Like Alice stumbling down the rabbit hole, Marikit has memorable adventures that help her find her place in the world. A perfect read-alike for fans of Grace Lin’s Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (2009) and Erin Entrada Kelly’s Lalani of the Distant Sea (2019).
On the October 15, 2022 edition of Booklist, a book review site for Librarians, writer Bobbie Peyton wrote this for Marikit and the Ocean of Stars:
Philippine author Cruz brings to life magical creatures inspired by Filipino folklore dressed up in new hats. Marikit Lakandula does not have a lot of pretty things, even though her name—Marikit—means “pretty.” On her tenth birthday, shadows suddenly appear after her mother gives her a gift of a magical patchwork dress. The shadows have been watching and following Marikit to steal her away, and soon she learns the truth: she is a halfling, and her mother is an Engkanto, an enchanted creature who plays tricks on humans. Marikit travels to the land of the Engkantos and must use the dress as a map to make a Diwata journey. Her adventures are interwoven with Filipino language and culture and filled with creatures such as the nightmarish aswangs and the one-eyed moon goddess Mayari. Like Alice stumbling down the rabbit hole, Marikit has memorable adventures that help her find her place in the world. A perfect read-alike for fans of Grace Lin’s Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (2009) and Erin Entrada Kelly’s Lalani of the Distant Sea (2019).