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bookishmillennial's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I don't have the words yet, but this book deeply moved me amidst my own grief, and I highly recommend it.
This was recommended to me by my friend @maddysbookopinions on Instagram <3
Graphic: Terminal illness, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Racism, Medical content, Medical trauma, Colonisation, and War
nicoleisalwaysreading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Terminal illness and Death of parent
siobhanward's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I did find that the beginning dragged a bit, but as soon as focus shifted to the protagonist's experience with her father's illness, I couldn't put the book down. This was just a great read.
Graphic: Terminal illness, Medical content, and Death of parent
katievh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Terminal illness, Grief, and Death of parent
typedtruths's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Terminal illness, Medical content, and Death of parent
Moderate: Grief
savvylit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
As a whole, Ghost Forest is a heartbreaking and poetic portrait of family love, sacrifice, and grief. For that alone, Fung has written a novel unlike any other that I have read. Additionally, though, Ghost Forest is told through the unique cultural lens of a Hong Kong 'astronaut' family. The narrator's relationship with her father is strained in many ways. Some strain is due to their cultural differences as a native Hong Konger and his Canadian-raised daughter. But beyond that, so much strain can be explained by their physical distance. While the narrator immigrated to Canada with her mother and grandparents, her father stayed behind in Hong Kong.
Ultimately, this was a short and sparse read. However, the raw human emotions of Ghost Forest are potent and immersive. Fung has given readers a powerful reminder to appreciate the complexity of their familial relationships before it may be too late. I know I won't be forgetting this debut novel any time soon & I can't wait to read more from Pik-Shuen Fung in the future!
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Death of parent
Minor: Colonisation and War
rynicolereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Terminal illness, Grief, and Death of parent
meemawreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
The narrator of this story moves with her family to Canada from Hong Kong in the 90s, leaving behind an “astronaut dad” - a term invented to describe men who stayed behind to keep their jobs while their families left ahead of Britain’s return of Hong Kong to China. The chapters are short and not necessarily chronological, giving the book an almost stream-of-consciousness feeling. Y’all know I love an audiobook but I HIGHLY recommend a physical copy of this one: the way the pages are formatted makes a difference in how this book is experienced. Words are placed with artistic intention. Empty space matters.
Speaking of empty space, this book will resonate with anyone who felt distant from their dad. Strong warning, it features illness and hospitals and death. It harnesses deep grief, so not everyone will be in a space to receive it. I was, and was so touched by the opportunity to learn about the funeral practices of another culture while deeply connecting with the common experience of loss. I can’t recommend it enough, I devoured it in one day, and I bequeath it a full 5 taters! 🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔/🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔
Graphic: Terminal illness and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent
painausten314's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
atenderwitch's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent