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Elven and the Puzzle Box
From the author of THERE WAS A PERANAKAN WOMAN WHO LIVED IN A SHOE comes a story of an orphan girl who rises above discrimination to find love. Fans of Grace Lin and Avi will surely be delighted by this tale that takes inspiration from both eastern and western storytelling traditions.
Twelve-year-old Elven has eleven fingers, no parents, and a skin tone that hints at murky origins. One day, she receives a wooden Puzzle Box belonging to her late mother, and an intriguing letter promising her love—if she solves it.
Thus begins Elven’s long journey, in which she runs away to the town of Armora to find the Puzzle Box maker. There, she encounters its quirky residents and makes a new friend—the mysterious Madam Green who may not be what she seems. Ignoring signs of danger, Elven moves into Madam Green’s cottage on Mount Armora where she helps rehabilitate the town’s abandoned pets. Soon, their idyllic life is shattered with the arrival of miners intent on extracting gold from the mountain at all costs. Elven teams up with Madam Green to stop them, drawing both of them into a sinister scheme with tentacles deeper than anyone can imagine.
When the townsfolk accuse Madam Green of being a witch, it will take all of Elven's ingenuity to not just to unravel the shocking truth, but ultimately reveal the secret of the Puzzle Box.
Twelve-year-old Elven has eleven fingers, no parents, and a skin tone that hints at murky origins. One day, she receives a wooden Puzzle Box belonging to her late mother, and an intriguing letter promising her love—if she solves it.
Thus begins Elven’s long journey, in which she runs away to the town of Armora to find the Puzzle Box maker. There, she encounters its quirky residents and makes a new friend—the mysterious Madam Green who may not be what she seems. Ignoring signs of danger, Elven moves into Madam Green’s cottage on Mount Armora where she helps rehabilitate the town’s abandoned pets. Soon, their idyllic life is shattered with the arrival of miners intent on extracting gold from the mountain at all costs. Elven teams up with Madam Green to stop them, drawing both of them into a sinister scheme with tentacles deeper than anyone can imagine.
When the townsfolk accuse Madam Green of being a witch, it will take all of Elven's ingenuity to not just to unravel the shocking truth, but ultimately reveal the secret of the Puzzle Box.
225 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 17, 2024
33 people want to read
About the author
Gwen Lee
8 books12 followersGwen Lee is a Singapore-born, US-based author of eight children’s books. Her award-winning work Little Cloud Wants Snow! was a recommended selection at the Read! Singapore Festival and is used by schools in the United States to educate children about weather science. Her other publications such as There Was a Peranakan Woman Who Lived in a Shoe; Elizabeth Meets the Queen: A War Heroine's Journey; and the Greco and Beco series have been featured by institutions such as the National Library Board, Building and Construction Authority, and Singapore Global Network in their outreach campaigns. Gwen is a graduate of University College London and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family and pet chickens.
Find her on Instagram: under @gwenleeauthor.
Find her on Instagram: under @gwenleeauthor.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 16, 2025
A touching story about finding self and love from the talented children's author of LITTLE CLOUD WANTS SNOW.
"It struck her that she was not unlike a Puzzle Box, a unique work of art created by different types of wood interlocked together."
This story will resonate with all youths who feel different in some way.
"It struck her that she was not unlike a Puzzle Box, a unique work of art created by different types of wood interlocked together."
This story will resonate with all youths who feel different in some way.
December 29, 2024
This story is beautifully written, and draws in the reader from the first page with its quick pacing and steady build up of the central mystery. Three things stand out for me. First, the sense of being at a cultural crossroads that evokes the richness of foods and flavours, language and culture, dress and costume. Second, highlighting how the protagonist suffers from ugly prejudice, where being different means to be excluded. And third, how this is overcome when people look beyond surface differences to see the individual beneath. The plot is indeed a puzzle box: beautiful and intriguing, and just waiting to be unlocked with the right key: not a physical key, but an idea. This book has much to offer both young and grown-up readers.
November 12, 2024
Elven and The Puzzle Box is a middle grade fantasy novel that easy to read for adult (at least for me). It’s about a girl who had 11 fingers & had lived in orphanage until a letter & a parcel arrived to her lap.
Her adventure began to discover what inside the puzzle box. She met new friend & new “home” while she tried to solve the riddle. Until one day, she had to protect what important to her.
