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rebeccazh's Reviews (2.89k)
a 3.5 star read from me. this book is loosely inspired by Pride & Prejudice, although it doesn't follow P&P strictly. it's a very fun take on the idea of two flawed, prideful and prejudiced individuals falling in love with each other and the two main characters are Muslims in Canada's local South Asian community. i did have some issues with the book though, as pointed out in Lady H's review.
i loved reading about the lives of the community that Ayesha and Khalid are in, and i like that the author wrote two very flawed characters but made them sympathetic. however, i did feel that the book was a bit too long, and the bulk of the story hinges on a miscommunication that could have been very easily avoided if two characters spoke to each other. and also, although Ayesha was a main character, the book seemed to prioritize Khalid more than Ayesha, so i feel like the title doesn't quite tie it in there.
i loved reading about the lives of the community that Ayesha and Khalid are in, and i like that the author wrote two very flawed characters but made them sympathetic. however, i did feel that the book was a bit too long, and the bulk of the story hinges on a miscommunication that could have been very easily avoided if two characters spoke to each other. and also, although Ayesha was a main character, the book seemed to prioritize Khalid more than Ayesha, so i feel like the title doesn't quite tie it in there.
3.5 stars. This is kind of a comedy despite the dark story - political intrigue, murder, tragedy, etc.
This is a bit like a tragicomedy, if there is such a word - crack-ish with zany moments, but serious when it needed to be, full of mystery and political intrigue, with the past being the key to understanding the present. The political intrigues were really fun to read - a large part of my drive to continue this novel was to unravel the suspense and mystery behind Yu She's past and identity. I even drew a relationship tree to figure out all the different bits of information and how everyone related to each other. Lots of fun. I also loved the crack and comedy between the main couple lol. It's hilarious. There was also emotional angst and more serious and intimate moments.
Unfortunately the suspense that kept me going kind of dies off at about 70%. Yu She's past is revealed, and the last 30% is just a bunch of political schemes as he and Zhong Wan manoeuvre the other characters to where they want. It felt like the novel was steadily increasing in tension, and then plateaus at about 70%.
Still, quite a fun read if you're looking for something a bit tragic but also a bit comedic.
This is a bit like a tragicomedy, if there is such a word - crack-ish with zany moments, but serious when it needed to be, full of mystery and political intrigue, with the past being the key to understanding the present. The political intrigues were really fun to read - a large part of my drive to continue this novel was to unravel the suspense and mystery behind Yu She's past and identity. I even drew a relationship tree to figure out all the different bits of information and how everyone related to each other. Lots of fun. I also loved the crack and comedy between the main couple lol. It's hilarious. There was also emotional angst and more serious and intimate moments.
Unfortunately the suspense that kept me going kind of dies off at about 70%. Yu She's past is revealed, and the last 30% is just a bunch of political schemes as he and Zhong Wan manoeuvre the other characters to where they want. It felt like the novel was steadily increasing in tension, and then plateaus at about 70%.
Still, quite a fun read if you're looking for something a bit tragic but also a bit comedic.
I paused my binge reading of Chinese web novels to read this extremely harrowing tale of abuse and coercion. I wish the blurb and title had focused less on the 'survivalist' family and higher learning education, and more on familial abuse, power and coercion.
This is a tale that is heartbreakingly familiar - a very isolated family, father as patriarch controlling the entire family, wife and children as victims, perpetrators or co-conspirators of abuse in turns, and the unequal power dynamics and lack of escape in such families.
The things that Tara, the mother and the other children go through are absolutely harrowing and heartbreaking to read. I appreciated the nuanced portrayals of her family - she tries to portray both her parents as people instead of abusers - and I feel like she really managed to capture their complexity. I do wish we could have understood more of her father's history because it is still a mystery to me why he fixated on the government as the enemy, of all things.
I think she did a fantastic job describing the effects of the abuse on her - the desire to please her parents despite how they abuse her, the constant self-doubt, the distrust of others, the inability to accept help from others or from authorities... Heartbreaking how she kept going back to them, wanting their approval. There was also a lot to be said about the effects of Mormonism shaping the father's beliefs (glorifying suffering, gender roles), and the misogyny that enables or worsens the abuse towards her.
Shawn really disturbed me, especially knowing that he has two kids?! And a wife dependent on him. And the fact that half of the adult children depend on the parents financially.
Criticisms of the book often question the way details do not line up, but the many footnotes that show how differently each family member remembers the events seem to speak to the effect of gaslighting and abuse. And also trauma and the fact that the author was a child mean that memories are likely going to be very distorted. I also find it very ironic that a victim of gaslighting is being questioned for her memories.
