Scan barcode
beetsbydwight's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Infidelity, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Miscarriage
kappafrog's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
4.25
This book felt like an instant classic. I was totally drawn into the story and read it in two days. It was my first time in a long time reading a family saga like this, and I really enjoyed it.
The writing style is really beautiful. I highlighted so many different passages. Here are a few favourite quotes:
"We would never have to lean on our stories to save us. We'd never need saving at all. Our roots would lift from the earth and carry us someplace where the dread would not pull us down."
"I see Banyan House for what it is: a home for women, a shaggy, worn, and vicious protector of the bruised, the tender."
"How love, for all its treachery, finds me in the last, unexpected moments of light."
"And I didn't tell him that none of it had been wasted at all, because I knew he would not see it that way."
Each of the three main characters was so complicated. Ann was the least sympathetic, as she had a coldness towards her mother that was hard to read at times, but her character growth was really great. My favourite of the three was Huong.I wish we had gotten her voice once again at the end, after the Banyan House burned down. I could tell that a weight had been lifted off her after it was gone, the room where Vinh died finally destroyed like she'd wanted it to be for all those years. I suspect she knew that Phuoc was the one who burned the house down, from some of the hints we got in the dialogue. Whether she confronted him about it and that was why he moved away, I'm not sure. I was really glad that Ann came to appreciate her mother more by the end.
Minh's passages were always so interesting, looking back on her long life. With each of these women, you understood why they did the things they did. I wish I had a more eloquent way of describing how rich the relationships in this book are. You can really feel the weight of the atmosphere of the places described in the book too. The heat and humidity of the Florida summer hangs down over everyone like bugs dancing on the water of a swamp. The Banyan House had such personality, and I loved the way that the folk tale about the moon was woven through.
I was glad that Ann and Wes didn't end up together. Their scenes were often really nice, but Crystal talking about how unhappy Fiona had been made me very wary of him at the end. I was a little disappointed that some of the secrets the Tran women kept weren't communicated to each other, after the ominous passages about how the Banyan House couldn't handle the weight of all the secrets, and neither could they. I also had very mixed feelings about Ann naming her son Bính. It felt like a root to the past that wasn't needed, especially since we knew what a cad the original Bính was, though she of course didn't. It was an odd note for me and I'm not sure how it'll sit with me over time. There was also one mystery that was never addressed, the cryptic references Minh made to "the Lady" who had once owned the house.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes family sagas. This one feels like it will be talked about for a long time to come, read in classes and book clubs with discussions of all the symbolism, layers of truth, and revelations that come as the story goes on. It was hard to read at times and is very sad, but the three women were so interesting to read about.
The writing style is really beautiful. I highlighted so many different passages. Here are a few favourite quotes:
"I see Banyan House for what it is: a home for women, a shaggy, worn, and vicious protector of the bruised, the tender."
"How love, for all its treachery, finds me in the last, unexpected moments of light."
"And I didn't tell him that none of it had been wasted at all, because I knew he would not see it that way."
Each of the three main characters was so complicated. Ann was the least sympathetic, as she had a coldness towards her mother that was hard to read at times, but her character growth was really great. My favourite of the three was Huong.
Minh's passages were always so interesting, looking back on her long life. With each of these women, you understood why they did the things they did. I wish I had a more eloquent way of describing how rich the relationships in this book are. You can really feel the weight of the atmosphere of the places described in the book too. The heat and humidity of the Florida summer hangs down over everyone like bugs dancing on the water of a swamp. The Banyan House had such personality, and I loved the way that the folk tale about the moon was woven through.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes family sagas. This one feels like it will be talked about for a long time to come, read in classes and book clubs with discussions of all the symbolism, layers of truth, and revelations that come as the story goes on. It was hard to read at times and is very sad, but the three women were so interesting to read about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Racism, Vomit, Medical content, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Body horror, Bullying, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Stalking, Colonisation, and Pandemic/Epidemic
mj_86's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Infidelity, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Miscarriage
ziggyreadz's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
4.5
i really enjoyed Banyan Moon. i thought the characters were really interesting and compelling in the way they tangled together. that is the main focus of the book, so if you’re into character centered narratives, specifically family/inter-generational narratives, i highly recommend.
