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dandelionwine1928's review against another edition
4.0
What mistakes would you see if you could be removed from your life and look at it objectively? What sins would you have to atone for? Those are the questions that Leiyin has answered for her when she dies and, along with her three souls, watches her life back, finally seeing the people she hurt, the mistakes she made, and the reason she can't move on from the afterlife. In order to move on and be reincarnated, she must recognize what choices led her down the path to her eventual early death, and rectify the wrongs she committed.
When I first started this book, I was a little unsure about it. The pacing was a bit awkward at first, but once I got more into the story I was captivated. One of the most interesting aspects to me was how relatable the story was, even though it was set in 1930s China.
Leiyin was so naive and trusting. She falls head over heels for Hanchin and she makes a fool of herself over him. And honestly, hasn't everyone had that person in their life? The one you can't get over, the one you try and try again for...the one you are so blind about that you don't realize they are just manipulating you and using you for their own pleasure. Unfortunately for Leiyin, she realizes this too late in her life, and this is partly what leads to her eventual demise.
The interweaving of historical events in China added another layer of delicious depth to the book. Leiyin's personal struggles were a part of a much greater struggle, as Communism and Nationalism came head to head.
This was a great debut novel, and I'm definitely going to read more by Chang. Three Souls was heart-wrenching, elegant, and enchanting.
When I first started this book, I was a little unsure about it. The pacing was a bit awkward at first, but once I got more into the story I was captivated. One of the most interesting aspects to me was how relatable the story was, even though it was set in 1930s China.
Leiyin was so naive and trusting. She falls head over heels for Hanchin and she makes a fool of herself over him. And honestly, hasn't everyone had that person in their life? The one you can't get over, the one you try and try again for...the one you are so blind about that you don't realize they are just manipulating you and using you for their own pleasure. Unfortunately for Leiyin, she realizes this too late in her life, and this is partly what leads to her eventual demise.
The interweaving of historical events in China added another layer of delicious depth to the book. Leiyin's personal struggles were a part of a much greater struggle, as Communism and Nationalism came head to head.
This was a great debut novel, and I'm definitely going to read more by Chang. Three Souls was heart-wrenching, elegant, and enchanting.
shailydc's review against another edition
4.0
Three Souls reminded me why historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. The author did a really good job weaving Leiyin's story in with China's history.
mitskacir's review against another edition
3.0
This was a pleasant enough book, read pleasantly by the audiobook narrator. I was entertained and enjoyed listening while doing chores, running, etc. but I was never enthralled by it and didn't feel particularly connected to any of the characters. Based on the summary, I was expecting something more like The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo, which I loved. However, this was much more straight-laced and not really in the fantasy genre at all. For the first 2/3s to 3/4s of the book, it mattered very little that the protagonist was a ghost, as it was a straight forward retelling of her life story. When I actually got to the part where she must use her ghostly influence to atone for her sins in life, I was a bit upset by how much work she had to do. Sure, she had to atone for inadvertently killing a man, but he was honestly a really crappy man and I kept wondering what he was doing in the afterlife to atone for all his damn sins...
shiqingxuan34's review against another edition
3.0
It was really interesting to gain some knowledge on a time period that I had never really learned about before, and there were some really engaging and exciting parts of the novel. The final part is where it seemed to falter a little bit.
stacydodds's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
booksconnectus's review against another edition
5.0
Three souls will be one of those books that will stay with me for all time. I had never heard of the idea of souls guiding us to the afterlife. A very reassuring thought.
haylie23's review
5.0
Wow. I am blown away. I loved this book so much, it was utterly moving; the language was hypnotic, the plot mesmerising and the characters jumped off the page. The idea of the three souls and how they are personified, Leiyin narrating as a ghost and how utterly progressive the characters were. I adore historical fiction and this was a jump into a time and place I've read (and know) next to nothing about - so everything was new and enchanting. The storyline and the numerous ups and downs it has makes it impossible to put down. This is also the authors first novel?! Amazing. Plus the ending for me just hit me right in my soul(s). What a brilliant read.
catcurve99's review against another edition
2.0
The first 3/4 of this book was really bad. Written for tweens. Teen age romance. Then after a significant change happened it got significantly better. As if it was written by two different peopleit was written by two different people. The first one really shallow. I cant recommend it.