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The Monkey King's Daughter #1
The Monkey King's Daughter
The Monkey King's Daughter(r) isn't about Sun Wukong, the Monkey King - it's about his daughter, Meilin. Only, Meilin doesn't know she's the Monkey King's daughter. In fact, she doesn't know she's half-monkey at all. As far as Meilin knows, she's an ordinary 14 year-old high school freshman from Midland Hills, California, facing all the problems that bright young girls face at that age- flakey girlfriends, zits, too much homework, bad hair, obnoxious boys... But all of that changes when her ancient past catches up with her. (And she thought high school was gonna be easy...) The Monkey King's Daughter (Book One) is a new series of novels that introduces a totally fresh and exciting action/adventure hero to 8-13 year old readers.
148 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 20, 2019
The beginning of this book started off a little slow, but it picked up in the second chapter. However, the plot wasn't as engaging as it could be, and there was a lot of aspects to the original myth that was left out. for example, his famous cudgel.
October 5, 2010
If I were a 14 year old girl, I would love this book!! As a 45 year old man, I still found it a fast, enjoyable read, and I've given it to my teenage daughter to try out. I think she'll like it.
Some (older) readers might remember the fantastical martial arts TV series 'Monkey' - based on a classic book of Chinese literature by Wu Cheng En.
This book mixes the characters from Monkey (including his old friends Pigsy and Sandy) with a 14 year old Chinese American girl growing up in California, with all the usual issues that teenagers encounter.
As the title suggests, she discovers she has inherited magical powers from her father, the Monkey King, and has to learn how to bring them under control, rescue her mother from the evil Bull King, and win the school volleyball match, to boot!
Overall, an unusual and enjoyable introduction into a wonderful Chinese legend for the next generation.
Some (older) readers might remember the fantastical martial arts TV series 'Monkey' - based on a classic book of Chinese literature by Wu Cheng En.
This book mixes the characters from Monkey (including his old friends Pigsy and Sandy) with a 14 year old Chinese American girl growing up in California, with all the usual issues that teenagers encounter.
As the title suggests, she discovers she has inherited magical powers from her father, the Monkey King, and has to learn how to bring them under control, rescue her mother from the evil Bull King, and win the school volleyball match, to boot!
Overall, an unusual and enjoyable introduction into a wonderful Chinese legend for the next generation.
June 29, 2025
This review was first published on Kurt's Frontier.
Synopsis:
Anyone familiar with Chinese mythology knows about Sun Wukong, aka the Monkey King. This story is about his daughter, Meilin. As far as she knows, she’s a typical American high school student of Chinese descent. She lives with her mother, Lijuan, and her uncle, Zhu Bajie, known as Uncle Z. She has mostly faced typical teenage girl problems: flaky valley girl bullies, homework, zits, bad hair days, obnoxious boys, etc., but now her past catches up to her when demons kidnap her mother. She must embrace her heritage to save her parents.
Review:
People who read my reviews know that I consider the question “what if” an author’s greatest tool. If you’ve read Journey to the West, which is a novel written in China during the 16th century. The author is believed to be Wu Cheng’en. It chronicles the adventures of Sun Wukong and his companions as they seek enlightenment. But what happens afterward? T. A. DeBonis continues the story by showing how Sun Wukong falls in love with the goddess of compassion’s daughter, Lijaun, and fathers Meilin. Due to a coup in the Jade Palace, Lijaun, Zu Bajie, and the infant Meilin are sent to the modern world for safety. Lijaun and Zu Bajie (Pigsy from the story) hide her true heritage until her 14th birthday, when she begins to display monkey-like features. (Talk about a bad hair day!) Before she can process this, demons snatch her mother away, leaving Meilin and Pigsy to find Meilin’s father and awaken her powers.
The Monkey King’s Daughter is a fast, fun read. It is entertaining, even though it is aimed at a younger audience. It explores the family dynamics of a 16th-century family living in modern California. My one complaint is that her mastery of her abilities, especially martial arts, seems to come too easily. There should have been a bigger challenge. That said, I found the book enjoyable overall.