i may be biased because i love this kind of story about trauma and complicated people, but i really enjoyed how they each stood as their own characters but were stronger together.
i didn’t find the perspective switching to be jarring at all, though i listened to the audio book, and each of the three women had different narrators. i especially liked Huong’s reader, as she always sounded like she was on the edge of desperation, which reflects Huong’s character. the different perspectives and arcs within the perspectives provided an interesting mix of stories from Vietnam and stories from Florida, where the present day of the book takes place.
the way the book explored different kinds of relationships with men and their complicated problems was really masterful. i felt that everything was handled really well despite the relationships being (outwardly) pretty diverse.
of course it was really interesting to see the three women’s relationships with each other. there were some gaps with Huong and Ann — i understood on a surface level why they had a tense relationship in the past, but i felt like other things took up the space needed to explore that more, especially since it was so central to the narrative.
the book is slow but i enjoyed that, it gave the characters room to breathe. the last 1/4 though is very fast and dramatic, and while it was very immersive, i felt like it was a little out of place given the rest of the pacing and plot of the book. several dramatic things happen, and i feel it would have been better with fewer things, so that it felt more consistent.
the end was a little too neat for me. i wish it had not wrapped up as well, though i was generally happy with the resolution. i just felt that the ending was too simple for a complicated book like Banyan Moon.
the only other thing that bothered me a bit was that sometimes the writing felt a little strange (very infrequently). there were a lot of metaphors, both in dialogue and internal monologue, that felt a little too absurd to be taken seriously. overall, i did enjoy the writing though.
if the premise of this book appeals to you, definitely check it out. it’s a really rewarding experience. the only reason why my rating is not higher is because i felt the book mostly accomplished its ambitions, but fell a bit short towards the end.
i may be biased because i love this kind of story about trauma and complicated people, but i really enjoyed how they each stood as their own characters but were stronger together.
i didn’t find the perspective switching to be jarring at all, though i listened to the audio book, and each of the three women had different narrators. i especially liked Huong’s reader, as she always sounded like she was on the edge of desperation, which reflects Huong’s character. the different perspectives and arcs within the perspectives provided an interesting mix of stories from Vietnam and stories from Florida, where the present day of the book takes place.
the way the book explored different kinds of relationships with men and their complicated problems was really masterful. i felt that everything was handled really well despite the relationships being (outwardly) pretty diverse.
of course it was really interesting to see the three women’s relationships with each other. there were some gaps with Huong and Ann — i understood on a surface level why they had a tense relationship in the past, but i felt like other things took up the space needed to explore that more, especially since it was so central to the narrative.
the book is slow but i enjoyed that, it gave the characters room to breathe. the last 1/4 though is very fast and dramatic, and while it was very immersive, i felt like it was a little out of place given the rest of the pacing and plot of the book. several dramatic things happen, and i feel it would have been better with fewer things, so that it felt more consistent.
the end was a little too neat for me. i wish it had not wrapped up as well, though i was generally happy with the resolution. i just felt that the ending was too simple for a complicated book like Banyan Moon.
the only other thing that bothered me a bit was that sometimes the writing felt a little strange (very infrequently). there were a lot of metaphors, both in dialogue and internal monologue, that felt a little too absurd to be taken seriously. overall, i did enjoy the writing though.
if the premise of this book appeals to you, definitely check it out. it’s a really rewarding experience. the only reason why my rating is not higher is because i felt the book mostly accomplished its ambitions, but fell a bit short towards the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Stalking, Pregnancy, and War
Minor: Miscarriage
siobhanward's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
I love a multi-generational family drama and Thai created a beautiful narrative in this book. I really enjoyed the interactions between Ann and Huo'ng, and Minh's reflections. The book was definitely heartbreaking but I loved it anyway. None of the sadness was superfluous, but it felt honest. I definitely wish that Thai had leaned more into Banyan House as a setting, as it felt like more of a background piece than the Gothic setting it could have been, but it was still a solid read nonetheless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Pregnancy
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Murder
Minor: Miscarriage
jesspoemape's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, and Pregnancy
Minor: Miscarriage and War
gondorgirl's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- 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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Colonisation, and Classism
More...