The issue Elven and The Puzzle Box brings is relevant to many people nowadays. It’s about embracing our identity despite of how our body looks like. In other hand, the story also told about some of authority who tried to erase native culture and colonized the land—and by standing up to our roots, then we can push away the colonizers.
Along about identity issue, there’s also friendship. How we should treat our friend, how to gain trust, how to love our friends despite of their weakness. It’s so lovey to see the interaction between Elven with Coal and Madam Green.
With Elven, I was being reminded what bravery is. And that’s okay if we felt scared sometimes because that makes us human.
The adventure part of this book is not cringe as I imagined. It’s quite action-packed (which I didn’t expect to be that enjoyable!!) and I had to hold my breath on some parts 🤣 oh God, it felt like I was back being a 12 years old reading about 12 years old girl! ❤️❤️
Her adventure began to discover what inside the puzzle box. She met new friend & new “home” while she tried to solve the riddle. Until one day, she had to protect what important to her.
The issue Elven and The Puzzle Box brings is relevant to many people nowadays. It’s about embracing our identity despite of how our body looks like. In other hand, the story also told about some of authority who tried to erase native culture and colonized the land—and by standing up to our roots, then we can push away the colonizers.
Along about identity issue, there’s also friendship. How we should treat our friend, how to gain trust, how to love our friends despite of their weakness. It’s so lovey to see the interaction between Elven with Coal and Madam Green.
With Elven, I was being reminded what bravery is. And that’s okay if we felt scared sometimes because that makes us human.
The adventure part of this book is not cringe as I imagined. It’s quite action-packed (which I didn’t expect to be that enjoyable!!) and I had to hold my breath on some parts 🤣 oh God, it felt like I was back being a 12 years old reading about 12 years old girl! ❤️❤️
November 27, 2024
This magical middle grade novel is an adventure fantasy that follows Elven and her quest to finding answers to the questions related to her past, family, and identity.
I always enjoy novels that involve magical realism and EATPB managed to reach my expectations. It was easy to root for Elven given her backstory and her determination to find the truth and getting along her as she travel to Mt. Armora makes me feel like I’m accompanying her to something that is definitely life-changing for Elven.
There’s also a discourse about colorism, racism, and misogyny. Found family is also found here!
One thing I need, a map?! Missed opportunity but the cover and the storyline delivered so I am rating this one, 4stars!
I always enjoy novels that involve magical realism and EATPB managed to reach my expectations. It was easy to root for Elven given her backstory and her determination to find the truth and getting along her as she travel to Mt. Armora makes me feel like I’m accompanying her to something that is definitely life-changing for Elven.
There’s also a discourse about colorism, racism, and misogyny. Found family is also found here!
One thing I need, a map?! Missed opportunity but the cover and the storyline delivered so I am rating this one, 4stars!
March 31, 2025
Read this for work book club and it was written by a fellow coworker! It is so cool knowing that this was written by a peer
This was such a good book and it didn't even matter that it was for kids, the topics that this book had were pretty complex adult topics but written for kids. Such as racism, inequality, colonization....
The author did a great job in condensing these topics so that they were digestible by kids but also keep the story super interesting and engaging
Poor Elven could not catch a break, girly was going through from running away to find the puzzle maker to getting bullied in the town she went to having to rescue people
I liked that the puzzle she got was the thing that drove the plot but it eventually fell into the background
so other interesting stuff happened before she was finally able to solve the puzzle
the story was so heart warming and slightly stressful ahhahah super easy to read too!
This was such a good book and it didn't even matter that it was for kids, the topics that this book had were pretty complex adult topics but written for kids. Such as racism, inequality, colonization....
The author did a great job in condensing these topics so that they were digestible by kids but also keep the story super interesting and engaging
Poor Elven could not catch a break, girly was going through from running away to find the puzzle maker to getting bullied in the town she went to having to rescue people
I liked that the puzzle she got was the thing that drove the plot but it eventually fell into the background
so other interesting stuff happened before she was finally able to solve the puzzle
the story was so heart warming and slightly stressful ahhahah super easy to read too!
February 23, 2025
Singaporean author Gwen Lee has offered up an unusual tale of an orphan, Elven, named so for her 11 fingers.
Elven receives a puzzle box, a handcrafted box whose key Elven needs to solve in order to discover her legacy.
Gwen builds a loosely Southeast Asian world with an oppressed indigenous population, making Elven half-native and subject to some discrimination.