Synopsis:
Anyone familiar with Chinese mythology knows about Sun Wukong, aka the Monkey King. This story is about his daughter, Meilin. As far as she knows, she’s a typical American high school student of Chinese descent. She lives with her mother, Lijuan, and her uncle, Zhu Bajie, known as Uncle Z. She has mostly faced typical teenage girl problems: flaky valley girl bullies, homework, zits, bad hair days, obnoxious boys, etc., but now her past catches up to her when demons kidnap her mother. She must embrace her heritage to save her parents.
Review:
People who read my reviews know that I consider the question “what if” an author’s greatest tool. If you’ve read Journey to the West, which is a novel written in China during the 16th century. The author is believed to be Wu Cheng’en. It chronicles the adventures of Sun Wukong and his companions as they seek enlightenment. But what happens afterward? T. A. DeBonis continues the story by showing how Sun Wukong falls in love with the goddess of compassion’s daughter, Lijaun, and fathers Meilin. Due to a coup in the Jade Palace, Lijaun, Zu Bajie, and the infant Meilin are sent to the modern world for safety. Lijaun and Zu Bajie (Pigsy from the story) hide her true heritage until her 14th birthday, when she begins to display monkey-like features. (Talk about a bad hair day!) Before she can process this, demons snatch her mother away, leaving Meilin and Pigsy to find Meilin’s father and awaken her powers.
The Monkey King’s Daughter is a fast, fun read. It is entertaining, even though it is aimed at a younger audience. It explores the family dynamics of a 16th-century family living in modern California. My one complaint is that her mastery of her abilities, especially martial arts, seems to come too easily. There should have been a bigger challenge. That said, I found the book enjoyable overall.
February 5, 2019
Imagine if the magical stories you were told as a child were true and you were a princess in the kingdom. This book starts off pretty normal then takes an abrupt turn! You not only learn your family's history but realize your place in it. Those stories were not only real but now it's time for you to add your chapter. This is what happens to the main character, Meilin Cheng, a contemporary Chinese-American teenage and it's an amazing adventure to experience with her.
January 1, 2020
This presents a new angle of The Monkey King tale which brought the idea of him having a daughter and how she can inherently acquire such skill and power from his father.
Full review here
Full review here
February 13, 2018
It's a pretty good start, but I think I'll need to read the rest of the series to really know what I think of it. This was too short!! XD
February 27, 2018
it was a really fun story
October 28, 2011
Sun Wukong, atau Sun Go Kong si Kera Sakti, sayup-sayup pernah saya dengar. Tapi saya bukan pecinta cerita silat Cina (atau semacam itu). Satu-satunya seri silat yang pernah saya baca adalah Pendekar 212 Kapak Nagageni (ciaaattt!). Seingat saya, saya juga hanya nonton sekilas-sekilas film serinya yang pernah diputar salah satu televisi swasta di Indonesia. So, sewaktu dapat buku ini, sebelum membaca saya harus menggali sedikit info terlebih dahulu tentang Sun Go Kong, biar nggak jaka sembung naik ojek.
Yang belum begitu ngeh dengan cerita Sun Go Kong yang ditulis oleh Wu Cheng En pada abad ke-16 dan menjadi salah satu mitologi klasik Tiongkok yang paling terkenal di dunia, kira-kira begini singkatnya:
Sun Go Kong adalah kera sakti yang lahir dari sebuah batu yang jatuh dari surga. Kesaktiannya membuat Sun Go Kong sombong dan lupa diri. Ia sering mengacau kahyangan, dan puncaknya saat ia merasa tak ada yang mampu menandinginya baik di bumi maupun langit. Buddha pun menantang Sun Go Kong. Namun Sun Go Kong ternyata tak dapat memenuhi tantangan Buddha sehingga ia dihukum, turun dari atas gunung dengan ditimpa batu dan dalam waktu yang panjang, 500 tahun. Saat Sun Go Kong menjalani hukumannya tersebut, ia bertemu Pendeta Tong, yang akan melakukan perjalanan ke barat mencari sebuah kitab suci. Sun Go Kong pun menjadi murid Pendeta Tong, dan mengalami berbagai peristiwa dan pencerahan dalam hidupnya.