But anyway, the strength of this book lies in the unflinching portrayal of abuse in the family. I was so RELIEVED when the author finally got into therapy.
This is a tale that is heartbreakingly familiar - a very isolated family, father as patriarch controlling the entire family, wife and children as victims, perpetrators or co-conspirators of abuse in turns, and the unequal power dynamics and lack of escape in such families.
The things that Tara, the mother and the other children go through are absolutely harrowing and heartbreaking to read. I appreciated the nuanced portrayals of her family - she tries to portray both her parents as people instead of abusers - and I feel like she really managed to capture their complexity. I do wish we could have understood more of her father's history because it is still a mystery to me why he fixated on the government as the enemy, of all things.
I think she did a fantastic job describing the effects of the abuse on her - the desire to please her parents despite how they abuse her, the constant self-doubt, the distrust of others, the inability to accept help from others or from authorities... Heartbreaking how she kept going back to them, wanting their approval. There was also a lot to be said about the effects of Mormonism shaping the father's beliefs (glorifying suffering, gender roles), and the misogyny that enables or worsens the abuse towards her.
Shawn really disturbed me, especially knowing that he has two kids?! And a wife dependent on him. And the fact that half of the adult children depend on the parents financially.
Criticisms of the book often question the way details do not line up, but the many footnotes that show how differently each family member remembers the events seem to speak to the effect of gaslighting and abuse. And also trauma and the fact that the author was a child mean that memories are likely going to be very distorted. I also find it very ironic that a victim of gaslighting is being questioned for her memories.
But anyway, the strength of this book lies in the unflinching portrayal of abuse in the family. I was so RELIEVED when the author finally got into therapy.
This was so good! I really enjoyed it. I read the first half with a lot of long breaks in between so I don't remember much of what I thought of that part, but the second half is spectacular. It's a really fun fantasy and mystery. I really hope the author will write another installment in this world because it is fascinating. Eg, I'm so curious why al-Jahiz disappeared.
Another great installment by Ilona Andrews! I only wish this was longer.
I stopped at 70%. I usually really like this type of narrative of the put-upon and silently-suffering underdog, but this just wasn't for me.
I really wanted to like this but unfortunately I think this isn't for me. Like others have mentioned, the book is very slow-paced. On top of that, I'm a character-driven reader and neither of the two main leads really grew on me. I did like their scenes together and the romance, but I found it hard to really grow attached to either character. However, I really appreciated the commentary on empire. This was where the book really shone, in it's portrayal of empire and colonization.
this book is so good. i've always liked trevor noah's stuff because he is so funny but so respectful with his jokes. i typically laugh nonstop through any clips of his show. the amazing thing is, he always takes a very sensitive topic and manages to joke about it in an absolutely hilarious but non-offensive way. this is exactly what he did here. he's talking about apartheid, systemic racism, poverty, violence, his complicated relationship with his mother, his harrowing experience with domestic abuse, all incredibly heavy and tough topics, and he's making it hilarious without being offensive. an incredible skill tbh.
- really loved his relationship with his mother. he managed to show how as part of growing up, we see our parents as the enemy when they're not, and how we grow to see they're human too. i loved how big a part his mom played in his story, and how differently he came to understand her. i really cracked up earlier in the book when he was comparing his mom to a cop and him to a criminal and the healthy respect and wariness they have for each other lol
- the abuse was terrifying. jesus christ. i felt like i was experiencing it myself. and it fills in some of the blankness in his other arcs. the other arcs were really funny but didn't give that much insight into his family life or his emotions so when the last chapter came about, some things made sense
- he makes some really insightful points about race and poverty in the arc about the hood and in the prison arc
- he was an absolute terror as a child and i'm grateful i wasn't his parent or teacher or responsible for him in any way. he basically feared nothing except his mom and never thought what he was doing was a problem and was always ready to get in trouble. when he was running his business in the hood and his business as the middleman and DJ, i was just impressed by his wits. i mean, he's so smart and he thinks he can get away with anything, and he actually accomplished A LOT even though most of it didn't go anywhere. very impressed by his ingenuity and creativity
- wish there had been a proper arc on his career as a comedian
- really loved his relationship with his mother. he managed to show how as part of growing up, we see our parents as the enemy when they're not, and how we grow to see they're human too. i loved how big a part his mom played in his story, and how differently he came to understand her. i really cracked up earlier in the book when he was comparing his mom to a cop and him to a criminal and the healthy respect and wariness they have for each other lol