On her journey to find the puzzle box’s maker, Elven meets a crew of characters both integral to her story, as well as thugs after the region’s resources.
Young readers will enjoy this mini-thriller laced with rainbow kueh (which Elven is a bit of a whiz at making) and sticky yam treats.
📚: @penguinbookssea
Elven receives a puzzle box, a handcrafted box whose key Elven needs to solve in order to discover her legacy.
Gwen builds a loosely Southeast Asian world with an oppressed indigenous population, making Elven half-native and subject to some discrimination.
On her journey to find the puzzle box’s maker, Elven meets a crew of characters both integral to her story, as well as thugs after the region’s resources.
Young readers will enjoy this mini-thriller laced with rainbow kueh (which Elven is a bit of a whiz at making) and sticky yam treats.
📚: @penguinbookssea
March 1, 2025
Elven and the Puzzle Box by Gwen Lee is a truly enchanting read! I was captivated by the unique world Gwen created and the compelling journey of Elven. The book's exploration of identity, friendship, and courage give it a powerful emotional core, adding a layer of depth to the magical adventure.
Knowing Gwen personally made this book extra special, but Elven and the Puzzle Box shines on its own. Gwen's talent for storytelling is evident, crafting a narrative that is both imaginative and relatable. The characters are well-developed, and their struggles and triumphs feel genuine. It's a testament to Gwen's ability to create a world that not only entertains, but also leaves you pondering important questions.
Knowing Gwen personally made this book extra special, but Elven and the Puzzle Box shines on its own. Gwen's talent for storytelling is evident, crafting a narrative that is both imaginative and relatable. The characters are well-developed, and their struggles and triumphs feel genuine. It's a testament to Gwen's ability to create a world that not only entertains, but also leaves you pondering important questions.
November 21, 2024
The Puzzle Box Mystery of Mount Armora is a brilliant exploration of identity, self-discovery, and the courage it takes to confront both the world and yourself. It’s not just a story about solving puzzles—it’s about finding your place when the world keeps telling you that you don’t belong.
The way this book touches on discrimination is both subtle and powerful. Elven’s eleven fingers and ambiguous background make her stand out in ways that people around her don’t understand, and that fear of the unknown leads to judgment and rejection. It’s a perfect reflection of how differences—whether physical, cultural, or emotional—can make someone a target for cruelty. But, as Elven learns, those very differences can also be the key to finding strength and purpose.
The journey Elven takes isn’t just a physical one to find the Puzzle Box maker; it’s a journey of learning who she really is. The people she meets along the way, especially Madam Green, show her that sometimes the connections we need the most aren’t the ones we expect. It’s such an important lesson about how family and friendship aren’t just about shared bloodlines, but shared experiences and mutual support. Elven and Madam Green's bond felt so natural and genuine, and you could see how their growth was intertwined—both outcasts learning to trust and find peace in each other.
What really hit me was how the book shows that growth and courage aren’t about never being afraid, but about moving forward anyway. Elven may not always want to face the challenges she’s up against, but she pushes through, whether it’s solving the Puzzle Box or defending Madam Green from the miners’ accusations. It’s about showing up for yourself even when you’d rather run away, and I think that’s a powerful message for anyone.
Mount Armora itself is such a fantastic setting—there’s this constant tension between the quiet beauty of the town and the looming threat posed by the miners. The contrast of Elven’s peaceful life with Madam Green against the miners’ destructive greed made the stakes feel even higher. It’s a reminder of how, sometimes, the most precious things in life are under threat from forces that don’t understand their value.
And the Puzzle Box? It’s not just an object—it’s a symbol of Elven’s journey. The way it unfolds alongside her own understanding of who she is was such a clever metaphor. The more Elven learns about herself, the closer she gets to unlocking its secrets. It’s a beautiful reminder that we all have pieces of ourselves that need to be put together before we can fully understand our past and move forward.
All in all, The Puzzle Box Mystery of Mount Armora is a story about finding yourself, standing up for the ones you care about, and pushing through even when things seem impossible. It’s not just a mystery—it’s a tale of growth, courage, and the relationships that shape us into who we’re meant to be. If you’re into stories with heart and depth, this one is definitely worth checking out.
