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goldenluck's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
This book gets as low a rating as it does simply because I expected something else and this isn't my cup of tea. Anthologies or short story collections are really not my thing, so while I ordinarily would not have picked this up and won't be rereading it anytime soon, I'm glad I read this. The stories felt real and ethereal at the same time, both grounded and far away. I studied Chinese language and peripherally culture for five years as a teen, and this brought a new, much harsher perspective to what actual China and its people are like. It's one of those books that, after completion, makes you close it and then you sit there pondering about life for hours on end. I see China in a new light - not bad, not good, just new.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, and Grief