- the abuse was terrifying. jesus christ. i felt like i was experiencing it myself. and it fills in some of the blankness in his other arcs. the other arcs were really funny but didn't give that much insight into his family life or his emotions so when the last chapter came about, some things made sense
- he makes some really insightful points about race and poverty in the arc about the hood and in the prison arc
- he was an absolute terror as a child and i'm grateful i wasn't his parent or teacher or responsible for him in any way. he basically feared nothing except his mom and never thought what he was doing was a problem and was always ready to get in trouble. when he was running his business in the hood and his business as the middleman and DJ, i was just impressed by his wits. i mean, he's so smart and he thinks he can get away with anything, and he actually accomplished A LOT even though most of it didn't go anywhere. very impressed by his ingenuity and creativity
- wish there had been a proper arc on his career as a comedian
![无常劫 [Wu Chang Jie | Impermanence Calamity] by Shui Qian Cheng](https://cdn.thestorygraph.com/tdjm22303yv8r8m5710m0514f72f)
Another melodramatic (狗血) book by this author! It's my first time reading actually good melodrama (cough looking at you Erha) and I'm actually really enjoying this. I find that this author is very skilled at conveying her characters' emotions and feelings and making you feel for them, and at writing relationships that are so unhealthy but somehow it works and you want them to be together anyway. I liked Zhu Wang/Blood Crown more, but this was still very fun to read. I am devastated by the side pairings
![女将军和长公主 [Nǚ Jiāngjūn Hé Zhǎng Gōngzhǔ] by 请君莫笑](https://cdn.thestorygraph.com/2ee0uouoxz0ft28wcn37pd3iq3bk)
(EDIT 20/1/22: edited for clarity)
Not sure how to review this novel honestly. I've been putting it off for days because I had a lot of mixed feelings. This is a really long and slowburn f/f romance. It is one of the few good Chinese f/f novels out there and I wish I loved it. I have to say that my taste is entirely subjective but I had such a hard time with this book.
The pace is really REALLY slow. The protagonist, Lin Wanyue's moment of change and growth only really happens right near the end. The two main leads barely interacted until about 3/4s into the book. And Li Xian does not know Lin Wanyue's identity until even later which is a personal pet peeve because I value authenticity and honesty in a romance very much. I also found it hard to connect to Li Xian. She doesn't seem to have her own motivations and instead lives to achieve goals for others. This book also has a lot of chapters about politics and the war which I struggled to get through.
The extras were really good though. I wish the author included them in the main story because there were some really interesting characters in the side stories, e.g. Luo Yi.
The best thing about this novel is really the representation of the two queer characters. Their feelings, thoughts and reactions when in love with a woman really reflect the lived experiences of queer women. They feel like real people when it comes to this, unlike many of the bl. Also, the portrayal of mental illness was really realistic (Lin Wanyue and PTSD/depression, Li Xian and anxiety). And the physical desire scenes were so well-written because they felt: a) realistic but sweet, b) consensual!!!! The way they desired/loved each other was so real and so wholesome. Finally, no more dub/non-con.
Overall, this was a pain to get through although I appreciate the representation of queer women very much. I really hope the next novel gets better.
Not sure how to review this novel honestly. I've been putting it off for days because I had a lot of mixed feelings. This is a really long and slowburn f/f romance. It is one of the few good Chinese f/f novels out there and I wish I loved it. I have to say that my taste is entirely subjective but I had such a hard time with this book.
The pace is really REALLY slow. The protagonist, Lin Wanyue's moment of change and growth only really happens right near the end. The two main leads barely interacted until about 3/4s into the book. And Li Xian does not know Lin Wanyue's identity until even later which is a personal pet peeve because I value authenticity and honesty in a romance very much. I also found it hard to connect to Li Xian. She doesn't seem to have her own motivations and instead lives to achieve goals for others. This book also has a lot of chapters about politics and the war which I struggled to get through.
The extras were really good though. I wish the author included them in the main story because there were some really interesting characters in the side stories, e.g. Luo Yi.
The best thing about this novel is really the representation of the two queer characters. Their feelings, thoughts and reactions when in love with a woman really reflect the lived experiences of queer women. They feel like real people when it comes to this, unlike many of the bl. Also, the portrayal of mental illness was really realistic (Lin Wanyue and PTSD/depression, Li Xian and anxiety). And the physical desire scenes were so well-written because they felt: a) realistic but sweet, b) consensual!!!! The way they desired/loved each other was so real and so wholesome. Finally, no more dub/non-con.
Overall, this was a pain to get through although I appreciate the representation of queer women very much. I really hope the next novel gets better.