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lilly_anne's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Child abuse, Dementia, Drug use, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Cancer, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual content
spcandybars's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book is about 200 pages too long and 3 paces too slow. Most of the time I was reading, I was just wishing it could end. If you’re coming from other Ruth Ozeki works and you’re a big fan of those, one thing that may disappoint you about this book is the lack of whimsy. Ozeki handles very real situations and characters in a blunt way but cuts the banality by introducing a slight view of something fantastic regardless of being helpful or detrimental to the characters. She also does this in some of the most beautiful writing I can recall in recent years. This book, while also being written beautifully, lacks the charm of the fantastic and instead cuts the banality of cruel realities with the banality of a ridiculous reality that doesn’t seem to have a place despite being directly tied to the main plot.
One source of irritation I had with this book came from a cast of characters that I either hated or just felt entirely neutral towards. Another was having a differing stance on GMO technology than the one pushed in the book. Another was overly convenient plotting that felt like it served no one and heavily distracted from the family dynamic we were focused on. It made elements of the book feel cheesy and unnecessary and the characters introduced to carry out these sections weren’t fleshed out enough or impactful on the primary character enough to justify their presence. The A and B plot just don’t suite each other and I felt like both would be stronger stories on their own.
One source of irritation I had with this book came from a cast of characters that I either hated or just felt entirely neutral towards. Another was having a differing stance on GMO technology than the one pushed in the book. Another was overly convenient plotting that felt like it served no one and heavily distracted from the family dynamic we were focused on. It made elements of the book feel cheesy and unnecessary and the characters introduced to carry out these sections weren’t fleshed out enough or impactful on the primary character enough to justify their presence. The A and B plot just don’t suite each other and I felt like both would be stronger stories on their own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Rape, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Abortion, Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Death of parent, Dementia, Infertility, and Miscarriage
lazydaisy's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
A gut-wrenching story at times that does a great job at representing and humanizing a variety of positions in the discussion around GMOs and farming, as well as exploring family relationships at their most tense and difficult.
I removed 0.25 stars because my sense of justice wished that the plotline with Elliott had been handled with a bit more resolution by the end, because it felt like his character hadn't really grown or understood the extent of the harm he had inflicted upon others (young Yumi as well as her community later on as an adult). It was painful to see Yumi going back to him throughout the book, and I felt like it was a slap in the face seeing him basically unscathed and even emboldened to make a final marriage proposal without being told off properly other than on the phone by Phoenix.
I also wish there had been more conversation around the danger of allowing Lloyd (or someone like him) at the forefront of a movement, equating the efforts against GMOs to movements against abortion, especially given that the women in the Seeds identified as outspoken feminists. Calling out that tension and having a conversation about the nuances of so-called "sanctity" of life, perhaps with The Seeds and Yumi's children being given room to acknowledge the intense pain Yumi's father's shame had caused her, could have offered an interesting exploration of the gendered aspects of this political struggle.
Instead, Yumi is re-traumatized by her Dad's words once he becomes the spokesperson for this new movement, going back to her childhood rapist/boyfriend for comfort, and resented by her children because of this. Even though things do work out slightly better by the end, I was disappointed that Lloyd's treatment as the victim of this situation by characters surrounding him wasn't called into question (with Yumi's victimhood being seen as merely an excuse, or worse, her own fault), and Elliott didn't get more than a slap on the wrist (without deeper reflection on how this is often the case for manipulators/abusers).
However, overall it was a thought-provoking novel that tugged on my heart-strings and created characters that were complex, making it hard to put down the book.
I removed 0.25 stars because my sense of justice wished that the plotline with Elliott
I also wish there had been more conversation around the danger of allowing Lloyd (or someone like him) at the forefront of a movement, equating the efforts against GMOs to movements against abortion, especially given that the women in the Seeds identified as outspoken feminists. Calling out that tension and having a conversation about the nuances of so-called "sanctity" of life, perhaps with The Seeds and Yumi's children being given room to acknowledge the intense pain Yumi's father's shame had caused her, could have offered an interesting exploration of the gendered aspects of this political struggle.
Instead, Yumi is re-traumatized by her Dad's words once he becomes the spokesperson for this new movement, going back to her childhood rapist/boyfriend for comfort, and resented by her children because of this. Even though things do work out slightly better by the end, I was disappointed that Lloyd's treatment as the victim of this situation by characters surrounding him wasn't called into question (with Yumi's victimhood being seen as merely an excuse, or worse, her own fault), and Elliott didn't get more than a slap on the wrist (without deeper reflection on how this is often the case for manipulators/abusers).
However, overall it was a thought-provoking novel that tugged on my heart-strings and created characters that were complex, making it hard to put down the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Infertility, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Police brutality, and Racism
Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, and Religious bigotry
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