Reviews

Read for my personal Jewish/AAPI readathon for May.

I finished most of this while recovering from a vaccine, if that's a noteworthy sign, LOL.

I'm always a sucker for vintage Chicago, and this book manages to cover an oft-underrepresented part of history through Japanese resettlement in Chicago during WW2. I also enjoyed the mystery--when we did get the mystery--and it twisted and turned in a way that was satisfying.

Where it lagged for me a bit was mainly prose and pacing. We meandered a bit, especially in the beginning, and Aki adapting to her new life didn't always mesh with her trying to solve her sister's death as seamlessly as I'd hoped. The prose was also a touch dry at times, explaining things just a bit too much for my personal taste.

I did like most of the character dynamics; the way that everyone brushes up against each other and chafes even when you think it's all good was fun to explore. As for the romantic subplot, I don't feel like it added much to the story, but neither did it detract much. Art wasn't really a character in his own right; he was the narrative device that made you happy for Aki, and really, that's what matters in the end.

Ultimately a fun read worth my time.

ioannareadabook's review against another edition

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Unfortunately choppy narration and dislikable main character weren’t sufficiently offset by the compelling threads involving

abortion stigma

and Japanese internment camps.

jrkinyak's review against another edition

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adventurous informative mysterious 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

4.0

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