Reviews

Brandsätze by Steph Cha

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jaclyncrupi's review against another edition

4.0

I am on a reading roll! This was truly excellent. A Korean-American family and an African-American family are forced to face their linked violent and tragic past, present and role in the LA riots. The race dynamics, especially the black lives matter conversations, are explored with complexity and deep insight. Ryan Gattis’s brilliant novel of a few years ago All Involved made me want to read more about the LA riots and boy this delivered. This is especially perfect for readers of Angie Kim, Brit Bennett, Celeste Ng and Min Jin Lee – pacy plotty perfection.

mollyan's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

charadreemurrs's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

cheyenne3's review against another edition

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dark informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

deschatjes's review against another edition

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5.0

A hard book about hard things - racism violence do-gooders, and the cycles that perpetuate themselves until people have the strength to face the past & present.
No excuses are made on any side & each examine their part in what happened.
A must read.

mamdid's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense

4.5

frumpburger's review against another edition

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5.0

Wow. What an intense, draining, powerful novel about race and violence and justice and this beautiful, terrible, broken city. The characters are well honed and complex and it’s impossible to not empathize with each and every one of them, even the least sympathetic amongst them. Floored.

jbosio's review against another edition

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challenging reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Content Warnings

wschultz729's review against another edition

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challenging dark hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

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? It's complicated

4.0

adiajamille's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense

3.0

This book did an excellent job of examining both sides of this story. So much so that it’s infuriating at times. So it’s very realistic in that sense. Some of the editing on the audiobook was off putting, but I enjoyed having the two readers.

Content Warnings

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