The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
abbie_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Don’t you love it when you have high expectations for a book and not only are they met but exceeded?? Disorientation is without a doubt my favourite book of 2023. I usually read quite short books, so 400+ pages is a fair amount for me, but I could have read another 400 pages of these characters! This book is so perfectly paced, there’s not a single section that feels drawn out or rushed. The character development feels believable (and sometimes scary) even though I believe it’s classed as satire, and I loved Ingrid and Eunice!
It centres around Ingrid, a Taiwanese-American PhD student in her eighth year, who finds herself somehow studying a Chinese-American poet she initially had no interest in. When she uncovers something strange in the archive one day, she sets off a chain of events that nobody could have predicted, unleashing chaos at her university which unwittingly leads to the start of a thinly veiled white nationalist movement. Believe me, it’s a wild ride, both horrifying and hilarious, as Chou’s wit is unrelenting.
Disorientation tackles everything from fetishisation, racism in academia, identity politics, interracial relationships, parent-child relationships, and everything slots into the story so seamlessly. Ingrid’s journey felt realistic in that she doesn’t unlearn all of her internal biases in one fell swoop - it’s halting and messy, she has a lot to learn and unlearn, and I feel like Chou portrays her development incredibly. She made me feel so many emotions for all these characters - disgust, rage, irritation, pride, the unbearable urge to punch Stephen in the mouth. Truly a rollercoaster, my jaw literally dropped several times throughout the book.
Never boring, often shocking, almost always true to real life even with its exaggerations. Loved it so very much!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Racism, and Cultural appropriation
flowchelle's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Racism, Cultural appropriation, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, and Stalking
alexandrabelze's review against another edition
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
3.5
omfg i don’t even know where to start. very funny, super dramatic, and at times satirical. it was not AT ALL what i was expecting, but then again i didn’t read any type of summaries before starting it lmao. it didn’t have me hooked until the first major plot twist, but after that i was dying to see how it ended. kind of an anti-climatic ending, but sadly realistic. ingrid + eunice besties 4 ever <3 stephen is the bane of my existence. every time he spoke i wanted to rip my hair out. i WISH he knew when to shut up.
the SCHOOL GIRL COSTUME??? oh my god i was gagged. nothing could’ve prepared me!!! i had to put the kindle DOWN and reflect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Cultural appropriation, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Drug use, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Drug abuse, and Xenophobia
Minor: Suicide attempt and Stalking
lilycollings's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
This was such a fun and clever story. I flew through it having stumbled across the last copy in a bookshop on my lunch break yesterday after having it on my tbr since it was released. It lived up to all my expectations and more. I haven't read a book in a very long time that has left me feeling completely content and fulfilled with where it ended but Disorientation did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Xenophobia, Racism, and Cultural appropriation
madeleinebay's review against another edition
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Racism, Cultural appropriation, and Emotional abuse
mlovesbooks's review against another edition
dark
funny
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? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Cultural appropriation
sweetsouthwest's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cultural appropriation and Xenophobia
Minor: Trafficking, Racial slurs, Deportation, and Violence
frankieclc's review against another edition
4.0
There were descriptions in this book where it made me shiver because it felt too real, "I know that character, I've met them" kinda vibes.
Went a lil off the rail in places and that's the only reason it wasn't a 5, the conversations made were incredible
Went a lil off the rail in places and that's the only reason it wasn't a 5, the conversations made were incredible
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Violence, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Sexism
Minor: Fatphobia
hannacolm's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cultural appropriation
Minor: Gaslighting
sakisreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This book really does make you feel disorientated 🫠
This was a chance find on Kindle yesterday; after reading Yellowface, the algorithm clearly wanted to give me another amazing take on academia and it’s dark side.
Someone wrote ‘I hope Michael and Stephen step on LEGOs’ in a review and I really felt that 😂 Their despicable treatment of people always left my jaw hanging.What’s very sinister and twisted about this book is that especially at the beginning, it leads you to believe they are the ‘good guys’, and that you almost want to root for Ingrid and Stephen’s relationship 😦
I really appreciated Ingrid and felt a big pull to her throughout this tale. Her growth is undeniable ✨ I also loved Eunice (Yoon) and what a good friend she was to Ingrid throughout ✨
Initially Vivian got under my skin (as was most likely intended by the author), but she started to grow on me.
AZUMI THOUGH. I’m not going to lie, I was shocked when Stephen revealed that she was in fact, not a sex worker and had come from an affluent family, but I also thought… Props to her 🤷🏻♀️
4.5 out of 5 stars ✨
Would definitely recommend! 👏🏼
This was a chance find on Kindle yesterday; after reading Yellowface, the algorithm clearly wanted to give me another amazing take on academia and it’s dark side.
Someone wrote ‘I hope Michael and Stephen step on LEGOs’ in a review and I really felt that 😂 Their despicable treatment of people always left my jaw hanging.
I really appreciated Ingrid and felt a big pull to her throughout this tale. Her growth is undeniable ✨ I also loved Eunice (Yoon) and what a good friend she was to Ingrid throughout ✨
Initially Vivian got under my skin (as was most likely intended by the author), but she started to grow on me.
4.5 out of 5 stars ✨
Would definitely recommend! 👏🏼
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Cultural appropriation, Racism, and Racial slurs