2 out of 4 stars
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Do you believe in spirit guides? How about imaginary friends?
Li Bai’s Shadow is a young adult book that is based on these concepts. It was written by Lee J. Mavin and focuses on Li Bai, a historical figure who lived during the Tang Dynasty of China. He was a wine drinker, a wanderer, and a famous Chinese poet. In the present era, he attaches himself to Caitlin, a motherless Australian girl who suffers from OCD. Having been her imaginary friend since she was an infant, the spiritual poet accompanies her to China when she decides to run away.
Pleased to be back in his native land, Li Bai decides that it is time to share his special bottle of wine with Caitlin. Soon, the pair is traipsing through ancient China, reliving fragments of the poet’s life during the Tang Dynasty. The story follows Li Bai, Caitlin, and her loved ones, who end up journeying to China to find her.
The best feature of this book is its detailed account of Chinese culture. I enjoyed reading about the reality of modern-day China, which included the problem of pollution and the busyness of the city’s streets. The text is also sprinkled with Chinese food, drinks, multiple historical figures from ancient China, and places of interest such as the Goose Pagodas in Shanxii Province.
In my opinion, the storyline of this book is extremely unique. The concept of imaginary friends is one which is usually explored in children’s books, but the author was able to implant it into a young adult story without making it seem childish. Additionally, real historical events and figures are incorporated into the plot. The fusion of these is unlike anything I have ever read.
However, the worst feature of this book is the number of errors it contained. In addition to spelling errors, I noticed that many sentences lacked articles and prepositions. Also, some sentences do not make any sense, such as, ‘Li Bai smiles and pulls out from his a small piece of wood with characters is red.’ This book is definitely not professionally edited.
Certain parts of the book are also confusing. In the beginning, it is known that Li Bai is either a figment of Caitlin’s imagination or a spirit guide. However, after Caitlin drinks the special wine, she and Li Bai begin traveling through ancient China. In spite of this, the book is also written from her loved ones’ perspective and when they question others about the missing girl, people state that they have seen her around. In my mind, this rules out time travel, since Caitlin and Li Bai exist in two time zones at the same time. Furthermore, in the present, Li Bai is invisible to Caitlin’s family and friends, but when they meet Li Bai’s associates, she becomes invisible to them. This was not openly stated, but it was implied in certain instances. I began to think that Caitlin was mental and perhaps the entire involvement with Li Bai was a hallucination.
Since the only impressive features of this book are the descriptions of Chinese culture and its unique plot, I rate Li Bai’s Shadow 2 out of 4 stars. Despite its inadequacies, I think that it will appeal to history fans, poets, and anyone who wishes to learn more about Chinese culture.
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Li Bais shadow
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Like KristyKhem's review? Post a comment saying so!
The plot was certainly interesting, I just wish it was edited better.
