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angievansprang's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
The writing in this book was absolutely incredible. I can hardly believe this was Manicka’s debut. She did a fantastic job crafted a lush, vibrant world that jumps off the page so much you can practically taste and feel it. The descriptions of setting, food, scent, and sound in this book were so vivid and it was refreshing to read such beautiful writing. The content of this book is extremely heavy, so I advise you to proceed with caution. The Rice Mother follows a South Asian family who is living in Malaysia through multiple generations, including the family’s experience during the Japanese occupation of Malaysia during WWII. There are countless war crimes depicted equally as vividly as the beautiful backdrop, so do tread with caution. Though I think it was apropos of the time and the culture, this book was steeped in colorism and anti-Japanese/anti-Chinese racism. There were racist terms used to describe race and skin color throughout this novel. Other topics that were covered included a gambling addiction, survivor guilt, and lost memories due to trauma.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Rape, and War
Moderate: Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Grief, Abortion, and Death of parent
Minor: Drug use, Suicide, Blood, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy
kaneebli's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, and Colonisation
Moderate: Kidnapping and War
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