Review of In Search of Rohan Chang

[Mayang Bature]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "In Search of Rohan Chang" by Lincoln Lee.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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In Search of Rohan Chang is a novel about a New York teenager, Rohan Chang, who soon discovers that he is endowed with superhuman abilities, granting him the ability to do various things and possibly tipping the scales of life in his favor. Hua and Nick were spiritual beings who both claimed they chose to bless him with the abilities and tried to persuade him to adopt their different ideas about how to use them. Hua was kind and compassionate, whereas Nick was angry and selfish. Amayah was Rohan's longtime crush, and when she began to notice him, Nick encouraged him to use it to his advantage because she was 'just one girl who could be easily replaced.'
 
Since the manifestation of his abilities, Rohan has had many adventures and challenges, including the heinous activities of a serial killer in his city. That made him decide to become the vigilante known as the "Black Blur." There is also the issue of his waning faith in God, whom he believes has characteristics similar to Hua's. Rohan must overcome all of these obstacles, and he must do so quickly.
 
Throughout the book, Rohan demonstrated his intelligence, which I found appealing. Even if he occasionally acts like a typical teenager and does something stupid, the decisions he makes are well thought out; his desire to gain popularity in school was an example. Nonetheless, it only added to the book's realism and made it more relatable. The conversations Rohan had with the beings in his subconscious were also very entertaining. The witty remarks he and Nick exchanged were enjoyable to read because of the way they interacted like old friends, always trying to outsmart each other. Because of their raw, unadulterated sincerity, I enjoyed these conversations even more than the actual dialogue between characters in the book.
 
Many books about Christianity portray it as a do-or-die situation, but not this one. Amayah was a Christian, and whenever the subject came up, it did not seem like she was actively trying to force it down his throat. It was a gentle process that demonstrated friendship and love, and I appreciated the subtlety. That only demonstrated her warmth, which was apparent throughout their adventures together. She used it to guide Rohan in the right direction regardless of the time they were in since, indeed, Rohan could travel through time. I also liked the portrayal of culture in this book. Amayah had Puerto Rican parents, while Rohan’s parents were from Taiwan. They introduced each other to various delicacies and cultural celebrations, which was all too enlightening.
 
The only issue I had with this book was that the words coming out of the characters' mouths were sometimes a little too smart for the type of character they were portrayed as. It was like seeing a wise sage in the body of a little girl. Thankfully, this didn't happen very often and has no bearing on the perfect rating of 5 out of 5 stars that I give this book. It was a beautiful work of art full of adventure, trials, and moral choices that I absolutely enjoyed. I believe this book is best suited to the teen and young adult audience for which it was written.

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In Search of Rohan Chang
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[Odichimma Okoye]

First off, the cover of this book is not attractive in any way whatsoever. It's doing too much, and too little at the same time. But I understand that the cover portrays various motifs that represent New York City. Rohan's story seems nice. Having super powers would definitely be a thing of joy. Using them how I wish to is another thing altogether.

[Mayang Bature]

First off, the cover of this book is not attractive in any way whatsoever. It's doing too much, and too little at the same time. But I understand that the cover portrays various motifs that represent New York City. Rohan's story seems nice. Having super powers would definitely be a thing of joy. Using them how I wish to is another thing altogether.

The cover depicts several aspects of the novel but I agree that it's design can be overwhelming. Rohan's story is one of restraint because misusing powers could be mighty tempting.

[Odichimma Okoye]

First off, the cover of this book is not attractive in any way whatsoever. It's doing too much, and too little at the same time. But I understand that the cover portrays various motifs that represent New York City. Rohan's story seems nice. Having super powers would definitely be a thing of joy. Using them how I wish to is another thing altogether.

The cover depicts several aspects of the novel but I agree that it's design can be overwhelming. Rohan's story is one of restraint because misusing powers could be mighty tempting.

Yes, it could be tempting. I feel as though I'd give in to some of them if I were Rohan. I'd just try my hardest to avoid going too far. Besides, what's the use of powers that I can't use?