Sunlight Playing over a Mountain

Praise for Sunlight Playing over a Mountain

“Li Bi’s hypnotic writing blurs myth and reality, capturing Jasmine’s inner turmoil as she grapples with her mother’s neglect and the harsh truth of their circumstances . . . A book about the myths we weave to survive, the pain of seeing those myths unravel, and the strength it takes to pick up the broken shards and rebuild our story.”
—TeenTix

“Selina Li Bi has invited readers into her enchanted yet down-to-earth world in this fresh, original coming-of-age story.”
—BookTrib

“A magical debut!”
—AudioFile Magazine

“An extraordinary coming-of-age tale . . . [that] will keep readers turning the pages for answers. Highly ­recommended, especially for those who grew up in a less-than-­magical world.”
—School Library Journal, Starred Review

“The emotional impact of Jasmine’s struggle to act as her mother’s caretaker is viscerally conveyed without overly dramatizing or romanticizing the situation . . . With narrative priority placed on Jasmine’s emotional journey, this is a realistic depiction of parentification that readers will find to be either validating or eye-opening.”
—Booklist

“Jasmine contends with racism, the prospect of foster care, first love, and complicated feelings surrounding her mother’s condition, circumstances which Li Bi depicts in dreamlike, Chinese mythology–tinged prose.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Intriguing . . . Bi’s young adult debut presents original depictions of mental illness that are suffused with Chinese myth and Filipino folklore. Both Jasmine and her mother walk a fine line between fantasy and reality.”
—Kirkus Reviews