Fishbone Cinderella by Elizabeth Lim Publishes 7/28/26


 This was an absolutely fantastic novel! This had all of the elements that I love in a book.


The novel is told from two perspectives, a mother and daughter.  The first part of the book is about Helen  (Yut Ying) and her life growing up in China and then Hong Kong.  Helen has the ability to turn invisible.  It is a useful gift until later on in her life when it is actually killing her.  Helen's life is hard but gets even tougher when she moves to Hong Kong to be with her father and step-mother.  


The second part of the novel is Marigold's story.  She also inherited a special ability.  If she touches anything she sees memories.  Marigold lives in California but does not have an easy life being Chinese American. Marigold must learn to navigate her ability while also trying to find a way to save her mother.  


I devoured this 450 page book in two days.  There was so much I loved about this book.  I enjoyed learning about China and Hong Kong in the mid 1900s.  The characters in the book were fascinating and I really wanted to know how things would turn out for Helen. Her ability to turn invisible made the story even more interesting.  It was historical fiction with strong women with a fantasy touch.  There was also a hint of romance in the book as well.  What I liked best was that the story never got dull.  There was always something new happening and I was fully engaged with the story.  I was still thinking about the events in the story when I wasn't reading.  There were also times when I teared up at what was happening.  


This was a truly engaging novel and one of my top reads for 2026.  I can't wait to read more by this author!


Thank you to Del Rey Books and NetGalley for this ARC.  All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

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