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blueskygreentreesyellowsun's review
3.0
This is a book about a mother/daughter relationship, told from the perspective of the daughter. The mother, a Korean prostitute, basically rejects her half-black daughter as the girl is growing up. A string of the mother's dead birds (all killed by the daughter) serve as first a wall and then a bridge between them.
My favorite part of this book is how you only know what the daughter knows, so the whole story isn't packaged up and handed to you. Tidy happy endings that leave no questions are boring, and this book will not bore you.
My favorite part of this book is how you only know what the daughter knows, so the whole story isn't packaged up and handed to you. Tidy happy endings that leave no questions are boring, and this book will not bore you.
ivleafclover's review against another edition
4.0
A beautiful book about terrible things. I can't remember the last time I read such difficult subject matter.
jackievr's review against another edition
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.0
kevinsmokler's review against another edition
4.0
Beautiful mother/daughter past-still-haunts-first novel. Having never visited The Salton Sea, this novel feels like the perfect introduction
cactuswrenwriter's review against another edition
2.0
i hated this book. couldn't finish it. there should be a "couldn't finish the book because it sucked" category. ;)
jules72653's review
3.0
I started and stopped this book two times before finally getting into it enough to finish it. I didn't love it but I would give this author another try. The writing was fine, I just didn't care much for the characters.
aunt_t's review
3.0
I totally dig Brandeis' prose, but I spent more time wondering how the hell someone thinks of this story than trying to figure out what the author was trying to relate. Definitely worth the read and I'm looking forward to discussing the novel with friends.
le13anna's review
4.0
Did you know that Barbara Kingsolver has an award? I know. I did not. Well this is a book that she gave an award to and it's almost so sad and hard and full of darkness that I thought I would not be able to read it. But I'm glad I did.
kathleenitpdx's review
3.0
A very good first novel. It explores mother/daughter relations, race, and some environmental topics. I have a little difficulty that Ava who had gotten two degrees and lived away from her mother had not yet resolved her handed-down sexual trauma.
fallenfiction's review
5.0
I didn't honestly think I was going to like this book when I started it. Just due to the name and the premise, I just didn't think it was 'my kind of book.' So when it was assigned for my Fiction class in college, I made sure to save reading this for the last minute.
And how wrong I was. Maybe a little slow to start, this book picked up fast, catching my interest really fast. It's amazingly relatable, and I found myself totally invested in all of the characters and goings on of the book. Unfortunately, it's been a few years since I've read it, so I can't give specific examples, but I even found myself warming up and understanding the main character's turbulent relationship with her mother.
And how wrong I was. Maybe a little slow to start, this book picked up fast, catching my interest really fast. It's amazingly relatable, and I found myself totally invested in all of the characters and goings on of the book. Unfortunately, it's been a few years since I've read it, so I can't give specific examples, but I even found myself warming up and understanding the main character's turbulent relationship with her mother.
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