I really did enjoy this book. Although it was intended for middle schoolers, it definitely didn’t read like that. It covered difficulty topics of xenophobia and racism through the moths/butterflies and it was beautifully done. I understand that this book was intended to introduce these themes to a younger audience, more specifically, the importance of speaking up and acting against unjust rules, but there were a couple of things that just seemed… dangerous. Like when Mukhi straight up would not listen to his parents or any adult which led to a series of serious consequences. I think that mentality can be dangerous, especially in situations as discussed in this book. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this book.

Gosh, the first 90 pages of this book were just amazing. I loved the writing, the setting, the characters (especially Paati!) , and the plot. But then it just became too heavy handed and the conflict is resolved in such a simplistic way that I ended up not loving it. Muki is such a great character and I appreciated this look at nationalism, immigration, and racism. For younger readers this might be a good introduction to those themes. For fans of They Called Us Enemy and I Lived on Butterfly Hill.

I really enjoyed Shanthi Sekaran’s Lucky Boy and when i heard, through a mutual acquaintance, that she’d written a middle grade book I was excited to give it a read. While it raises some interesting issues and is an exciting romp, I felt the constraints imposed by writing for this audience meant it wasn’t entirely successful.

In the tiny fictional island nation of Mariposa, the President has decided to blame the economic and social problems of the native Mariposans (aka Butterflies) on more recent immigrants (aka Moths). Though middle schooler Muki Krishnan was born in Mariposa, his parents immigrated from India and the area where they live is full of similar families from all around the world. None of that troubles him as he is assigned to work on a Civics project with Tinsley, popular girl and daughter of the president’s right hand general.

Muki has always been a bit of a fade into the background sort of kid, but as he gradually realizes that his mother is involved with Moth activism and his grandmother is taken to a camp along with other “elder Moths” he realizes it’s time to speak out and get involved. His discussions on nationalism with Tinsley’s dad and with his Butterfly schoolmates are age appropriate, if somewhat simplistic, and could help shed some light on real world situations for middle grade readers.

However, when the rebellion actually happens, it feels unrealistically polite, orderly, and bloodless. Though the stakes are high for Muki and his friends, they seem to be having more of an adventure than fighting for their community’s lives and livelihoods. There is tension and drama, but there never really feels any doubt that the good guys will win (unlike in the real world). I feel the author could have taken some more risks with the characters and situations, though that would maybe have upped the age group.

Nonetheless, this is an intriguing, thoughtful, and well-written novel for young teens with some interesting ideas for them to think about.

Thanks to Katherine Tegen and Edelweiss for the digital review copy.

It took me a little bit to get hooked but I’m so glad I stuck with it. The overall theme of the beauty in migration is so powerful. The main character and his family are at risk of being relocated to a foreign country as their home country of Mariposa begins removing the newer generation of immigrant families. Muki and his friends find themselves involved in a rebellion, started by their parents, and end up as crucial players. This book would be great for discussing immigration and the contributions of immigrants with students and children.

Sekaran makes an interesting choice in setting her story - which has plenty of overlap with conversations both past and present about nationalism, immigration, racism, in-groups/out-groups, etc -in a fictional place. In some ways I thought it worked in allowing the invented terminology to be thematically consistent (government drones are called dragonflies, immigrants are moths while those with longer-term roots are butterflies) not to mention tying into Muki's presentation at the end, but it sometimes made things seem almost too simplistic, and the worldbuilding didn't seem to expand quite enough - time period, for example, was somewhat murky and confusing, and the choice to use nut/legume names for certain characters came off as goofy and almost oddly satirical. Overall the managing of the themes themselves, also seen in Salazar's Land of the Cranes, Cisneros's Efrén Divided, and Yang's Front Desk, was capably done, and Muki comes off as a readable, winning narrator. Might be a good companion read with historical fiction such as They Called Us Enemy, Cuba in My Pocket, When the World Was Ours, or I Lived on Butterfly Hill.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.