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atamano's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Abandonment
Moderate: Addiction
bookdragon217's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
4.75
"In the city, he had been just another kid. He had never known how exhausting it was to be conspicuous."
I have been sitting on this review for almost two weeks because it is so beautiful. The Leavers by Lisa Ko is the story of Deming, a transracial adoptee who thinks his mother abandoned him when he was eleven. He grows up trapped between two worlds and never reconciles his feelings about his mother being gone. Polly, his mom has her own story and issues she is dealing with and she never stopped thinking about her son. An email from his old friend Michael set Deming, now Daniel on a path to possibly finding his mother and reconnecting with his Chinese roots.
The story is told from both perspectives and you get an in depth view of what each of them is going through. The writing really carries this story through the slow start. Both characters have flaws but I was invested in both of their stories until the end. There were points in the story where I wanted to rip the pages because the adoptive parents are so cringey and I know that there are actual people out there that share their beliefs. I found it difficult to garner any empathy for them at all.
I loved this book because I got to see the other side of the story. Media glorifies celebrity transracial adoptions but you never get to hear the stories of the adoptees themselves. This a story that many adoptees will be able to identify with.
The thoughts that stay with me after I finished were:
🌸 The U.S. deems white mothers to be more fit parents than immigrant parents.
🌸 The U.S. immigration policies are racist and continue to separate families.
🌸 Older transracial adoptees are forcibly assimilated and lose their connection with their home country.
🌸 The English only narrative harms more than helps.
🌸 Women still don't have the same economic and educational opportunities as men in many countries.
🌸 Women are expected to be mothers and wives and not have career goals and expectations for themselves.
🌸 Transracial adoptions is another way that the U.S. perpetuates ethnic cleansing and cultural erasure.
🌸 The pathway to citizenship for Blacks and POC is full of impossible red tape.
Bookdragon rating 4.75 🔥
I have been sitting on this review for almost two weeks because it is so beautiful. The Leavers by Lisa Ko is the story of Deming, a transracial adoptee who thinks his mother abandoned him when he was eleven. He grows up trapped between two worlds and never reconciles his feelings about his mother being gone. Polly, his mom has her own story and issues she is dealing with and she never stopped thinking about her son. An email from his old friend Michael set Deming, now Daniel on a path to possibly finding his mother and reconnecting with his Chinese roots.
The story is told from both perspectives and you get an in depth view of what each of them is going through. The writing really carries this story through the slow start. Both characters have flaws but I was invested in both of their stories until the end. There were points in the story where I wanted to rip the pages because the adoptive parents are so cringey and I know that there are actual people out there that share their beliefs. I found it difficult to garner any empathy for them at all.
I loved this book because I got to see the other side of the story. Media glorifies celebrity transracial adoptions but you never get to hear the stories of the adoptees themselves. This a story that many adoptees will be able to identify with.
The thoughts that stay with me after I finished were:
🌸 The U.S. deems white mothers to be more fit parents than immigrant parents.
🌸 The U.S. immigration policies are racist and continue to separate families.
🌸 Older transracial adoptees are forcibly assimilated and lose their connection with their home country.
🌸 The English only narrative harms more than helps.
🌸 Women still don't have the same economic and educational opportunities as men in many countries.
🌸 Women are expected to be mothers and wives and not have career goals and expectations for themselves.
🌸 Transracial adoptions is another way that the U.S. perpetuates ethnic cleansing and cultural erasure.
🌸 The pathway to citizenship for Blacks and POC is full of impossible red tape.
Bookdragon rating 4.75 🔥
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Confinement, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, and Racism
kirkspockreads's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction and Racism