Reviews

Sunbirds by Mirandi Riwoe

emeraldgarnet's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Most of this novel is set in Indonesia during the 1940s. Not a setting I usually read much about. I enjoyed the evocation of that particular time and place.

katarinabee's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

kwameslusher's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

kcampbell0507's review

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found the setting (Java at the outset of WW2) particularly interesting. 

archytas's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This is a thoroughly absorbing read, set in wartime West Java, Riwoe expertly balances all her elements - the tension from impending invasion, the subtle class, gender and colonial positioning of her characters, various romantic shenanigans, and some outstanding intriguing foreshadowing. She also effectively uses an interspersed story of the death of a local woman to highlight and contrast the positioning of her main cast. And yet, despite all this going on, the book never feels anything but whole. There is some serious skill here, and the book is both thought-provoking and a great deal of fun to read. It was perhaps, more commercial or straightforward than I expected from a Riwoe book, and I missed the slightly unearthly, delicate prose I associate with her a little bit (although it appears in the interspersed sections). But the characters will linger on the page, as will the worlds she creates and the choices, and lack of them, her characters face.

fruity999's review

reflective slow-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I’ve never considered the impact of WWII on Indonesia previously so it was interesting to learn more about that. 

mimipoppins's review

challenging reflective sad slow-paced

2.5

issyd23's review

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Perhaps I’ve become too much of a snob after 2 months in Bandung but I couldn’t get into this 2🦜

Although references to Sunda culture are technically correct - it feels forced and unnatural (like someone has visited West Java for a week and then googled a bunch of stuff).

Contrastingly my reading experience (in Aus) of Beauty is a Wound by Eka Kurniawan (set in Indo, same time period but written by an Indo) was much better and immersive! 

Also the audiobook narration made 0 sense: why get a British woman who cannot pronounce any of the Indo or Sunda words to narrate this story? (Plus it’s an Aussie book!) 0 stars for the audiobook.

I really don’t know who this book is for: as someone who understands the language and culture I found the writing inauthentic, stilted and without soul but those who aren’t familiar with the language/culture will find the writing alienating and difficult to follow as there are countless cultural references and terms. 

Maaf Mirandi but it's giving June Hayward from Yellowface 🤷‍♀️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, War, Sexual content, Colonisation, Hate crime, Sexism, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Classism, Death, Racial slurs, and Racism

michelle_quinn's review

emotional reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

booksweread's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0