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secunda'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
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual violence, Violence, Stalking, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Religious bigotry
ilyemilyhenry's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Colonisation
Minor: Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Outing, Sexual harassment, and War
annoyedhumanoid's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
the courtroom tableau was brilliantly executed, definitely my favorite part
the plot summary was so fucking promising, but i found the writing to be lacking. i feel like it addressed its heavy topics through regurgitations of already finished conversations, rather than playing out those conversations in real time, if that makes sense. i know it's supposed to be absurdist, but the plot was just off the rails at times. Vivian's character development was very good though, shout out to that. also, the audiobook narration was very bland
cover review: ★★★★½. the illustration is gorgeous, just not a fan of either the typeface or the color of the title and author's name
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Trafficking, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Minor: Ableism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Blood, Vomit, Islamophobia, Lesbophobia, and Outing
emergencily's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The book is about a Taiwanese American PhD student with a white boyfriend who is struggling to finish her thesis on a fictional Chinese-American poet, who in the book is a celebrated part of the AsAm literary canon. She has a lot of issues with internalized racism & misogyny that makes you want to scream "PLEASE STAND UP." You see her slow and gradual emotional & political growth over the book. It's a relief when she finally begins to confront the unsettling feelings she gets from her white BF and finally admits he's a creep with yellow fever. The main plot is her discovering that the AsAm poet she's writing her thesis on is actually a white guy who's been masquerading in yellowface for decades, and has built a career off of it.
Honestly the plot wasn't that interesting. It felt really contrived sometimes and way too on the nose. Like I get the point the author wanted to make, but does it have to be so literal? It felt like being bludgeoned over the head with a lecture sometimes. All the points made about Asian women and their treatment & identity & experiences were pretty basic and not very subversive. It was like critical race studies 101. The book made me laugh a couple times, so kudos for that. But about halfway through I felt bored. The book is satirical and it works at first with the author nailing a lot of the archetypes & experiences of AsAm women. Like some of the girls in this book, I've known girls like that IRL (and god have I mourned them and prayed for them to open their eyes). But by the second half it feels like the author is smacking you over the head yelling "this is the message I am trying to convey."
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Rape