In Search of Rohan Chang

 In Search of Rohan Chang, Lincoln Lee

 

Rohan Chang is your average Asian kid living in present-day New York City. He spends much of his time not knowing what to say to the lovely Amayah, a high school classmate, and being deathly afraid of saying the wrong thing.

 

Rohan starts hearing voices in his head; his first thought is that he's going nuts. He then starts to acquire superhero powers. He becomes very strong, and can run very fast. Also acquiring the ability to teleport himself anywhere, he accidentally teleports himself right next to a young woman who has just been murdered by the city's latest serial killer. Rohan also reduces the intensity of his ability to heal the sick after totally removing a young girl's case of terminal cancer.

 

Rohan now has two voices in his head, both of whom urge him to listen to them, and ignore the other. He manages to get noticed by the serial killer. Does Rohan stay safe and alive? Does Amayah get added to the list of victims? Does Rohan become an actual superhero?

 

Here is a first-rate piece of writing. It's an excellent teen coming-of-age story, with lots of action, and very good storytelling. For anyone who has wondered how a superhero learns to deal with their new abilities, this gives a very plausible answer. 

Crypto for Beginners

 Crypto for Beginners, Hudson Lee, 2022

Cryptocurrency is the newest way to make (or lose) money very quickly. This book gives an introduction.

 

The first thing to do is create a crypto wallet. It is where you will store your currency, and it is also required. The book explains the process, step by step. You will be asked for a password of random letters and numbers, and a secret phrase. It is imperative that you keep them in a safe place, like on a flash drive, or on a piece of paper in a safe deposit box. Lose your password, or your secret phrase, and your crypto riches are gone, forever. There is no re-setting your password.

 

There are hundreds of currencies available, with more created every day. Which one do you invest in? It's called "research." You wouldn't buy shares in a company just because you like their commercials. Don't invest in a currency just because it's the most popular, or the cheapest. Are you a short- or long-term investor? Don't invest more than you are prepared to lose. Don't panic if the price suddenly drops by a lot.

 

Crypto scams are everywhere. Don't give your password, or secret phrase, to anyone. The IRS wants their portion of your riches, so don't forget about them. Cryptocurrency losses are tax deductible. Many exchanges offer trading accounts on paper, so you can learn the process before spending real money.

 

This book does an excellent job at taking the reader through the process, one step at a time. Keep this book nearby during your journey through the world of cryptocurrency. It is well worth reading.

Forgotten Reflections

Forgotten Reflections, Young-Im Lee, CreateSpace, 2017

This historical novel takes place in South Korea, both during the mid-20th century, and in the present day.

In 1945, Korea's Japanese occupiers had just left, leaving a devastated country behind; there was very little to eat. Iseul was a young woman living in a village called The Wasteland, which was part of Yeoju (back then, Yeoju was a county; it became a city in 2013). People believed that village carpenters, like Iseul's father, could put ghosts in chairs and tables that they made, so Iseul was not looked down on.

A young man named Jung-Soo, part of a well-off family, was brought to the village, as an attempt to get him "out of the way." His father may, or may not, be a Communist spy from the North. In the beginning, the relationship between Iseul and Jung-Soo is pretty rocky.

A few years later, war returns to Korea. Starvation is a constant danger, the local forest around The Wasteland is pretty much cleaned out of any edible fruits and vegetables. All able-bodied men, including Jung-Soo, are conscripted into the South Korean Army. Plain white writing paper has become almost impossible to get, so Iseul leads the women of The Wasteland, and the neighboring villages, to make paper from the bark of the local trees. They are quite successful, making thousands of sheets of paper. The women include blank sheets of paper with letters to their husbands, intending that they give them to other soldiers.

The war is not going well for the South, including the Americans. Jung-Soo learns that the North, including the Chinese, intend to push the South between two mountain ranges. At the point of the mountain ranges is Yeoju. Some of the battle will reach The Wasteland. Jung-Soo is convinced that he has to get back to the village and warn the women. They already know; some join the exodus of refugees heading south, while others want to stay and fight. The armies may be coming because of a rumored huge storehouse of rice. Does war come to The Wasteland again? Do Iseul and Jung-Soo get back together/

This is a first-rate piece of writing. It may take some effort on the part of the reader; give it a chance. It is the sort of novel that could take place anywhere in the world, and during any war. Yes, it is very much worth reading.