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popplio's review
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
I enjoyed this book. The story was told in a very engaging way that made it hard to put down - you truly felt swept up in the dramas and difficulties of Lexa's family and personal life all while she attempts to navigate a very complicated relationship with grief. I found the lead up to the eventual reveal of what Lexa's Taiwanese family put her through to be a little grating in the first half of the book a bit of a slog and wish it had been revealed sooner to avoid a lot of the "You-know-what" conversations that occur, and I also wish we had more insight into Maddy's family troubles as they felt shoved in without much context toward the climax. I found the ending nice if a bit cliche, but sometimes a cliche is good, even if I don't wholly agree with Lexa's decision.
The characters shine in this book and were a treat to get to know. I really enjoyed the difference in Lexa's relationships with her two sisters and how they were portrayed, and especially how all three sisters came together in the end. I picked up this book due to seeing something about the mother coming out as a lesbian on page one of the book and, while not a heavy focus of the story and something that is eventually written into the background and not a major focus, I found Lexa's mother and girlfriend interesting characters to get to know. I wish we had seen more of Phoenix and Lexa's mother interacting, but since they weren't a huge focus of the book to begin with, I was fine with what we got.
In general, it was fun to learn more about Taiwanese culture through this book and I especially appreciated learning about burial customs as presented in the story. I haven't read many books taking place in Taiwan or with Taiwanese characters so it definitely made me want to explore more stories like it.
The characters shine in this book and were a treat to get to know. I really enjoyed the difference in Lexa's relationships with her two sisters and how they were portrayed, and especially how all three sisters came together in the end. I picked up this book due to seeing something about the mother coming out as a lesbian on page one of the book and, while not a heavy focus of the story and something that is eventually written into the background and not a major focus, I found Lexa's mother and girlfriend interesting characters to get to know. I wish we had seen more of Phoenix and Lexa's mother interacting, but since they weren't a huge focus of the book to begin with, I was fine with what we got.
In general, it was fun to learn more about Taiwanese culture through this book and I especially appreciated learning about burial customs as presented in the story. I haven't read many books taking place in Taiwan or with Taiwanese characters so it definitely made me want to explore more stories like it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse, Racism, and Grief
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