(this was rated one-star because i don't personally enjoy it but I think it would appeal to the target audience)
The way this book touches on discrimination is both subtle and powerful. Elven’s eleven fingers and ambiguous background make her stand out in ways that people around her don’t understand, and that fear of the unknown leads to judgment and rejection. It’s a perfect reflection of how differences—whether physical, cultural, or emotional—can make someone a target for cruelty. But, as Elven learns, those very differences can also be the key to finding strength and purpose.
The journey Elven takes isn’t just a physical one to find the Puzzle Box maker; it’s a journey of learning who she really is. The people she meets along the way, especially Madam Green, show her that sometimes the connections we need the most aren’t the ones we expect. It’s such an important lesson about how family and friendship aren’t just about shared bloodlines, but shared experiences and mutual support. Elven and Madam Green's bond felt so natural and genuine, and you could see how their growth was intertwined—both outcasts learning to trust and find peace in each other.
What really hit me was how the book shows that growth and courage aren’t about never being afraid, but about moving forward anyway. Elven may not always want to face the challenges she’s up against, but she pushes through, whether it’s solving the Puzzle Box or defending Madam Green from the miners’ accusations. It’s about showing up for yourself even when you’d rather run away, and I think that’s a powerful message for anyone.
Mount Armora itself is such a fantastic setting—there’s this constant tension between the quiet beauty of the town and the looming threat posed by the miners. The contrast of Elven’s peaceful life with Madam Green against the miners’ destructive greed made the stakes feel even higher. It’s a reminder of how, sometimes, the most precious things in life are under threat from forces that don’t understand their value.
And the Puzzle Box? It’s not just an object—it’s a symbol of Elven’s journey. The way it unfolds alongside her own understanding of who she is was such a clever metaphor. The more Elven learns about herself, the closer she gets to unlocking its secrets. It’s a beautiful reminder that we all have pieces of ourselves that need to be put together before we can fully understand our past and move forward.
All in all, The Puzzle Box Mystery of Mount Armora is a story about finding yourself, standing up for the ones you care about, and pushing through even when things seem impossible. It’s not just a mystery—it’s a tale of growth, courage, and the relationships that shape us into who we’re meant to be. If you’re into stories with heart and depth, this one is definitely worth checking out.
(this was rated one-star because i don't personally enjoy it but I think it would appeal to the target audience)
December 8, 2024
{73/2024} 4/5🌟 Fantasy (Fiction) | 263 pages
“𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘺? 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳? 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥? 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘯’𝘴 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘺, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘦. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘗𝘶𝘻𝘻𝘭𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘹.”
An orphan girl, Elven, lived in an orphanage since she was five. Elven had never known her parents, and with a skin tone that was different from others and how she was born with eleven fingers made her an ideal candidate to be bullied. One day, Elven received a post that she obtained secretly from the orphanage. The post was a wooden Puzzle Box which belonged to her late mother, and a letter explaining that Elven would have to solve the puzzle box - that would bring her to her family secret.
After a number of failed attempts on her own, Elven decided to run away from the orphanage to find the person who crafted the puzzle box in order to know how to solve it. Thus, began her long journey in seeking for her family secret. Elven’s journey brought her to Armora where she met the eccentric Madam Green who took Elven under her wings. Elven lived with Madam Green, but things were about to take a turn as the secrets to the town Armora began to reveal. The people of Armora accused Madam Green as the dangerous witch that had long been haunting the Mount of Armora. Everything was up to Elven now, whether she should push aside her personal mission and save Madam Green or the other way round?
This is a book that will catch the hearts of readers across all ages. For us Asians, folklores and storytelling have long become a part of our culture and identity so we could relate to the storytelling. The storytelling is a mix between our grandparents’ stories and slightly Ghibli-ish. A story full of fantasies and imagination, there was never a dull moment.
What would make the story more meaningful for us Asians? It would have to be the strong foothold in maintaining our Asian characteristics - skin colour, tradition, heritage and most importantly, origin. It’s a story that would hopefully teach our young ones that that there is nothing to be ashamed of in claiming our roots. Yeah, of course we could learn a lot from the other side of the world, but nothing beats our true humble beginning.
The story also highlights the meaning of friendship, family and living as a community, as well as acceptance in one’s condition and being. Something that our young ones do not really learn from school but truly from stories like this.
Read this if you enjoy a little bit of fantasy and a worthwhile life lessons. Thank you #penguinbookssea for the review copy.
