The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
bessadams's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: War and Violence
Moderate: Torture, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Excrement, Death, Death of parent, Classism, Cancer, Abortion, Bullying, Alcoholism, Child death, and Child abuse
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Rape
carlafiorenzo'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
5.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Infidelity, Child death, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Racism, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Vomit, Abandonment, War, Body horror, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Blood, Chronic illness, Classism, Racial slurs, Colonisation, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Addiction, Alcohol, Grief, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Excrement, Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
tumbleweedreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: War, Violence, Rape, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Abortion, Suicide, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Alcoholism, and Child death
Minor: Chronic illness and Excrement
ktrecs'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? No
3.5
But by the 50% mark, I was hooked. I have trouble DNFing books and books like this are exactly why. Had I decided to set this book aside I'd have missed the growth and nuance in the later half. All throughout, the prose is alternatively lush and crushing, evocative and tender. Each scene is built with such precision and care. Each generation of the Tran family is weaved carefully into the structure of the novel, part epistolary, part oral tradition, stories upon stories, realistic and compelling. As HÆ°Æ¡ng ages and time inexorably moves forward, the tale becomes more intimate somehow. The poetic close of the novel drew its themes together perfectly, leaving us with a vision of hope and peace even throughout the dark events laid out in the past. The intimacy of it brings the personal into the political in an unforgettable way.Â
Nguyen Phan Que Mai's voice is clear, profound and powerful, and I will certainly look forward to encountering it again.Â
Graphic: Blood, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Murder, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Abortion, Alcoholism, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Torture
Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Excrement, and Suicidal thoughts
womanwill'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
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Child death, Death, Violence, and Excrement
Moderate: Blood, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Medical content, Confinement, Addiction, and Alcoholism
Minor: Cancer and Abortion
storiesofsophie'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Rape and Abortion
Minor: Alcoholism, Police brutality, Blood, Cancer, Excrement, Genocide, Gore, and Gun violence