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miller8d's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Vomit and Toxic friendship
Minor: Rape, Self harm, and Violence
mercerhanau's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Infertility, Miscarriage, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Stalking, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, and Alcohol
heim_weh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I still don’t like Izzy even by the end of the book. It’s not to say her motives are impossible to understand. But she gets on my nerves even more than Mrs McCullough, whose flaws can be summarised in that one almost snarky sentence at the very end of the novel: that she already loves the new baby she’s yet to have with all her heart like she did Mirabelle, the new baby’s birth parents wouldn’t put up a fight, that the new baby wouldn’t have known another mother.
The themes explored in this book are so obviously written by a person of colour and a mother that I kept cringing and laughing with delight. Ed Lim’s ‘lamentations’ (for a lack of better words) really struck a chord with me: is this the world my children are going to live in? Early, yes, but a concern to consider nevertheless. It’s true that the world has improved, and I am fortunate to live in a society/community where I still have my culture around. But - how would the children react, being forced and torn between two often conflicting worlds? And the fact that I can totally relate to both mothers - well, the trio if the meddling (oops) Mrs Richardson is to be counted - shows how much Ng has really considered this morally grey story. I understand that the message is a mother deserves to be with her child, but somehow I feel that in the elaborate and intimate arguments in favour of the McCalloughs, there is a part of Ng questioning the final decision. Obviously at the end, May Ling’s reunion with Bebe shows that Ng is on Bebe’s side. But why not make the other side more hateful, if there is not some sympathy for them after all?
The story is not THAT original, but that’s not a flaw of it. In fact, it’s what makes this compelling story even better. It had me literally on the edge of my seat, and I couldn’t stop reading or thinking about it. It made me uncomfortable because I see myself in them - these beautiful and ugly people. I doubt I’ll read it again because the way it made my toes curl with unease was almost too much to bear. But I can’t wait to read another book by Celeste Ng. Perfect score for a perfect book.
(I can’t resist so here goes: someone tell TJR this is how you write from the POV of a POC - not lecturing, especially about something you wouldn’t have experienced at such a level. I had to say it.)
(And THIS is how you build characters and write a coming of age story.)
Graphic: Abortion and Abandonment
Moderate: Racism, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Violence
mr_cain's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Infertility, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Moderate: Child death, Death, Racism, Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
Minor: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Violence, and Deportation
lynssss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Infertility, Abortion, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Mental illness, Miscarriage, Medical trauma, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Violence