kansas_b's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
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
4.5
bexellency's review against another edition
Too slow and descriptive. Terrible opening with very little to draw the reader in. Nail in the coffin was when I jumped ahead and found the same excruciatingly slow and decrivtive style continues.
kbcozy22's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
relaxing
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? It's complicated
4.75
Wow what a great book! The heart of the characters, the storytelling, the description of dance and Chinese tradition- captivating! My one criticism is that the ending felt a bit rushed compared to the rest of the book. But overall great!
lossanna's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
mrs_a_is_a_book_nerd's review against another edition
5.0
Loved Girl in Translation! Was thrilled to find this gem at my local dollar store, and it was so, so good! I will now read ANYTHING Jean Kwok writes... Random notes to self, grocery lists, ANYTHING!
bhavanabee's review against another edition
4.0
I can't remember when I read this, but I love all of Jean Kwok's books!
lovetoread18's review
3.0
The Cinderella aspect of this story was fun to read. A frumpy, shy dishwasher becoming a lovely, talented dancer was heartwarming. I also thoroughly enjoyed the details about Chinese culture. For the most part, they were nicely interwoven into the story. But other than the protagonist, the other characters came across as two-dimensional. As one other reviewer expressed, all of the loose ends being tied up into a perfect bow at the conclusion of the novel was a bit exasperating. And it seemed like the ultimate victory for this character was to begin a relationship with her dance partner. Of all the things that happened to her, ending on this note left a sour taste in my mouth.
sannareads's review against another edition
3.0
I began to see beauty as something that could be unleashed from within a person rather than a set of physical features like a perfect nose or big eyes.
Mambo in Chinatown by Jean Kwok is a lighthearted and warm feel-good where we get to follow Charlie, a 22 year old girl with big dreams. Through the book Charlie really evolves and blooms as a person, it's captivating to follow her changes.
Charlie is without a doubt my favorite characters but I also really liked Lisa, Nina, Ryan, Zan, Mo Li and of course everyone at the dance studio.
I picked this book up on a book sale so I didn't know what to expect, but I gotta say that this was a really fun and interesting read. I'm Swedish so I know near to nothing about the Chinese traditions and culture so reading this book thought me quite a lot about their culture, which I really enjoyed.
Kwok's way of writing makes every chapter captivating and as a reader I want to find out if certain things happens so much that it's tempting to go to the last chapters. This is the first book I've read by the author but I will definitely read more of her work in the future.
⭐️ Mambo in Chinatown by Jean Kwok gets a strong 3/5 stars from me!
Mambo in Chinatown by Jean Kwok is a lighthearted and warm feel-good where we get to follow Charlie, a 22 year old girl with big dreams. Through the book Charlie really evolves and blooms as a person, it's captivating to follow her changes.
Charlie is without a doubt my favorite characters but I also really liked Lisa, Nina, Ryan, Zan, Mo Li and of course everyone at the dance studio.
I picked this book up on a book sale so I didn't know what to expect, but I gotta say that this was a really fun and interesting read. I'm Swedish so I know near to nothing about the Chinese traditions and culture so reading this book thought me quite a lot about their culture, which I really enjoyed.
Kwok's way of writing makes every chapter captivating and as a reader I want to find out if certain things happens so much that it's tempting to go to the last chapters. This is the first book I've read by the author but I will definitely read more of her work in the future.
Spoiler
The only thing I would have liked to know more about in the end of the book is if Adrienne and Dominic every found out about Charlie & Ryan's romance while Charlie still was Ryan's teacher. If they didn't, did Charlie ever tell them? How did they react? And did Charlie & Ryan continue dancing together?⭐️ Mambo in Chinatown by Jean Kwok gets a strong 3/5 stars from me!
karolinatx's review against another edition
2.0
I don't think I've ever been so disappointed with a book before. I absolutely loved Girl in Translation, and was so excited to see the author had a new novel out. Mambo in Chinatown, however, paled in comparison. It read like a romantic comedy screenplay written by an overly earnest high-school student. Every plot turn was telegraphed miles ahead, the characters were completely one-dimensional, and the storyline was like something out of a paint-by-numbers Chinese Immigrant Coloring Book. Absolutely no originality whatsoever.
So, so disappointing.
So, so disappointing.
kspoonerfish's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of my favorite books of the year. It is about a young woman in Chinatown in New York who starts out as a dishwasher in the restaurant her father works at. (He is a noodle maker.) Her younger sister tells her to answer an ad for a receptionist at a dance studio. The story is about her growth (and makeover:). I liked learning about the culture and also the romance.