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joensign's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Stalking, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting
juliaureads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Addiction, Bullying, and Colonisation
shesreadingagain_'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
4.25
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexism
chaoticenby'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
4.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racism, Xenophobia, and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Drug abuse and Sexism
carojust'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
3.5
Ingrid is a Taiwanese-American grad student at a Harvard-like university, struggling to finish her dissertation on the works of Chinese-American poet Xiao-Wen Chou. She relies on an addiction to allergy meds to get through her anxiety and procrastination, and feels strongly this isn't the work she should be doing. Right away, we are introduced to scenes of her taking a backseat to white men, including her own fiancé, on topics about her own culture. The plot continues in a feverish nightmare, as Ingrid is shaken by the truth of her work, and realization of the incredibly racist world she's tried to function in.
Admittedly, I couldn't get into Elaine Hsieh Chou's writing style, but appreciated her funny storytelling, and extremely unlikeable characters. The author unlocked a lot of my own trauma, with anecdotes about trying to fit in with white friends, being ashamed of our own culture, the incessant need to question if someone is interested in us because they have a fetish. A lot of these themes are told in a continuous loop that could've been edited down, but I totally get the need to expand on topics that aren't represented enough. After reading R. F. Kuang's "Yellowface," with a white character faking Asian identity and struggling to find fault with what she's doing, "Disorientation"
Give this a read if you're interested in Asian American themes, funny stories on grad school life, and whimsical sleuth-style storytelling.
Graphic: Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Stalking, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Deportation
hmih's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Colonisation
Moderate: Cancer, Hate crime, Sexual content, Violence, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Minor: Police brutality
ottotto'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: Emotional abuse and Violence
Moderate: Racism and Sexism
kathshiroma'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
4.5
Graphic: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Stalking, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Bullying, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Violence
Minor: Body shaming, Outing, Colonisation, and Deportation
madeleinebay's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting
frankieclc's review against another edition
4.0
Went a lil off the rail in places and that's the only reason it wasn't a 5, the conversations made were incredible
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Fatphobia