***
Buku ini berkisah tentang putri Sun Go Kong. Lho, memangnya Sun Go Kong punya anak? Sepertinya sh di cerita aslinya tidak. T.A. DeBonis, penulis novel ini memang hanya mengadaptasi Journey to the West, kisah Sun Go Kong si Kera Sakti. Alkisah, menurut DeBonis, setelah mendapatkan pencerahan dari perjalanannya, Sun Go Kong jatuh cinta pada Lijuan, cucu Guanyin, Dewi Kebajikan, dan mereka kemudian memiliki seorang putri. Hal tersebut membuat marah penguasa dunia bawah, Bull King. Sun Go Kong dan Bull King pernah bertarung, dan Bull King kalah. Bull King berjanji bahwa suatu hari nanti dia akan membalas, salah satunya dengan membunuh istri dan anak musuhnya tersebut, sekaligus meruntuhkan kahyangan.
Untuk menyelamatkan istri dan putrinya yang baru lahir, dengan kesaktian yang dimilikinya digabung dengan kesaktian Guanyin, Sun Go Kong mengirim istri dan putrinya ke dunia masa depan. Lijuan dan Meilin, sang putri, ditemani oleh Zhu Bajie, pengawal kepercayaan Sun Go Kong, yang dikenal sebagai Pigsy. Lantas di manakah "dunia masa depan" tempat Sun Go Kong mengirim istri dan putrinya? Jangan kaget... California, AS.
Lijuan dan Zhu Bajie mengasuh Meilin sebagaimana manusia masa kini. Meilin, 14 tahun, adalah anak gadis biasa yang sekolah, memiliki sahabat cewek, dan menyukai Jonas Brother. Hingga suatu hari Melilin melihat gambaran aneh tentang dirinya. Sekelebat ia melihat wajahnya berubah menjadi kera. Tadinya ia berpikir hanya mimpi, namun ternyata... ya beneran :).
Lijuan sang ibu, dan Zhu Bajie, yang biasa ia panggil paman pun harus berterus terang tentang siapa sesungguhnya Meilin. Selesaikah? Tentu tidak. Secara tak sengaja Meilin membuka "gerbang" yang membuat dunia masa lalu kembali. Lijuan, sang ibu diculik oleh anak buah Bull King. Meilin dan Zhu Bajie pun harus menyelamatkan sang ibu, dan masuk ke dunia masa lalu tersebut, 3000 tahun ke belakang.
***
Tak disangka, saya sangat menikmati cerita ini. Seru juga! Meski ditulis dnegan ringan, tapi nuansa klasik Cina-nya tetap terasa. Saya pun akan segera melanjutkan ke buku berikut. Oh ya, buku yang sudah terbit ada 3 buku, menyusul buku keempat yang akan terbit tahun ini. Sebuah perusahaan film di Hong Kong juga akan mengangkat cerita ini ke layar lebar. Pengen nonton!
Yang belum begitu ngeh dengan cerita Sun Go Kong yang ditulis oleh Wu Cheng En pada abad ke-16 dan menjadi salah satu mitologi klasik Tiongkok yang paling terkenal di dunia, kira-kira begini singkatnya:
Sun Go Kong adalah kera sakti yang lahir dari sebuah batu yang jatuh dari surga. Kesaktiannya membuat Sun Go Kong sombong dan lupa diri. Ia sering mengacau kahyangan, dan puncaknya saat ia merasa tak ada yang mampu menandinginya baik di bumi maupun langit. Buddha pun menantang Sun Go Kong. Namun Sun Go Kong ternyata tak dapat memenuhi tantangan Buddha sehingga ia dihukum, turun dari atas gunung dengan ditimpa batu dan dalam waktu yang panjang, 500 tahun. Saat Sun Go Kong menjalani hukumannya tersebut, ia bertemu Pendeta Tong, yang akan melakukan perjalanan ke barat mencari sebuah kitab suci. Sun Go Kong pun menjadi murid Pendeta Tong, dan mengalami berbagai peristiwa dan pencerahan dalam hidupnya.
***
Buku ini berkisah tentang putri Sun Go Kong. Lho, memangnya Sun Go Kong punya anak? Sepertinya sh di cerita aslinya tidak. T.A. DeBonis, penulis novel ini memang hanya mengadaptasi Journey to the West, kisah Sun Go Kong si Kera Sakti. Alkisah, menurut DeBonis, setelah mendapatkan pencerahan dari perjalanannya, Sun Go Kong jatuh cinta pada Lijuan, cucu Guanyin, Dewi Kebajikan, dan mereka kemudian memiliki seorang putri. Hal tersebut membuat marah penguasa dunia bawah, Bull King. Sun Go Kong dan Bull King pernah bertarung, dan Bull King kalah. Bull King berjanji bahwa suatu hari nanti dia akan membalas, salah satunya dengan membunuh istri dan anak musuhnya tersebut, sekaligus meruntuhkan kahyangan.
