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dreamer626's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
3.5
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
This was truly a journey where you follow childhood sweetheart Suchi and Haiwen throughout their life. Their relationship is multilayered and many outside factors do appear along the way that interfere with their relationship. I felt like at the end of this book, I truly felt like I knew these two characters. This book also had multiple POVs so we could follow both Suichi’s and Haiwen’s individual journeys. We were also able to get a glimpse into their thoughts.
At times, this book was heartbreaking to read. The writing was really easy to follow. The story did suffer from a few pacing issues especially during the middle where I started to feel like it was dragging.
In conclusion, I am glad to have read this story as I have not read many historical fiction novels..
This was truly a journey where you follow childhood sweetheart Suchi and Haiwen throughout their life. Their relationship is multilayered and many outside factors do appear along the way that interfere with their relationship. I felt like at the end of this book, I truly felt like I knew these two characters. This book also had multiple POVs so we could follow both Suichi’s and Haiwen’s individual journeys. We were also able to get a glimpse into their thoughts.
At times, this book was heartbreaking to read. The writing was really easy to follow. The story did suffer from a few pacing issues especially during the middle where I started to feel like it was dragging.
In conclusion, I am glad to have read this story as I have not read many historical fiction novels..
easydeezylemonreadies's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.25
Thank you to the publisher for an ARC copy!
This book took me on a journey, and I did not expect to care as much as I did. I went in expecting a semi-lighthearted romance novel, a second chance romance about two old people. What I got instead was a whirlwind of two interconnected stories and a lot of heartache (in the best way).
I know next to nothing about China or any of its wars, and as a white woman, I didn't expect a whole lot in the relatability department. Karissa Chen still reduced me to tears regardless. The story is told from two perspectives. Suchi, our FMC, has her story told from the beginning forward with bits of the most recent POV interspersed, while our MMC, Haiwen's story is told backwards. Everything lines up so beautifully during the alternating POVs and time jumps that there was no issue keeping track of what was happening when.
The way Chen writes about love, loss, war, struggling to survive, and even struggles in motherhood was entrancing. I would sit down to read one section (each "chapter" has many smaller sections, which was convenient for being able to put it down) and find myself through the next POV and back to the first one. Both characters grew apart and together, but even when it seemed they lost themselves, they still grew incredibly.
One of the things I really enjoyed was the way the characters' names evolved as they went through different phases of life and had to adapt new identities. Both characters start in Shanghai, and as they drift their way through life and encounter different languages and cultures, their names shift with them. They are always Suji and Haewen with small changes, but they always come back to their origins.
I had hoped for a different ending (don't worry, it's still a HEA of sorts), but ultimately I am content with the way the story wrapped up. There were no holes and every piece fell into place like it should have. I wish I had written down my favorite lines because there were so many good ones.
This book had me gasping, laughing, raging, and crying alongside the characters, and I look forward to adding this to my library collection.
This book took me on a journey, and I did not expect to care as much as I did. I went in expecting a semi-lighthearted romance novel, a second chance romance about two old people. What I got instead was a whirlwind of two interconnected stories and a lot of heartache (in the best way).
I know next to nothing about China or any of its wars, and as a white woman, I didn't expect a whole lot in the relatability department. Karissa Chen still reduced me to tears regardless. The story is told from two perspectives. Suchi, our FMC, has her story told from the beginning forward with bits of the most recent POV interspersed, while our MMC, Haiwen's story is told backwards. Everything lines up so beautifully during the alternating POVs and time jumps that there was no issue keeping track of what was happening when.
The way Chen writes about love, loss, war, struggling to survive, and even struggles in motherhood was entrancing. I would sit down to read one section (each "chapter" has many smaller sections, which was convenient for being able to put it down) and find myself through the next POV and back to the first one. Both characters grew apart and together, but even when it seemed they lost themselves, they still grew incredibly.
One of the things I really enjoyed was the way the characters' names evolved as they went through different phases of life and had to adapt new identities. Both characters start in Shanghai, and as they drift their way through life and encounter different languages and cultures, their names shift with them. They are always Suji and Haewen with small changes, but they always come back to their origins.
I had hoped for a different ending (don't worry, it's still a HEA of sorts), but ultimately I am content with the way the story wrapped up. There were no holes and every piece fell into place like it should have. I wish I had written down my favorite lines because there were so many good ones.
This book had me gasping, laughing, raging, and crying alongside the characters, and I look forward to adding this to my library collection.
rokojo's review against another edition
2.5
Homeseeking is a historical fiction that looks at Chinese history through the lens of Suchi and Haiwen who were childhood sweethearts in Shanghai. As the story progresses, we see Suchi’s story starting from childhood onward, and Haiwen’s story starting in his old age and working backwards. This is a really interesting time and place in history and an interesting frame to explore it.
It looks at a lot of interesting themes such as the difficult decisions people have to make for themselves and their families during wartime and what home means to individuals who are displaced.
Unfortunately, I didn't like this as much as I wanted to, mainly because I struggled to connect with the characters. I think that having two narratives going in opposite directions is interesting, but perhaps contributed to this lack of connection. It's also really long, and looks at such a wide breadth of experience that it's hard to really connect at each point when the story also needs to explain the political situation and side characters present at each point.
The main characters also weren't very likable, and often made frustrating decisions. I understand the point was to illustrate how a conflict robs people of their ability to live the life they want and forces them to make tough decisions, but without the connection to the characters, I found myself frustrated with their lack of communication and empathy.
Overall, it's an interesting story about a slice of history I didn't know much about, which I ultimately failed to connect with. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.
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