The Legendary Mo Seto

The Legendary Mo Seto mixes a bit of fun with growing up. Mo Seto is excellent at Taekwondo, but as she has gotten older and is smaller than the other kids, she has started to lose matches. This puts her mom in an overprotective state and they argue about what else she could be spending her time doing that better suits her size. Her dad no longer seems proud of her and keeps pushing her to do better making her doubt his love and her self-worth. This is compounded by a truly shady way her father skips out at the end of her competition and then isn’t seen for weeks with little communication.
Then Mo discovers there is a secret history on her dad’s side of the family and a new style of martial arts that she is told should remain secret. So of course she involves her best friend, known as Nacho. Nacho is an amazing character. He supports her even when he fears for her. He studies secret societies and Chinese history to help her understand her family secrets. It is also easy to see that he would like to admit romantic feelings, but they never quite get out in the open.
Nacho’s grandfather is another gem of a character. He is totally on board with claiming Mo as his grandkid so she can audition for a martial arts movie starring her hero, Cody Kwok. The grandpa’s charm and enthusiasm add so much to the story. The author indulges in Cody’s character. His reputation is larger than life and a complete departure from reality. Mo learns an important lesson that not everything you see in the media is as it seems. The author kept naming the Cody Kwok films with a quick synopsis that felt like she was playing a game of “rewrite the story badly,” making this story full of silly fun.
There are a couple of parts that stretch credibility. I was disappointed in the mother’s character. Not sure how you can go so long and not notice your daughter has chopped off all her hair. The tactics Mo uses to look bigger do not seem likely and I kept thinking the whole time how is she not cut from the movie auditions when she keeps messing up? However, that is explained at the end. The father's plotline comes into importance but during most of the book, it seemed like it was an important part just left hanging.
Everything about her dad, the society, Cody Kwok, and her new fighting style all come together in an epic showdown. The ending leaves room for there to be at least 2 more stories if the author wanted Mo’s character to pursue getting the other 2 books her ancestor wrote. This story feels complete if there is not a sequel but room for more if there is.
Overall, I like Mo’s personal growth as she discovers it is ok to be small and that you can still accomplish great things. I like the resolution between her parents and her. I also like the growth and understanding between her and her rival, Dax.

Modesty "Mo" Seto is twelve, and hugely involved in Taekwondo. She is especially small for her age, so finds it hard to compete with people like Dax, who is larger. When she is momentarily distracted by her father stepping outside during her competition, Dax exploits her weakness, and she ends up with second place in the tournament. This is all part of a downward slide that has her worried, but when she finds out that there is an open audition for a role in a film starring her idol, martial arts expert Cody Kwok, she thinks that it is a way to redeem herself. With her father having to go to China for work, she knows that her busy mother will not sign the permission form, so she and her best friend Ingnacio "Nacho" Garcia, try to sneak in and get an early audition. Mo is distraught to discover that she doesn't meet the heighth requirement, but the casting director thinks Nacho would be perfect and gives him an audition folder for a call back. Using memory foam and Play-Doh in her shoes to make herself taller, swathed in a number of sweatshirts to make her seems bulkier, and wearing a ballcap to disguise herself, she shows up for the next call. At home, tensions are high because her mother wants her to pursue more feminine pursuits like embroidery or maybe ballet. Mo has also uncovered some old documents when cleaning out the basement, and begins to realize that an ancestor was a practioner of xiaoxi fu, a martial art based on a mythical small female warrior that includes many elements of dance. In a phone call, her father warns her that this is not for her, and her m other tries to take away the book. This doesn't stop Mo from making a copy and practicing a lot of the moves. When she needs a parent at the audition training, she manages to finagle Nacho's grandfather into coming. Things don't go well; she's accused of putting itching powder in equipment, and the set has several accidents, including some with Cody Kwok, whom Mo is thrilled to meet. Despite all odds, Mo manages to advance, and starts to work with her nemesis, Dax, on figuring out why bad things are happening. She finds out secrets about the planned film, as well as some about her family and their involvement with martial arts. Will she be able to overcome all of her shortcomings and get a role in the film?