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ricksilva's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Lizhi, ten-years-old and grieving the loss of her father, must spend a week in Singapore with the aunt and grandfather that never accepted her parents' marriage. Greeted by resentment and hostility from her openly racist aunt, Lizhi finds sanctuary with a kindly gardener and an exploration of the mangrove swamps around the family home.
The situation quickly escalates into a crisis as family secrets begin to come to light.
This is a very fast-paced story with great character development for Lizhi and her family, including her father who is lovingly brought to life through Lizhi's memories. The racism that Lizhi must confront adds intensity to the story. There is also some very loving treatment of Singaporean culture and cuisine which, though only seen in small glimpses, shines brightly in the pages it gets.
The villain, and there is definitely a villain in this story, is a bit of a weak point, although there is some effort at character development there, just not as much as with the rest of the cast.
The situation quickly escalates into a crisis as family secrets begin to come to light.
This is a very fast-paced story with great character development for Lizhi and her family, including her father who is lovingly brought to life through Lizhi's memories. The racism that Lizhi must confront adds intensity to the story. There is also some very loving treatment of Singaporean culture and cuisine which, though only seen in small glimpses, shines brightly in the pages it gets.
The villain, and there is definitely a villain in this story, is a bit of a weak point, although there is some effort at character development there, just not as much as with the rest of the cast.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Racism
Minor: Car accident
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