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cupcates's review against another edition
5.0
taylor swift 2023 reading challenge
⤑ welcome to new york: set in new york
getting over my trauma by exclusively consuming media set in new york
⤑ welcome to new york: set in new york
getting over my trauma by exclusively consuming media set in new york
murphysmustread's review against another edition
1.0
Rating: 1.25/5
Ugh, I wanted to love this book so much and I just couldn’t. The premise and story seemed very intriguing, but the plot was just way too slow for me and it didn’t hold my attention at all. Honestly, if I wasn’t so stubborn I would’ve put this book on my DNF list.
Ugh, I wanted to love this book so much and I just couldn’t. The premise and story seemed very intriguing, but the plot was just way too slow for me and it didn’t hold my attention at all. Honestly, if I wasn’t so stubborn I would’ve put this book on my DNF list.
acsaper's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed racing through this story - and so starts my first review in a handful of years.
By the time I neared the final pages, I realized that I could no longer even remember how the book started. The narrative bounces back and forth in time, moving between narrators and perspectives. I'm sure there are literary terms for this that I do not know, or am not going to dissect right now. Regardless, I say this to note that at no point does it feel disjointed or did I feel lost as a reader. Rather, the varied perspectives propelled the story forward, as Deming's tale unfolds, piece by piece, against different backdrops and told by different characters.
The story of a Chinese-American boy growing up in New York, inexplicably separated from his mother at a young age. Deming's desire to both know, and not, rip through each chapter. A young man trying to find his place in the world, both by understanding where he came from, and also trying to figure out where he's going. I suppose this is what some call a coming of age tale? Perhaps a coming of age tale for first generation immigrants?
I greatly enjoyed the story and Deming's search for his mother, as well as his search for himself
By the time I neared the final pages, I realized that I could no longer even remember how the book started. The narrative bounces back and forth in time, moving between narrators and perspectives. I'm sure there are literary terms for this that I do not know, or am not going to dissect right now. Regardless, I say this to note that at no point does it feel disjointed or did I feel lost as a reader. Rather, the varied perspectives propelled the story forward, as Deming's tale unfolds, piece by piece, against different backdrops and told by different characters.
The story of a Chinese-American boy growing up in New York, inexplicably separated from his mother at a young age. Deming's desire to both know, and not, rip through each chapter. A young man trying to find his place in the world, both by understanding where he came from, and also trying to figure out where he's going. I suppose this is what some call a coming of age tale? Perhaps a coming of age tale for first generation immigrants?
I greatly enjoyed the story and Deming's search for his mother, as well as his search for himself
greentheamints's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What an insightful reflection on international adoption!
aprilnnp's review against another edition
5.0
This book is phenomenal. Lisa Ko weaves a story of two people, a mother and her son, separated, reunited, separated again. I don’t even know that I have words for how well this was written, how separation and trauma can so deeply and completely affect a child. It felt very apt, reading it in these times when children are being so mercilessly taken from their parents at the US border.
This is a story of immigration, adoption, love, loss, turmoil, change, instability in what should be a stable place but never has been. It is a story of injustice, of unspeakable things that will mar a person’s very soul for the rest of their lives. It is a story of, in spite of all that, how incredibly strong, adaptable, persistent the human spirit can be.
Everyone should read this book.
This is a story of immigration, adoption, love, loss, turmoil, change, instability in what should be a stable place but never has been. It is a story of injustice, of unspeakable things that will mar a person’s very soul for the rest of their lives. It is a story of, in spite of all that, how incredibly strong, adaptable, persistent the human spirit can be.
Everyone should read this book.
abarnhart's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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
5.0