Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse (Trail of Lightning) is a wildly fast-paced adventure based on Diné (Navajo) mythology.
Seventh-grader Nizhoni Begay wants fame--any kind (Internet or school) will suffice. What she's not so sure she wants is her newfound ability to see monsters: "Monsters wear human skin more often than fairy tales would lead you to think." When one of these monsters kidnaps her father, Nizhoni, her younger brother Mac, best friend Davery and newly introduced Diné spirit and talking toad Mr. Yazzie, set off on a daring quest to rescue him. If Mr. Yazzie is right, Nizhoni's monster vision--and Mac's mysterious new powers--mean the siblings have been given the powers of the Hero Twins, the monster-slaying sons of Changing Woman, the creator of the Diné clan system. Their journey will require sacrifice and strength and will bring them to Na'ashjéii Asdzáá (Spider Woman), the Glittering World and the House of the Sun before they face the monster. Such power and daring exploits come to few and often at an extraordinary price--will Nizhoni and Mac become the heroes they need to be in order to save their father?
Roanhorse's characters are vivid, compelling and perfectly imperfect. The author uses Nizhoni's lack of knowledge about her people's stories to enlighten readers without halting the narrative and includes a glossary with the proper pronunciation of Diné terms to enhance readers' experiences. Race to the Sun stands out not as a new take on old mythology, but rather as a refreshing continuation: "The ways of the Diné are not static but alive and ever-changing." Using this base, Roanhorse asks readers to contemplate: "What if these myths are real? What if the stories don't end where we think they do?" --Kyla Paterno, freelance reviewer