THE SCROLL OF CHAOS

It’s up to one Vancouver, British Columbia, girl to save a realm of Chinese gods and immortals from Chaos.

Twelve-year-old Chinese Canadian Astrid Xu has two things on her mind: her upcoming concert (managing her asthma while she plays clarinet adds to her nerves) and her mother’s depression (which isn’t getting better). When she finds an old book about Chinese mythology, Astrid hopes to use it to connect with her mother and younger sister, Marilla. Unbeknownst to Astrid, the book also contains an ancient scroll that unleashes a demon bent on destroying everything. Astrid and Marilla learn the truth behind the stories their mother shared as they come face to face with the demigod Erlang Shen and Sae, one of the Eight Immortals. Astrid agrees to help them defeat the demon—but in return, she wants a magical peach that she hopes will cure her mother. As Astrid, Marilla, and the immortals race through a world quickly succumbing to Chaos, they must face their fears and their conflicts with one another before they can make a final stand. Chapman mixes an empowering adventure story, in which Astrid uses skills she has already learned in fantastic new ways, with unflinching, age-appropriate depictions of the ways depression can affect a family. Summaries of myths interspersed throughout the narrative add extra context for readers new to Chinese mythology.

A mythological romp that also tackles issues of mental health.