Reviews with content warning for Racism - Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

though it took me a while to finish, i really enjoyed this book. i thought the writing worked well (even if the dialogue felt clunky at times), as well as the time skips. the overall story was, as the title suggests, bittersweet.

once they started to mention the girl at the counter more often, i had a feeling it might’ve been ethel, and was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be true. i thought that was an interesting but nice impression, especially since henry was still in love with keiko, and she was someone who cared about his well-being. i thought the quote “He’d do what he always did, find the sweet among the bitter” was a great way to tie in the title into the book.

the ending was very well written, along with the extra short story of keiko from the ‘40s.

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laheath's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective sad slow-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? No

4.0

During WWII, Henry, a Chinese-American teen in Seattle, befriends Keiko, a Japanese-American girl, against his father's wishes. As their friendship deepens and begins to develop into something more, America begins to send Japanese-American families to internment camps. Due to various circumstances, Henry and Keiko lose touch. Forty years later, in alternating chapters, adult Henry is reflecting on some memories and telling his newly-engaged son some of these family stories. Interesting history but sweet and sad story.

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angelbabe_cj's review

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emotional hopeful informative reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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alyssagirardi's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-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? No

3.0

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abigailjblay's review

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emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-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

4.5

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ems_rxlibrary's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful informative reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I read quite a bit of historical fiction that has to do with WWII, but I realized that most of it focuses on the European front. This one gives you a look into the Japanese Internment camps that were set up in the western US.
I thought this was so sweet! It had a slow start that took me a while to grasp, but once you get to the Romeo and Juliet- esque relationship (without the terrible ending) it is so worth it. I always love when there are secondary characters that fill in the gaps in the main character’s life. Mrs. Beatty was an unassuming hero in this novel and I grew to love her and what she did for Henry. Sheldon was just *chef’s kiss*. I would definitely recommend this book!

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