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savage_sav's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
wyoon2000's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
5.0
- 5/5
- The Silence That Binds Us is a heartbreaking, but necessary, story about family, love, mental health, and race.
- I adore the dynamic between May and her family and friends. Yes, they hurt each other, especially since they're all grieving and going through an ordeal that no one should go through, but never on purpose; and their love makes them strive to make amends and be better so that there hopefully is no "next time."
- There are many important conversations regarding race, especially about the history and relationship between Asians and African Americans. We have a history of solidarity that should be taught, celebrated, and imitated (if not improved upon), but we also have a history of strife, often due to and/or exacerbated by Asians' colorism and racism. Yes, the model minority myth does more damage than good (and was created by the white patriarchy to destroy any unity before it could even begin), and Asians are not a monolith (with East Asians "benefitting" more from their "closeness" to whiteness); but we cannot ignore the fact that Black people have it worse than us, and that we, conditioned by the model minority myth, have turned a blind eye or even sided with our own perpetrators.
- The Silence That Binds Us is a heartbreaking, but necessary, story about family, love, mental health, and race.
- I adore the dynamic between May and her family and friends. Yes, they hurt each other, especially since they're all grieving and going through an ordeal that no one should go through, but never on purpose; and their love makes them strive to make amends and be better so that there hopefully is no "next time."
- There are many important conversations regarding race, especially about the history and relationship between Asians and African Americans. We have a history of solidarity that should be taught, celebrated, and imitated (if not improved upon), but we also have a history of strife, often due to and/or exacerbated by Asians' colorism and racism. Yes, the model minority myth does more damage than good (and was created by the white patriarchy to destroy any unity before it could even begin), and Asians are not a monolith (with East Asians "benefitting" more from their "closeness" to whiteness); but we cannot ignore the fact that Black people have it worse than us, and that we, conditioned by the model minority myth, have turned a blind eye or even sided with our own perpetrators.
cottonkiwi's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Absolutely fantastic book that deals with grief and how to honor someone's memory. It also talks about anti-asian racism and black-asian racial politics which I honestly found very very refreshing and appreciated as a black woman. The emphasis on supporting each other and speaking up to tell everyone's stories was greatly appreciated. I was also really proud of the protagonist's growth and was honestly in tears at how far she came in the end. Strongly recommend this book for everyone. Just be mindful of trigger warnings because it does deal with sensitive topics.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Suicide
mivinguyen's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
thenovelmaura's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-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
5.0
It's taken me months to write this review because this book is so emotionally devastating, but I had to give this one the 5 stars it deserves even if my review isn't the most eloquent! This is such an important book, not only for the discussion of mental health in Asian American communities, but for the model of community activism and young people banding together. My favorite subplot involved May realizing that she had been dismissive of the struggles of her Black friends, only caring about racism when it impacted her as a Chinese Taiwanese American. She learned how to take accountability for her failings and move forward in a supportive way, in a beautiful display of growth.
Of course, the star of the show here is May's relationship with her brother, Danny. All of the flashbacks as she mourned Danny truly fleshed him out as a character and helped me understand the before and after of their family unit. The final scene of this book was so moving and heartbreaking and hopeful. Joanna Ho is incredibly talented and this book was a privilege to read.
Of course, the star of the show here is May's relationship with her brother, Danny. All of the flashbacks as she mourned Danny truly fleshed him out as a character and helped me understand the before and after of their family unit. The final scene of this book was so moving and heartbreaking and hopeful. Joanna Ho is incredibly talented and this book was a privilege to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Grief, and Racism
Moderate: Xenophobia
jnishi's review
5.0
Absolutely fantastic. If I could give it more stars than 5 I would in a heartbeat. Such a beautiful yet gut wrenching read. Ho has such a gift with words it was like reading the inside of her heart. I will read whatever this woman writes.
inditravis's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
ikaryst's review
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
When I picked up this book from the library, I knew it was never going to be a light/fluffy contemporary read. The cover art alone speaks volumes as to what would be portrayed.
This piece explores grief, intergenerational trauma, mental health, racism, stereotypes and much more. It’s not an easy read - I got very angry, tearful and frustrated for the characters. It was uniquely written with passionate prose scattered across the book as the main character tries to reflect on her own thoughts and experiences.
Slow pacing but the flow was awkward at certain parts. An insightful, emotional read if you are comfortable with the content triggers.
This piece explores grief, intergenerational trauma, mental health, racism, stereotypes and much more. It’s not an easy read - I got very angry, tearful and frustrated for the characters. It was uniquely written with passionate prose scattered across the book as the main character tries to reflect on her own thoughts and experiences.
Slow pacing but the flow was awkward at certain parts. An insightful, emotional read if you are comfortable with the content triggers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Racism, and Mental illness