Chinese-born Cece was adopted when she was two years old by her American parents. Living in Texas, she’s bored of her ho-hum high school and dull job. So when she learns about the S.A.S.S. program to Xi’an, China, she jumps at the chance. She’ll be able to learn about her passion—anthropology—and it will give her the opportunity to explore her roots. But when she arrives, she receives quite a culture shock. And the closer she comes to finding out about her birth parents, the more apprehensive she gets. Enter Will, the cute guy she first meets on the plane. He and Cece really connect during the program. But can he help her get accustomed to a culture she should already know about, or will she leave China without the answers she’s been looking for?

I really enjoyed Great Call of China. It made me kind of sad though, how Cece didn't know her birth parents and wanted to find them out. If I was her, I'd be acting just about the same way. I'd go to China pretty much just to find my parents. But, even if I saw a big house, with kids as the address of my old house, I wouldn't wimp out after all that way and think that they didn't like me. I would want to know, and get to the bottom of it becasue it would bug me for the rest of my life if I didn't know. And it's not like you can just jump on a plane to China anytime. I think that that would be the only part of the book that I would change. But, still, a good book. ( )

Reviewed by Marta Morrison for TeensReadToo.com

The good and the not so good:

The main story of Cece finding her birth parents was excellent. Cece had to face her fears and by the end of the story she not only appreciated her adopted parents but also she knew the story behind her birth. She was a very believable character and I really enjoyed her search for friends and her family in China.

What I didn't find believable was that she didn't have any jet lag after flying for about 20+ hours from Texas to China. I have hosted many foreign exchange students and my own two girls went to Germany and Ghana and they all needed to sleep for about two days from the jet lag. Cece barely slept and went to class the next morning.

She also didn't have much culture shock. Yes, she described some of the differences in the culture, but she really wasn't shocked about it. I know that when our students go to China they have to be briefed, and many don't make it because of differences between the cultures.

The rest of the story in THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA is great. Cece is a very likable character and the rest of her friends are, too. There are problems that are solved but very realistically.

I would love to read more about Cece and how she adjusts to life in the states after being away. I find that re-entry into our own culture is the more difficult of the experience. My own two had a harder time coming home than going, especially my daughter who went to Ghana. She has been back for over a year and the lessons she learned there are still causing havoc in her life today.

I liked this story a lot, had some problems with it, but still would rate it 4 Stars. ( )

a great story for adopted kids of all ages. ( )