Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee

My name is Min, and I can’t believe what the inspector has said about my brother Jun. He would never desert from the Space Forces. He’s accused of running away to find the Dragon Pearl, although most people don’t believe it exists. Its powers could save the people of Jinju, or it could be a devastating weapon, if it were to fall into the wrong hands. If it existed. I really didn’t have a good plan to find Jun when I left home, but an unusual opportunity has developed. My abilities as a Fox will be most useful, even though we’re distrusted by most people. However, Jang’s ghost has struck a bargain with me that will get me aboard a Space Forces battle cruiser. The only problem is I’ll need to become Jang.

This book was nominated for a 2019 Goodreads award in middle grade fiction. It's hard for me to find truly unique stories anymore, but this book included some interesting twists. Min's abilities as a Fox were the biggest factor in all the events. She was able to shape-shift and nudge ideas into other characters' minds, as she fooled everyone else by impersonating Jang. Her motivation was to save her brother, but she also agreed to help discover who had killed Jang. Jang's ghost would check in from time to time to give feedback to Min. The big conflict revolved around the mythical Dragon Pearl, which could create life from barren lands. Obviously, it existed in the story, or the title wouldn't make any sense. Its importance, and danger, to the Thousand Worlds and beyond naturally created a competition between both honest and dishonest searchers. The covert nature of this competition cast uncertainty on many characters. Their backgrounds and motivations were often secret. It felt like the story's resolution left the door open for a sequel, but I don't know if that's in the works. I recommend you give this book a shot, and I'll be on the lookout for a part two.