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usbsticky's review
2.0
I'm giving this book 2 stars as a neutral rating = it was OK.
First of all, I note that this is supposed to be a humorous book and humor is notoriously hard to get right. A lot of authors try it but you either get it right or you look like you're trying too hard to be funny. And most authors don't get it right. Unfortunately, the humor in this book didn't make me burst out in laughter or even smile, it just made me note that it's supposed to be humorous.
What I liked about the book was the inside look at Taiwan that only a native Taiwanese person can write and the author has done a very good job of it.
But the downfall of this book to me was that it was very wordy and somewhat bland. I enjoyed the description of the country and the culture but I didn't feel anything about the characters. I thought the author tried to make the descriptions of them funny rather than to flesh them out as real people. And when you don't care about the characters, you don't care about the book either. And that is why I felt this book was just OK. I got this book free as a review copy.
First of all, I note that this is supposed to be a humorous book and humor is notoriously hard to get right. A lot of authors try it but you either get it right or you look like you're trying too hard to be funny. And most authors don't get it right. Unfortunately, the humor in this book didn't make me burst out in laughter or even smile, it just made me note that it's supposed to be humorous.
What I liked about the book was the inside look at Taiwan that only a native Taiwanese person can write and the author has done a very good job of it.
But the downfall of this book to me was that it was very wordy and somewhat bland. I enjoyed the description of the country and the culture but I didn't feel anything about the characters. I thought the author tried to make the descriptions of them funny rather than to flesh them out as real people. And when you don't care about the characters, you don't care about the book either. And that is why I felt this book was just OK. I got this book free as a review copy.
mikescalise's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
kfrench1008's review against another edition
4.0
It's a tribute to how good a writer Ed Lin is that the plot doesn't really start going until 2/3 of the way through the book and I barely noticed! This book is stylistically reminiscent of This Is a Bust, which is Lin's best-written book in my opinion. Recommended.
thisiszoerose's review
1.0
I liked all the Taiwanese history and cultural tidbits woven throughout the novel; it made me want to visit some spots and made me wonder how much of it was true (are temples in Taipei really run by gangsters?).
And I didn’t like just about everything else. Not sure how this novel can be billed as a mystery when nothing particularly mysterious happens until about 3/4 of the way in. Instead of adding depth and nuance, the main character’s obsession with Joy Division just kinda read like a gimmicky encyclopedia-like regurgitation of band trivia; other characters were similarly flat. And the writing was clumsy at times — perhaps the most awkward bit was when an appetizing meal was compared to “scabs” that were “delicious.” No thanks.
Disappointed because I was hoping to find a Taiwanese series I could get into but I’ll definitely be skipping the rest.
And I didn’t like just about everything else. Not sure how this novel can be billed as a mystery when nothing particularly mysterious happens until about 3/4 of the way in. Instead of adding depth and nuance, the main character’s obsession with Joy Division just kinda read like a gimmicky encyclopedia-like regurgitation of band trivia; other characters were similarly flat. And the writing was clumsy at times — perhaps the most awkward bit was when an appetizing meal was compared to “scabs” that were “delicious.” No thanks.
Disappointed because I was hoping to find a Taiwanese series I could get into but I’ll definitely be skipping the rest.
evilyn's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Homophobia, and Racial slurs
peachberrypie's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
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