Reviews

De rijstmoeder by Rani Manicka

vvahed's review against another edition

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

atalia's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense 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

5.0

logophile_life's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

bookeliina's review against another edition

Ļoti sen lasīta. Vēl pirms biju reģistrēta Goodreads.
Tik ļoti laba, ka joprojām iesaku izlasīt :)

atinereads's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 exceptional writing but the pace is slow at some point

angievansprang's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

5.0

The writing in this book was absolutely incredible. I can hardly believe this was Manicka’s debut. She did a fantastic job crafted a lush, vibrant world that jumps off the page so much you can practically taste and feel it. The descriptions of setting, food, scent, and sound in this book were so vivid and it was refreshing to read such beautiful writing. The content of this book is extremely heavy, so I advise you to proceed with caution. The Rice Mother follows a South Asian family who is living in Malaysia through multiple generations, including the family’s experience during the Japanese occupation of Malaysia during WWII. There are countless war crimes depicted equally as vividly as the beautiful backdrop, so do tread with caution. Though I think it was apropos of the time and the culture, this book was steeped in colorism and anti-Japanese/anti-Chinese racism. There were racist terms used to describe race and skin color throughout this novel. Other topics that were covered included a gambling addiction, survivor guilt, and lost memories due to trauma.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Rape, and War

Moderate: Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Grief, Abortion, and Death of parent

Minor: Drug use, Suicide, Blood, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy

hli's review against another edition

4.0

I had such mixed feelings about this book. It is so beautifully written, but dark and rather depressing.

eliza_janiel's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

linh15_10's review against another edition

3.0

Lowkey the story was a whole mess and I should have checked the trigger warnings 

nabilaandta's review against another edition

4.0

It's heavy and gut wrenching, a rollercoaster of emotions. The storytelling is so vivid and the characters feel like real people. It offers a poignant reflection on the enduring strength of women and the impact of tradition on their lives.