sakisreads's review against another edition
- 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 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.
Spoiler
What’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.
Spoiler
AZUMI 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! 👏🏼
Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Cultural appropriation, Racism, and Racial slurs
danidamico's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
La autora Elaine Hsieh Chou logra construir un texto gracioso y perturbador en partes iguales, explorando las distintas formas en las que el racismo afecta particularmente a las mujeres asiáticas, desde la subestimación e infantilización en el ámbito académico, pasando por la fetichización sexual y la misoginia. El tono de la novela me hizo acordar un poco a Everyone in this Room Will Someday Be Dead de Emily Austin, una de mis lecturas favoritas del año pasado. Comparten un sentido del humor absurdo, algo tragicómico, y protagonistas neuróticas y algo problemáticas. Me gustó mucho el desarrollo de Ingrid, en general suelo sentirme identificada con ese tipo de personajes.
Sí tengo que decir que algunas partes de la trama me parecieron un poco predecibles, en especial el descubrimiento que Ingrid hace alrededor del 30% del libro. Creo que el impacto del
Spoiler
caso de Rachel Dolezal y otros académicosGraphic: Misogyny, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Racism, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Deportation and Hate crime
ramalam98's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
It talks about so many things, from yellowface and cultural appropriation/fetishism to internalised racism, academic burnout, and more.
It was entertaining throughout, definitely a ‘food for thought’ kind of book.
My only gripe is with a couple of characters. I found Ingrid to be frustratingly naive and stupid ay times though I believe this was intentional. Eunice also felt underdeveloped and I would have liked to have seen more of her storyline.
Graphic: Cultural appropriation and Racism
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Xenophobia, and Racial slurs
Minor: Colonisation, Suicide attempt, and Deportation
ilyevebabitz'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: Emotional abuse, Cursing, Cultural appropriation, Misogyny, Drug use, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Toxic relationship, Sexism, and Xenophobia
Minor: Violence, Drug abuse, Genocide, Racial slurs, Slavery, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Islamophobia, War, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Outing, Police brutality, Domestic abuse, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
dfrancis'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? It's complicated
2.75
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Racism, Misogyny, and Hate crime
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Colonisation, and Sexism
smute'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
4.5
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Classism, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, and Sexism
Minor: Violence, Sexual assault, and Vomit
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
3.0
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: Cultural appropriation, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Colonisation, Infidelity, Alcohol, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Violence
Minor: Cancer, Cursing, Death, Islamophobia, Lesbophobia, Outing, Terminal illness, Vomit, Ableism, Blood, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, and Sexual content
harperhoney'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Sexism, Xenophobia, Hate crime, Racism, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Cultural appropriation, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Classism, Violence, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Deportation, Addiction, Body shaming, and Colonisation
Minor: Vomit, Alcohol, Blood, Police brutality, Infidelity, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Ableism, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Outing
caseythereader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
- The way Chou spotlights and skewers academia, leftists, Asian stereotypes and more is masterful. I alternated between gasping in shock and crying with laughter.
- The satire is just perfect. I usually don't love satire and find it unfunny and/or too smart for me, but this is just *chef's kiss* possibly because it takes only the slightest nudge to push academia into the absurd.
Graphic: Racial slurs, Blood, Colonisation, Cursing, Drug use, Ableism, Alcohol, Cultural appropriation, Racism, Suicide attempt, and Xenophobia
Minor: Police brutality
sydapel'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
3.75
Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, Racism, Xenophobia, and Bullying
Moderate: Addiction, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Drug use, and Hate crime
Minor: Sexual content