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Pangu's Shadow Hardcover – February 6, 2024

by Karen Bao (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 11 ratings
See all formats and editions
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There are no second chances in the Pangu Star System.

Ver and Aryl, apprentices at the most prestigious biology lab among the system’s moons, know this better than anyone. They’ve left behind difficult pasts and pinned their hopes for the future on Cal, their brilliant but demanding boss. But one night while working late in the lab, they find Cal sprawled on the floor, dead.

Murdered.

And they immediately become the prime suspects.

Their motives seem obvious. Ver, who left her home moon to study the life-threatening disease wracking her body, had a hopeless attachment to Cal that could’ve become twisted by jealousy. Aryl, on the other hand, clashed with workaholic Cal because she valued more in her life than research.

To clear their names, Ver and Aryl put aside their mutual suspicion and team up to investigate Cal’s death. As they search for the real murderer, they uncover secrets that have shaped all of Pangu’s moons… and must decide what kind of future they really want.

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  1. Reading age
    12 - 18 years
  2. Print length
    288 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    7 - 12
  5. Dimensions
    5.75 x 0.94 x 8.5 inches
  6. Publisher
    Carolrhoda Lab ®
  7. Publication date
    February 6, 2024
  8. ISBN-10
    1728477514
  9. ISBN-13
    978-1728477510
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This dual-perspective tale maintains a vivid connection to each narrator's voice while keeping up an exciting pace and unfurling a satisfying mystery. Hard to put down: A strongly written work that pulls no punches while providing much-needed representation."―starred, Kirkus Reviews



"A solid mystery set in space that raises real issues about social equity, racial justice, and ableism."―School Library Journal



"The characters are distinctive and compelling. This will appeal to readers who love lab settings, murder mysteries, and romance."―Booklist



"Detective hijinks abound, including last-ditch offworld trips, and a morgue heist to find a prosthetic hand. A slow-burn queer romance and stellar worldbuilding round out this sci-fi about queer girls flipping the script."―Shelf Awareness



"Pangu's Shadow is a pitch-perfect murder mystery wrapped up in a scientific bow. . .Who knew science could make me feel so much?"―Cody Roecker, adult and teen services, Naperville Public Library



"Full of humanity and heart, Pangu's Shadow will rivet readers with an out-of-this-world murder mystery and capture their hearts with an enthralling rivals-to-lovers romance. A unique, timely, and iconic addition to the young adult mystery canon!"―Katie Zhao, author of How We Fall Apart



"An awful lot of fun."―Andrea Tang, author of Rebelwing



"Since Dove Arising, I have been waiting with bated breath for Bao's next SF― and Pangu's Shadow totally delivers!"―Romina Garber, New York Times and international bestselling author of Zodiac and Lobizona

About the Author

Karen Jialu Bao does science in the lab, then goes home and writes about it. Having earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience from Harvard University, she studies mosquito brains by blasting them with an electron beam. She has eight ear piercings for no reason. Her favorite activities include cooking, tending her plants, singing, and playing her violin. She is the author of Pangu's Shadow, the Dove Chronicles trilogy, and a contributor to the YA mental health anthology Ab(solutely) Normal.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Carolrhoda Lab ® (February 6, 2024)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1728477514
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1728477510
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 - 18 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 12
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 0.94 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 11 ratings

About the author

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Karen Bao

Karen Bao

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Karen Bao does science in the lab, then goes home and writes about it. A Ph.D. candidate at Harvard University, she studies mosquito brains by blasting them with an electron beam. Her favorite activities include cooking, tending her plants, singing, and playing her violin. She is the author of the Dove Chronicles trilogy published by Penguin Teen, a contributor to the upcoming YA anthology (AB)SOLUTELY NORMAL (Spring 2023, Candlewick Press), and a writer for the Realm series “Renegade Moon.”

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
11 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

E. Kenyon
4.0 out of 5 stars A great escape whether you like science fiction or mysteries.
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2024
Ver and Aryl have overcome many obstacles to become apprentices in a great biology lab. They know they have a long way to go, but everything changes when an explosion happens, and their boss is found dead. The authorities believe there was foul play involved and one or both girls are behind it. They are bailed out by Cal’s wife and have less than a week to figure out what exactly happened. Was it an accident? Was it suicide? Or was it murder?

Pangu’s Shadow is a stand-alone sci-fi mystery that wasn’t very long, which made the events appear that much more intense. I was swept into the story immediately and thoroughly enjoyed the science-fiction aspects and the mystery that needed to be solved. I have never read anything by Bao before, but I will be looking for more books by this talented author. A great escape whether you like science fiction or mysteries.
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Tina Chan
5.0 out of 5 stars A whip smart YA SF Murder Mystery
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2024
Pangu’s Shadow is *the* perfect book for anyone looking for a whip-smart murder mystery wrapped in layers of complex characters and a healthy sprinkling of thought-provoking social commentary. From immigration to geographical privilege, medical care accessibility to body modifications, this book fearlessly delves into a myriad of sociopolitical topics while keeping readers on the edge of their seat.

