Reviews tagging 'Cultural appropriation'

Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou

57 reviews

alexandrabelze's review against another edition

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funny reflective medium-paced
  • 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

3.5

omfg i don’t even know where to start. very funny, super dramatic, and at times satirical. it was not AT ALL what i was expecting, but then again i didn’t read any type of summaries before starting it lmao. it didn’t have me hooked until the first major plot twist, but after that i was dying to see how it ended. kind of an anti-climatic ending, but sadly realistic. ingrid + eunice besties 4 ever <3 stephen is the bane of my existence. every time he spoke i wanted to rip my hair out. i WISH he knew when to shut up. 
Spoilerthe SCHOOL GIRL COSTUME??? oh my god i was gagged. nothing could’ve prepared me!!! i had to put the kindle DOWN and reflect.

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lilycollings's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This was such a fun and clever story. I flew through it having stumbled across the last copy in a bookshop on my lunch break yesterday after having it on my tbr since it was released. It lived up to all my expectations and more. I haven't read a book in a very long time that has left me feeling completely content and fulfilled with where it ended but Disorientation did.

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madeleinebay's review against another edition

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5.0


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mlovesbooks's review against another edition

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dark funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

SpoilerWho hasn't wished they could choke out their advisor? Ingrid did it for all of us.

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sweetsouthwest's review against another edition

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adventurous funny reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0


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frankieclc's review against another edition

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4.0

There were descriptions in this book where it made me shiver because it felt too real, "I know that character, I've met them" kinda vibes. 

Went a lil off the rail in places and that's the only reason it wasn't a 5, the conversations made were incredible 

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hannacolm's review against another edition

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adventurous funny medium-paced
  • 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

3.5


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sakisreads's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This book really does make you feel disorientated 🫠

This was a chance find on Kindle yesterday; after reading Yellowface, the algorithm clearly wanted to give me another amazing take on academia and it’s dark side. 

Someone wrote ‘I hope Michael and Stephen step on LEGOs’ in a review and I really felt that 😂 Their despicable treatment of people always left my jaw hanging.
SpoilerWhat’s very sinister and twisted about this book is that especially at the beginning, it leads you to believe they are the ‘good guys’, and that you almost want to root for Ingrid and Stephen’s relationship 😦


I really appreciated Ingrid and felt a big pull to her throughout this tale. Her growth is undeniable ✨ I also loved Eunice (Yoon) and what a good friend she was to Ingrid throughout ✨
Initially Vivian got under my skin (as was most likely intended by the author), but she started to grow on me.
SpoilerAZUMI THOUGH. I’m not going to lie, I was shocked when Stephen revealed that she was in fact, not a sex worker and had come from an affluent family, but I also thought… Props to her 🤷🏻‍♀️


4.5 out of 5 stars ✨
Would definitely recommend! 👏🏼

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jessicaschick's review against another edition

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emotional funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

i literally stayed up until 3 am to finish this book. on the surface it's a satirical critique of a lot of issues that are present in academia but it's honestly so much deeper than that. i cannot stop thinking about the ending either. 

Spoiler(also stephen and michael can both step on legos)

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beanmilkcantread's review against another edition

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funny mysterious fast-paced
  • 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

5.0

this book made me want to read again. it was clever n funny n over the top n horrifying n ridiculous in a way that’s like ‘no but that actually WOULD happen in academia.’ this book could have made you want to shake the main character but instead u want to cheer her on. touches on the truly disturbing reality of academia n White Supremacy in a way that is scathing while retaining humor n joy! i loved it!!! can u tell??!!?!?? if i drop out of grad school it’s NOT bc of this book but…this book DID make me feel like if i did drop out that’d be an okay choice too. 

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