess and you’ll guess right." Perhaps this inauspicious beginning explains why it took me till I was in my thirties to sell a novel. It occurred to me early on that it might take some time and a lot of tries before I was able to publish any of my creative w...more
More about Sharon Shinn...
Share This Book
1 trivia question
More quizzes & trivia...
“It is very easy to shun someone who is deliberately cruel, and everyone loathes a man who is brutal and vicious. Such people have a hard time winning followers. But an individual who is gracious, who is attractive, who smiles and flatters and praises - that is a person who can lead whole nations to disaster. Who would not want to follow such a man or woman? Everyone is drawn to beauty and wit.”
—
7 people liked it
“...the townhouses looked bedraggled, unkempt, like an old homeless woman with an interesting history but a perilous future.”
—
2 people liked it
More quotes…