The story kicks off with an introduction to Aryl and Ver, whose lives are thrown together when their lab instructor is found dead and the two of them are the prime suspects. Ver and Aryl are incredibly nuanced characters with distinctive voices—I particularly love how many of Ver’s chapters opens with sharing a scientific fact and relating it to the action taking place. Aryl’s love for dance was such a visceral passion I could feel it thrumming through her very core—her love of dance, combined with her academic work in the biosciences, gave her very dynamic internals. I also appreciated her complicated relationship with regards to her scientific studies; on one hand, Aryl understands her parents have sacrificed a lot in order to give her this opportunity at a prestigious school so that she might claw herself up on the socioeconomic ladder, and yet on the other hand, Aryl yearns to live a life where her passion for dance and the sciences can coexist healthily without others judging her for the amount of time she spends on dance.

While Aryl could leap and twirl the day away, Ver’s body is slowly falling apart. Diagnosed with a disease that ravages her nerves, musculature system, and more, Ver knows she has limited time to live. As it is, her body is physically fragile—she relies on her cane for mobility and medications to treat the pain. Her hardships have only made her ever more determined to discover a cure for the disease the plagues her and so many others from her homeworld. Being the researcher that she is, Ver is able to both objectively accepts her disabilities while subjectively raging against the unfairness of it all, and this seemingly contradictory stance on something so devastatingly intimidate makes her feel all the more real.

In particular, I enjoyed how the book handled the exploration of discrimination happening within even underprivileged communities themselves, especially when it feels easier to turn on each other by playing the blame game rather than fighting against the more powerful oppressor. Just as—if not more—importantly, I thought it was wonderful how Aryl and Ver had the courage and strength to break the generational trauma that had been passed down through their families. By first overcoming their personal differences with each other, Aryl and Ver were then able join forces and tackle the Big Bad.

With short chapters that make the reading fly by, a whole solar system to explore, and a murder mystery to solve, Pangu’s Shadow is a star all around!

Tags: sci fi mystery, queer romance, lunar setting, academic setting, disability rep, immigrant experience, societal commentary, futuristic technology, intelligent prosthetics
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Kennedy
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Plot
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2024
I wasnt too sure what I was getting into with this book, but I was suprised how much I enjoyed it.

The plot of the book flowed freely and I barely wanted to put it down. This was actually one of the rare books I didnt check how many pages I had left with. I think I read about 80% of it in one sitting.

Far as characters- I wish we saw a bit more development. Sometimes they felt very flat to me, even with all the background we got on them.
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John Rogers Clark IV
5.0 out of 5 stars Desperation detective work at its best.
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2024
Mix science fiction, good old desperation detective work, and an enemies to more-than-friends situation. This is what you get. Ver and Aryl are different physically, but inside there's plenty of commonality. Ver is fighting a terrible genetic disease that's going to eat away until she's dead. Aryl is tall, quite graceful, and an accomplished dancer. Both are interns in an advanced lab, working for Cal who is both brilliant and driven. When an emergency warning is activated and the lights go out, Cal is injected with a substance that kills him. Both girls are accused of his murder, but neither had reason to off their mentor. How they go about solving his murder makes for a dandy story.
One person found this helpful
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Pererau
4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing Science Fiction!
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2024
The different worlds are fascinating, and I enjoyed the race to find evidence of innocence. The main characters go from hate to love a little quickly to be believable, in my opinion. The science explanations were informative without being overly complicated. This is a good read!
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AnnieB
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2024
Pangu's Shadow is a very well written and engaging YA mystery SF standalone novel by Karen Bao. Released 6th Feb 2024 by Lerner, it's 288 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

The advice for writers has always been "write what you know". This is an *intelligent* story, written with the surety of experience in STEM science and labwork. She clearly gets it (including the minor day to day irritations of working in close proximity to other brilliant and driven colleagues.

At its heart, it's a murder mystery with two frenemy lab assistants who need to cooperate if they're going to prove their innocence of a murder of which they're suspected. The setting and world building are wonderfully detailed and believable, despite being set in deep space. The characterization is nuanced and intricately rendered.

Despite being marketed as a YA novel, this is going to be a highlight in SF/speculative fiction releases for the year for YA-adult audiences. Watch for it on the awards lists.

Four and a half stars. Very satisfying, and a real insider's look at life as a "lab rat" (except for the bionic body parts and manned deepspace research facility, those are still fiction currently).
2 people found this helpful
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HeartFullOfBooks
5.0 out of 5 stars Sharp ad beautiful
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2024
I love YA sci-fi and this one is beautifully written, with an amazing world, lots of science, and a sharp look at capitalism and inequality. Highly recommended!
One person found this helpful
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