#justreaddontbawang #bookmehnia #NovemberReads #NovemberTBRs #bookstagrammalaysia #bookstagrammy #malaysiamembaca #bookstagrammer #bookgram #bibliophile #bibliophilemy #bookish #bookaddict #bookaesthetic #readersofinstagram #goodreads #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookworm #elvenandthepuzzlebox #gwenlee
“𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘺? 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳? 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥? 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘯’𝘴 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘺, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘦. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘗𝘶𝘻𝘻𝘭𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘹.”
An orphan girl, Elven, lived in an orphanage since she was five. Elven had never known her parents, and with a skin tone that was different from others and how she was born with eleven fingers made her an ideal candidate to be bullied. One day, Elven received a post that she obtained secretly from the orphanage. The post was a wooden Puzzle Box which belonged to her late mother, and a letter explaining that Elven would have to solve the puzzle box - that would bring her to her family secret.
After a number of failed attempts on her own, Elven decided to run away from the orphanage to find the person who crafted the puzzle box in order to know how to solve it. Thus, began her long journey in seeking for her family secret. Elven’s journey brought her to Armora where she met the eccentric Madam Green who took Elven under her wings. Elven lived with Madam Green, but things were about to take a turn as the secrets to the town Armora began to reveal. The people of Armora accused Madam Green as the dangerous witch that had long been haunting the Mount of Armora. Everything was up to Elven now, whether she should push aside her personal mission and save Madam Green or the other way round?
This is a book that will catch the hearts of readers across all ages. For us Asians, folklores and storytelling have long become a part of our culture and identity so we could relate to the storytelling. The storytelling is a mix between our grandparents’ stories and slightly Ghibli-ish. A story full of fantasies and imagination, there was never a dull moment.
What would make the story more meaningful for us Asians? It would have to be the strong foothold in maintaining our Asian characteristics - skin colour, tradition, heritage and most importantly, origin. It’s a story that would hopefully teach our young ones that that there is nothing to be ashamed of in claiming our roots. Yeah, of course we could learn a lot from the other side of the world, but nothing beats our true humble beginning.
The story also highlights the meaning of friendship, family and living as a community, as well as acceptance in one’s condition and being. Something that our young ones do not really learn from school but truly from stories like this.
Read this if you enjoy a little bit of fantasy and a worthwhile life lessons. Thank you #penguinbookssea for the review copy.
#justreaddontbawang #bookmehnia #NovemberReads #NovemberTBRs #bookstagrammalaysia #bookstagrammy #malaysiamembaca #bookstagrammer #bookgram #bibliophile #bibliophilemy #bookish #bookaddict #bookaesthetic #readersofinstagram #goodreads #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookworm #elvenandthepuzzlebox #gwenlee
November 28, 2024
𝐴𝑚 𝐼 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑘𝑒𝑦 𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑢𝑧𝑧𝑙𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑣𝑜𝑖𝑑 𝐼 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙...
They say that love is a universal language but what if you are foreign and deprived of that one thing they declare as universal?
Elven and the Puzzle Box by Gwen Lee is a story of an orphan girl with eleven fingers named Elven who struggles with racial prejudice in the orphanage and wishes to be liberated from it. On one fine day, as she is best preparing her rainbow cake (hoping to be one of the chosen children) to be served for the committee members and the Headmaster in Goldsmith College who will sponsor the chosen orphans for scholarship, a parcel was delivered for her where a letter from her grandfather and an intricately crafted wooden Puzzle Box from her late mother awaits for the uncovering, promising Elven a love that is only for her when opened.
Without realizing the weight of that promised love she now craves to solve in her puzzle box, her journey of finding her true self is now slowly leading her to lose sight of what she has and at the same time, opening her to a new world she has never been into. The rest I leave for you to decipher as I did while taking long walks and cycles with Elven.
For these ruminations that linger in my mind, it is often shamefully true that sometimes, greed exceeds empathy as we tend to obsessively reach that one thing we truly want. Yet, it will always mischievously not work the way we want it to for the greater results come in the process we least expect, disguised as obstacles and encounters in life.
Truly a puzzling yet wonderful story that tricks the mind and favors the heart.
They say that love is a universal language but what if you are foreign and deprived of that one thing they declare as universal?
