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the_neeerd's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Deportation
claudiamacpherson's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
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
2.5
I read this book for my university’s alumni virtual book club, and let me tell you, there is no other reason I finished it. I ended up liking the ending better than the first two-thirds of the book, but there’s no way I would have made it that far if I didn’t have a reason to be reading it. I found Deming/Daniel an annoying and frustrating character. I tend to have difficulty reading stories about addiction, so his gambling problem quickly became too much for me. I did, however, really like the details about his synesthesia (and how it connected to his mother), and Peilan/Polly’s struggles with her relationship to motherhood. Also, as difficult as it was to read, Peilan/Polly’s experience in a detention camp felt important and informative to read, as well as very timely given the current problems with immigration and abuse of immigrants on the US border.
Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just the vibe): Actually not too bad. Not completely happy, and definitely not neatly wrapper up, but the ending was more on the positive side than I was expecting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Addiction, Confinement, Cursing, Xenophobia, and Alcohol
Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Violence