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fkshg8465's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Liked how all the loose ends were tied up. Liked how the reality of their situations were contrasted to the model ministry expectations. Liked the acknowledgement of what happened to Rodney King and the impact it had on the community (in this and in her other book When We Kept to Ourselves).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Alcoholism, Car accident, Stalking, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Alcohol, Child death, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Cancer, Deportation, Death, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
lain_darko's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Racism, and Stalking
Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and War
adoesetfree's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I didn’t hate this book by any means but I didn’t like it either. It doesn’t deserve a 3 but I don’t think it deserves a 2 either, so have a 2.5.
I found the writing an odd mix of threadbare and try-hard (if this book asks me ONE more rhetorical question....) The story itself didn’t give me what I wanted, often skipping right over the things I was interested in seeing. The explorations of how complex mother-daughter relationships can be, how patriarchy affects women, and life as a Korean-American immigrant were thorough, but not especially intuitive or engaging; I wonder if maybe the author took on too many topics at once, particularly for a debut novel.
I found the writing an odd mix of threadbare and try-hard (if this book asks me ONE more rhetorical question....) The story itself didn’t give me what I wanted, often skipping right over the things I was interested in seeing. The explorations of how complex mother-daughter relationships can be, how patriarchy affects women, and life as a Korean-American immigrant were thorough, but not especially intuitive or engaging; I wonder if maybe the author took on too many topics at once, particularly for a debut novel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and Sexism
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