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mj_86'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: Domestic abuse, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Infidelity, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Miscarriage
machenn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
mlovesbooks'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
5.0
How love, for all its treachery, finds me in the last, unexpected moments of light.
I didn't want this book to end. It was a beautiful read.
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Racism
Moderate: Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and War
fkshg8465'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: Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
futuretreeman'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
4.0
I read this book as I am in the folds of moving on from my own broken relationships. We were horrible to each other, in many ways me more than them, just as these characters were horrible to each other. But it was wonderful to see that they could still love, care, and support each other anyway.
My critque?
Thai used a lot of metaphors in her writing and many were beautiful! But there were also many that did not make a whole lot of sense to me. And those little moments took me out of the book a little bit. They multiplied in a way that sometimes made it hard to see past their cliche and into the powerful thoughts they were supposed to be.
This next bit is not a critique to the author. Some of the chapters from Minh's POV also took me away from the story a bit. And I don't think it was because they were poorly written or nonvaluable. I think it was maybe my own afterlife beliefs. Everything in the story is so raw and real, but hearing from the ghost of somebody in that context was strange. I think that because I don't believe in an afterlife, it was hard for those chapters to feel as real to me as the others.
Though I am sure someone who does believe in the afterlife would not have the same qualms with the chapters as I did.
I did find those chapters illuminating to Minh's character though. And when she took us back to her past in Vietnam, how everything started, I was able to fall back into the story; those were wonderful moments.
Every chapter brought us a new twist. Some, granted, quite a lot bigger than others. Thai keeps you coming back from the moment meet our 3 badass women choking on red tide toxins.
Thank you Thao Thai.
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, and Medical content
Minor: Child abuse, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
hi_its_micah'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
4.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Blood, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Violence, and Pregnancy
Minor: Toxic relationship and War
jbro12'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
3.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Violence, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: War
daniellel'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
4.0
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Murder
annamay1021's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Moderate: Racism
oceanwriter'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: Death, Domestic abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Child abuse, Infertility, and Murder