While digging around their school’s backyard in search of an urban legend, Patsy Goh and her best friend Elena Tan are whisked back in time to 1987. Trapped in their mums’ 13-year-old bodies, the duo race against the clock to hunt down the magical time crystal that got them in this mess, before the evil Midnight Warriors find it and cause a time crisis that could destroy all of existence.
(from Low Ying Ping’s website)
- Author(s): Low Ying Ping
- Series: Mount Emily
- Genre(s): middle-grade, realistic, fantasy, time-travel
- Length: 99 pages, 22k words
- My Ratings:
- Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
- Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
- Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
The Good
Mount Emily is an engaging, heartwarming middle-grade novel about time travel and friendship. It’s also one of the few books I’ve read set in Singapore, apart from Extras by Scott Westerfeld. (I highly recommend that series. It might not be the most accurate portrayal of Singapore, however, considering that it’s a wasteland there.)
Everything from the friendship between Patsy and Elena to the details of the time-travel world is beautifully written and true to life. Characters are fleshed out and three-dimensional – even side characters like Patsy’s mother. References to everyday details add a genuine touch to the setting.
I particularly enjoyed reading about Singapore in 1997. Back then, buses didn’t have air-con, Patsy had to call Elena on the landline, the list goes on. But some things stay the same – being held back for recess/break as punishment, for example.
There’s something for everyone to enjoy in Mount Emily. Singaporeans will delight in the memories this book surfaces, from characters lamenting the lack of air-con to the portrayal of secondary school in the titular Mount Emily Girls’ School. Non-Singaporeans, on the other hand, will enjoy the time-travel and coming-of-age subplots.
Final Thoughts
Mount Emily is one of my absolute favourite Singaporean books, and it’s one I’ve read many, many times over the years.
I was extremely happy to discover that this is the first in a 4-book series. I’ve since read and reread all 4 books at least twice. And if you need any more convincing – the cover is really pretty. There’s a specific aesthetic to it that’s maintained throughout the series as the adventures get better and better.
DISCLAIMER: All opinions expressed here are solely my own – take them with a pinch of salt. The words in this post are all written by me, apart from the author’s synopsis of the book and various quotes quoted in the review.
Please do not reproduce, copy, repost, etc. any part of this review without my permission or without crediting me. It takes time and effort to write them. Thank you!