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kmgard's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
Minor: Suicide attempt
harperhoney's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Violence, Colonisation, Classism, and Deportation
Minor: Ableism, Cursing, Infidelity, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, and Alcohol
caseythereader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
- The way Chou spotlights and skewers academia, leftists, Asian stereotypes and more is masterful. I alternated between gasping in shock and crying with laughter.
- The satire is just perfect. I usually don't love satire and find it unfunny and/or too smart for me, but this is just *chef's kiss* possibly because it takes only the slightest nudge to push academia into the absurd.
Graphic: Ableism, Cursing, Drug use, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Blood, Suicide attempt, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Minor: Police brutality
rachaelwho's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Minor: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Outing, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Deportation
lindseyhall44's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Disorientation is a satirical campus novel following Ingrid, a Taiwanese -American student, who discovers a secret while working on her dissertation, upending life as she knows it.
This book is incredibly smart in its plot formatting as well as narrative perspective, for as Ingrid discovers problematic behaviors -such as cultural appropriation and fetishization- in the corrupt academic setting, she also finds traces of these in her own life. The character development stemming from this is where really Chou shines, crafting a mindset of growth and change.
I whole heartedly recommend Disorientation as your next read, though as always, please check trigger warnings before picking it up!
Graphic: Drug abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Stalking, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, and Colonisation
Minor: Islamophobia
socialpsysteph's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
What I thought was going to be the main plot/climax of the book, turned out to happen pretty early on and then the story took a turn (in a good way). Characters started morphing and changing but in a bad (and realistic) way. I hate so many characters in this book; they are just awful people, but they are written so realistically (scarily so).
Definitely check all of the trigger warnings on this one before picking it up, but if you feel up for it, highly recommend.
This book counts for Popsugar 2022 for a book that starts with the last letter of my previous read (User TesteD -> Disorientation).
Graphic: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Racism, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Misogyny, Racial slurs, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Trafficking and Sexual harassment
onestephatatime's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Drug use, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Bullying, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism
hkburke2's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny and Racism
Moderate: Drug abuse and Gaslighting
Minor: Drug use and Suicide attempt