Elven and the Puzzle Box by Gwen Lee is a story of an orphan girl with eleven fingers named Elven who struggles with racial prejudice in the orphanage and wishes to be liberated from it. On one fine day, as she is best preparing her rainbow cake (hoping to be one of the chosen children) to be served for the committee members and the Headmaster in Goldsmith College who will sponsor the chosen orphans for scholarship, a parcel was delivered for her where a letter from her grandfather and an intricately crafted wooden Puzzle Box from her late mother awaits for the uncovering, promising Elven a love that is only for her when opened.
Without realizing the weight of that promised love she now craves to solve in her puzzle box, her journey of finding her true self is now slowly leading her to lose sight of what she has and at the same time, opening her to a new world she has never been into. The rest I leave for you to decipher as I did while taking long walks and cycles with Elven.
For these ruminations that linger in my mind, it is often shamefully true that sometimes, greed exceeds empathy as we tend to obsessively reach that one thing we truly want. Yet, it will always mischievously not work the way we want it to for the greater results come in the process we least expect, disguised as obstacles and encounters in life.
Truly a puzzling yet wonderful story that tricks the mind and favors the heart.
October 17, 2024
I loved this story! The language was rich, such lovely descriptions and metaphors. The characters were well developed, especially the main character, Elven, who I was totally rooting for! The story weaved between Elven struggling to overcome obstacles to her goals and form a new relationship to her identity.
There were many colorful secondary characters: some dark, some humorous. The setting and culture were so vivid, they felt like characters too!
It was a fast read, which I appreciated. The author is a master of cliffhangers; they propelled me from chapter to the next. Just when Elven would surmount one obstacle another one would emerge organically.
The book was so well-written, I felt that I was on the adventure, eating the delicious foods and discovering neat bits about the culture. It will likely be this experience that will stay with me for a long time.
There were many colorful secondary characters: some dark, some humorous. The setting and culture were so vivid, they felt like characters too!
It was a fast read, which I appreciated. The author is a master of cliffhangers; they propelled me from chapter to the next. Just when Elven would surmount one obstacle another one would emerge organically.
The book was so well-written, I felt that I was on the adventure, eating the delicious foods and discovering neat bits about the culture. It will likely be this experience that will stay with me for a long time.
November 12, 2024
let me start off this review by saying that i had planned to read some books out of my preferred genre this year, and i finally DID it. this would not have been possible without the support and generosity of @penguinbookssea for providing me a review copy of this book, and i felt so grateful. thank you so much ❤️
Elven and The Puzzle Box was a fun, adventurous story about an orphan girl named Elven, who goes on a long journey to solve this mysterious puzzle box and find the true meaning of "love" along the way. i thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. everything was described in such vivid detail that it felt like i was experiencing the story first hand.
i also appreciated how this book brings up important topics like discrimination and its devastating consequences for individuals and communities.
overall, this was a wonderful adventure story and i highly recommend it!!
Elven and The Puzzle Box was a fun, adventurous story about an orphan girl named Elven, who goes on a long journey to solve this mysterious puzzle box and find the true meaning of "love" along the way. i thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. everything was described in such vivid detail that it felt like i was experiencing the story first hand.
i also appreciated how this book brings up important topics like discrimination and its devastating consequences for individuals and communities.
overall, this was a wonderful adventure story and i highly recommend it!!
October 10, 2024
This was a fun and easy read, and I appreciate that the book touches on the topic of race and discrimination from a twelve-year-old's point of view. Because of the environment that Elven grew up in, she was self-conscious of her ethnic origins and it was lovely to see her learning to embrace who she is as she meets new people through her journey.
With the puzzle box, the book talks about challenges posed to handcrafted goods, and kindness is a common theme throughout the book 💙 Love that this book touches on these topics which is a great introduction to kids!
Appreciate the adventure that this book brought me on and I'm glad to have picked it up!
With the puzzle box, the book talks about challenges posed to handcrafted goods, and kindness is a common theme throughout the book 💙 Love that this book touches on these topics which is a great introduction to kids!
Appreciate the adventure that this book brought me on and I'm glad to have picked it up!
June 23, 2025
Beautiful Writing, Compelling Adventure/Plot, Great Characters, Timeless and Fun: I was so delighted by Elven and the Puzzle Box. It was incredibly heartwarming and engaging and adventurous in a timeless way that children will enjoy for generations to come. The writing was lyrical, the emotions and relationships deeply satisfying, and the pace was a perfect combination of fast with wonderful moments where the story slowed down just enough to make everything matter more. The world building was lovely!
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