beca'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: Death of parent, Abandonment, War, Colonisation, and Grief
Moderate: Genocide, Terminal illness, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Blood, Death of parent, Addiction, Sexual harassment, and Murder
Minor: Torture and Rape
lenaschrn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Torture, Abandonment, Cancer, Murder, Alcoholism, Body horror, Terminal illness, War, Blood, Death, Gore, Grief, Physical abuse, Rape, Death of parent, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Infertility and Toxic friendship
carlafiorenzo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Injury/injury detail, Suicide attempt, Infidelity, Child death, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Racism, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Vomit, Abandonment, War, Body horror, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Blood, Chronic illness, Classism, Racial slurs, Colonisation, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Addiction, Alcohol, Grief, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Excrement, Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
nibs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I was immersed in the Trần family's story and transported into their world, which tbh is all I really want in a book. I learnt a lot about the history of Việt Nam.
Graphic: Violence, Death, and War
Moderate: Abortion, Sexual violence, Mental illness, and Abandonment
Minor: Cancer
marie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Abortion, Injury/injury detail, War, Rape, Abandonment, Deportation, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Colonisation, Alcoholism, Child death, Blood, and Cancer
inlaraland's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The Mountains Sing tells us the the story of Vietnam's history through the eyes of Huong and her family. There is a dual timeline that sets up the plot, with the perspective changing between Huong and her grandmother.
This book portrays the heartbreaking reality of war, and the author doesn't shy away from tackling the tough subjects like starvation, death, assault and abandonment. The writing style is very poetic, and I found the lyrical lines quite moving during key emotional points in the story. One of my favorite things about this story is how the author is able to highlight the beauty of life amidst all the tragedy, adding an element of hope to the pivotal point of the story.
I can really go on about how much I enjoyed this book. I knew from early on that I would be giving it five stars. If you enjoyed Min Jin Lee's "Pachinko" you'll find similar parallels in this book, but The Mountains Sing has a life all it's own. For a gripping historical fiction read, I would recommend this one!
Graphic: Abandonment, War, and Death
Minor: Sexual assault and Abortion
candournat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Classism, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Murder, Abandonment, Abortion, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/injury detail, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, and War
202claire'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Injury/injury detail, Murder, Death of parent, Death, Colonisation, Blood, Abandonment, War, Violence, Torture, Physical abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Terminal illness, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Pregnancy, and Medical content
Minor: Alcoholism
feralbookwife'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Pregnancy, Blood, Sexual violence, Cancer, Alcoholism, Abandonment, War, Death, Grief, Colonisation, Abortion, Violence, Torture, Rape, Physical abuse, Murder, Medical trauma, Medical content, Drug use, and Child death
Moderate: Sexism, Child abuse, Confinement, Mental illness, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Xenophobia
ae_young'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, Death, Grief, Terminal illness, Violence, Injury/injury detail, War, and Classism
Moderate: Abandonment