Reviews tagging 'Cultural appropriation'

Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou

96 reviews

slimyfan's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I really enjoyed reading this: a protagonist that makes you cringe as much as you root for her. No character is spared the ruthless blade of the Hsieh Chou's satire, which though sometimes a little on the nose, is funny enough to balance the mounting stress I felt as the mystery unfolded. It attempts to cover a huge range of themes, and doesn't in my opinion land on any particular side, which I consider a strength - the trappings and realistic difficulty of navigating the world as a person vulnerable to those who are systematically privileged. My favourite parts were those that dealt with the struggles between truth and narrative.

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scarroll178's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Not what I was expecting. The book is more campy than dark or mysterious. All the characters are stereotypical and one dimensional, including the MC. Idk, if you like satire, go ahead and give this one a try. 

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siebensommer's review against another edition

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challenging slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

why was sucking it up and pushing through it to the end perched on such a high pedestal anyway?
these were the same so-called values that sent phd students running headfirst into the open arms of antidepressants. for once in her life she wanted to be selfishly and deliciously lazy. to embody the most abhorred word of her generation: unproductive. 

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bootsmom3's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted mysterious tense 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

4.0


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e28rika's review against another edition

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funny reflective medium-paced
  • 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

4.0


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hmih's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5


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kelsmc's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny reflective 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

4.5


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secunda's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny informative tense fast-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

4.75

This is one of the best fiction books I’ve read this year. I think the primary audience of course is well-educated Asian women, but I think anyone can enjoy this book. It’s a fantastic skewering of white-dominated Asian studies departments, unstrategic student activism, and grad school. 

I was also confused for most of the book regarding the arc with the white fiancé, but I think the ending of the book more or less sorted it out when Ingrid leaves Stephen not necessarily for his Asian fetish, but because she doesn’t like him as a person. As an Asian woman who is currently dating a white man (and so faced similar questions to the ones Ingrid confronts), I find interrogating your own dating preferences over and over to be counterproductive to your ultimate happiness, so I feel that arc went on a little longer than I liked.

  

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bookwormdystopian2's review against another edition

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challenging funny reflective medium-paced
  • 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

4.0


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christiona's review against another edition

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challenging funny reflective fast-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

4.5

Clever writing on social issues, some of which I had no clue existed in other groups. I love the different formatting of the book, which added a lot to the story. I connected with the humor and enjoyed chuckling, especially in the later parts. 

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