Untuk menyelamatkan istri dan putrinya yang baru lahir, dengan kesaktian yang dimilikinya digabung dengan kesaktian Guanyin, Sun Go Kong mengirim istri dan putrinya ke dunia masa depan. Lijuan dan Meilin, sang putri, ditemani oleh Zhu Bajie, pengawal kepercayaan Sun Go Kong, yang dikenal sebagai Pigsy. Lantas di manakah "dunia masa depan" tempat Sun Go Kong mengirim istri dan putrinya? Jangan kaget... California, AS.
Lijuan dan Zhu Bajie mengasuh Meilin sebagaimana manusia masa kini. Meilin, 14 tahun, adalah anak gadis biasa yang sekolah, memiliki sahabat cewek, dan menyukai Jonas Brother. Hingga suatu hari Melilin melihat gambaran aneh tentang dirinya. Sekelebat ia melihat wajahnya berubah menjadi kera. Tadinya ia berpikir hanya mimpi, namun ternyata... ya beneran :).
Lijuan sang ibu, dan Zhu Bajie, yang biasa ia panggil paman pun harus berterus terang tentang siapa sesungguhnya Meilin. Selesaikah? Tentu tidak. Secara tak sengaja Meilin membuka "gerbang" yang membuat dunia masa lalu kembali. Lijuan, sang ibu diculik oleh anak buah Bull King. Meilin dan Zhu Bajie pun harus menyelamatkan sang ibu, dan masuk ke dunia masa lalu tersebut, 3000 tahun ke belakang.
***
Tak disangka, saya sangat menikmati cerita ini. Seru juga! Meski ditulis dnegan ringan, tapi nuansa klasik Cina-nya tetap terasa. Saya pun akan segera melanjutkan ke buku berikut. Oh ya, buku yang sudah terbit ada 3 buku, menyusul buku keempat yang akan terbit tahun ini. Sebuah perusahaan film di Hong Kong juga akan mengangkat cerita ini ke layar lebar. Pengen nonton!
Read
July 27, 2016Today I have another great self published series. I said in another recent review that I am getting rather tired of Greek mythology. Because of Percy Jackson it seems to be everywhere. As a kid I went through a phase where I was into Greek mythology and I still enjoy it, but there is a lot of really interesting mythology out there (I was always way more fascinated with Egyptian mythology) and I wish I had been able to discover it as a young reader. The Monkey King’s Daughter is based in Chinese stories of the Monkey King. If you’ve read Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese you will be familiar with the myth this book draws on. Plenty of it is explained in the course of the story and will make sense to kids unfamiliar with it.
Despite Melin’s age and the fact that she’s in high school, the book is totally appropriate for upper elementary. It’s perfect for kids who like to age up. I would also highly recommend it for lower readers in middle school. The story is exciting enough, but the reading level isn’t particularly difficult.
The pacing was off in a few places. Most of the time the story plugged along, but there were a couple places where things happened a little quickly, felt rushed, and were glossed over. I think this has less to do with it being self published and more to do with the reading level it’s intended for. I don’t know exactly where it falls, but it’s a little more difficult than beginning chapter books, but not nearly as difficult as Percy Jackson (or as long).
My only other complaint is that when Meilin meets her father for the first time she isn’t awkward or angry or anything. She runs into his arms and they spend an evening star gazing together, enjoying each other’s company. I just had a hard time believing that a kid who hasn’t met her father would feel overwhelming love for a man who was never around. Will most kids care about this? The only kids who might are ones who have not met their fathers or who have experienced meeting them later in life. Does that make the book unworthy? I don’t think so. I doubt most kids who will tear through the adventure in this will mind that it isn’t totally authentic. Just be aware it may fall a little flat for some readers.
I really hope this story leads kids to the original Monkey King stories from the different parts of Asia. They’re very exciting and funny. Meilin takes some things in stride, but she was a very realistic kid. She didn’t suddenly become good at everything when she discovered her heritage and fell into her adventure. This is the first in a series and I’ll be buying the rest (I bought the first to try it out). It’s well worth having on our library shelves, particularly if you have kids who love mythology (we all have Riordan fans) and kids who like action.
