Reviews

Twenty Fragments of a Ravenous Youth by Xiaolu Guo

zahrajz's review against another edition

inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

weronikab's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

twosuns's review against another edition

challenging funny 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? Yes

3.0

threadbear's review against another edition

funny hopeful reflective relaxing sad fast-paced

• 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? Yes

5.0

davechua's review against another edition

3.0

Fairly typical of the genre, as the young discontented protagonist of Guo Xiaolu's debut novel tries to make it in Beijing after moving there.

vvalws's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

landrew's review against another edition

4.0

The reason I liked this book so much is because it was really resonant for me at this stage in life- if I were middle aged I’m not sure I would have like it so much. But I’m 18, and I did.
“20 Fragments” is a series of 20 vignettes of the life of Fenfang, a Chinese peasant who leaves her hometown to travel to Beijing. This book revels in the mundane, giving us the trials and tribulations of Fenfang. It reveals the perspective of a girl living and seeing the effects of communism on China, struggling to discover what she wants to be. And I loved it because she never really decides. Which makes me feel like I don’t need to know either. So it was reassuring in a way, and well written

catandherbooks's review against another edition

inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.75

God = ❌
Heavenly Bastard In The Sky = ✅

Not my fave in the "young Chinese woman struggling to find her way" niche nut a good one nonetheless 

knguy510's review against another edition

reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated

2.5

hannahccb's review against another edition

hopeful reflective fast-paced

4.0

Fragments of memories set over a few years as the main character moves from a small farming village to Beijing in the 1980s. You can taste her hunger for a different life, often physically through the food that she voraciously eats throughout the novel. Made me miss Shanghai and the amazingly diverse Chinese cuisine there.