Race to the Sun - Rebecca Roanhorse

Initial Draw: ☆☆☆☆
Character Development: ☆☆☆☆
Plot/Writing Style: ☆☆☆☆
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Lately, seventh grader Nizhoni Begay has been able to detect monsters, like that man in the fancy suit who was in the bleachers at her basketball game. Turns out he's Mr. Charles, her dad's new boss at the oil and gas company, and he's alarmingly interested in Nizhoni and her brother, Mac, their Navajo heritage, and the legend of the Hero Twins. Nizhoni knows he's a threat, but her father won't believe her.

When Dad disappears the next day, leaving behind a message that says "Run," the siblings and Nizhoni's best friend, Davery, are thrust into a rescue mission that can only be accomplished with the help of Din Holy People, all disguised as quirky characters. Their aid will come at a price: the kids must pass a series of trials in which it seems like nature itself is out to kill them. If Nizhoni, Mac, and Davery can reach the House of the Sun, they will be outfitted with what they need to defeat the ancient monsters Mr. Charles has unleashed. But it will take more than weapons for Nizhoni to become the hero she was destined to be..."

In a post-Hercules (the Disney movie, not the TV show with garbo Kevin Sorbo) world, I was a kid very into mythology, so I loved Percy Jackson and Rick Riordan's other fantasy series focusing on Greek and Roman mythology. I'm thrilled that there are now so many books like this one coming out that tell stories from the mythology of other cultures - it's high time! I also particularly love this story for including a main character and sidekicks that, while smart and resourceful, are not necessarily physically strong or skilled. Nizhoni is learning and getting more confident, but she also has much more in common with real-life kids her age than many of the hero protagonists I've read about, and I love that she's a character that kids will really get to see themselves in (particularly her goal at the beginning of the book of becoming Internet famous!).

I do wish the pace of the action was slightly faster, but that said, I really enjoyed the main cast of characters - Nizhoni, Mac, and Davery, with honorable mention going to Mr. Yazzi - as well as how fully Nizhoni's quest centered around Navajo legends and how central the Diné Holy People were to each part of the quest. This book left me wanting more, and I was going to say that I can't wait for more books about Nizhoni, but then I looked it up and discovered that this is a standalone book. So...I guess I can't wait to read more Rebecca Roanhorse!