Despite Melin’s age and the fact that she’s in high school, the book is totally appropriate for upper elementary. It’s perfect for kids who like to age up. I would also highly recommend it for lower readers in middle school. The story is exciting enough, but the reading level isn’t particularly difficult.
The pacing was off in a few places. Most of the time the story plugged along, but there were a couple places where things happened a little quickly, felt rushed, and were glossed over. I think this has less to do with it being self published and more to do with the reading level it’s intended for. I don’t know exactly where it falls, but it’s a little more difficult than beginning chapter books, but not nearly as difficult as Percy Jackson (or as long).
My only other complaint is that when Meilin meets her father for the first time she isn’t awkward or angry or anything. She runs into his arms and they spend an evening star gazing together, enjoying each other’s company. I just had a hard time believing that a kid who hasn’t met her father would feel overwhelming love for a man who was never around. Will most kids care about this? The only kids who might are ones who have not met their fathers or who have experienced meeting them later in life. Does that make the book unworthy? I don’t think so. I doubt most kids who will tear through the adventure in this will mind that it isn’t totally authentic. Just be aware it may fall a little flat for some readers.
I really hope this story leads kids to the original Monkey King stories from the different parts of Asia. They’re very exciting and funny. Meilin takes some things in stride, but she was a very realistic kid. She didn’t suddenly become good at everything when she discovered her heritage and fell into her adventure. This is the first in a series and I’ll be buying the rest (I bought the first to try it out). It’s well worth having on our library shelves, particularly if you have kids who love mythology (we all have Riordan fans) and kids who like action.
January 19, 2016
Meilin was your average 14-year-old girl. Living in California was supposed to be sun, surf, celebrities and shopping. Her parents couldn’t seem to let go of their Chinese heritage and the altars for Buddah. Another cherished item by her family was the statue of a Monkey King. Other concerns Meilin had were never knowing her father and how sad her mother always seemed to be.
Meilin will soon have a birthday. Just once she would like to have a regular birthday party with her friends and even hamburgers. She finds the nerve to ask her mom who reluctantly approves. But unfortunately, Meilin is old enough to finally learn about her family history and who her father really was. The news doesn’t come easy for her. The question Meilin will have to ask herself is, is she ready to step up to a heritage she knows nothing about? Is her longing for a normal Chinese American life out of reach?
Author Todd DeBonis has created a series that has been used by China Care and several other Asian charities to raise funds. Soon there will be a feature film of this story and released in 2016.
Meilin will soon have a birthday. Just once she would like to have a regular birthday party with her friends and even hamburgers. She finds the nerve to ask her mom who reluctantly approves. But unfortunately, Meilin is old enough to finally learn about her family history and who her father really was. The news doesn’t come easy for her. The question Meilin will have to ask herself is, is she ready to step up to a heritage she knows nothing about? Is her longing for a normal Chinese American life out of reach?
Author Todd DeBonis has created a series that has been used by China Care and several other Asian charities to raise funds. Soon there will be a feature film of this story and released in 2016.
April 13, 2020
Read this book after reading Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series... quite enjoy both authors' take on the question "what if myths were real and still playing out in present day?" The friendships between the main characters and their peers are also well written. I wanted to be one of the group too, just not quite as in danger maybe. Really enjoyed the times of jumping out of the "real world" and into the depths of time.
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January 21, 2019Full review to come as part of Multicultural Children's Book day!
This was an original, fast-paced middle-grade adventure story where the main character, a Chinese-American girl, wakes up to find that her whole life has been a lie. It turns out that she is actually the Monkey King's Daughter and has inherited some of his magical skills...as well as some of his enemies!
Sure to be a hit with anyone who loved the original antics of the Monkey King or who is looking for an adventure like no other!
This was an original, fast-paced middle-grade adventure story where the main character, a Chinese-American girl, wakes up to find that her whole life has been a lie. It turns out that she is actually the Monkey King's Daughter and has inherited some of his magical skills...as well as some of his enemies!
Sure to be a hit with anyone who loved the original antics of the Monkey King or who is looking for an adventure like no other!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews