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inlaraland's review
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
(4.5/5 stars)
Reading this book feels like you're floating out in the water, and you never know when a current might pull you in. The timeline moves backwards from present to past, giving you only a brief perspective on the experiences that the characters face during certain periods of their life.
Daughters of the New Year is a story about generational trauma, immigrants, cultural detachment, fading memories, and the fate of horoscopes. Told through the perspective of mothers and daughters from different generations, you see how each of their experiences shape their decisions, and inevitably how those factors influence their relationships with one another as time goes by.
I wish this book was longer - I wish I had more answers about the lives of the characters who grew dear to my heart, but I think the lack of closure mirrors one of the many messages in this novel. This book forces you to be empathetic, to find a space in understanding characters who are neither good or bad, but a very human gray. The plot isn't quite linear, so if you're looking for a traditionally structured story then this might not be for you as reading each part about the characters almost feels like a personal investigation into their lives.
However, I will say that this story is a small seed of Vietnam's complex history, and does a great job at highlighting how that very seed spreads its roots from one generation to the next.
If you enjoyed reading "The Mountain Sings" and "Of Women & Salt" then I would give this a try!
Reading this book feels like you're floating out in the water, and you never know when a current might pull you in. The timeline moves backwards from present to past, giving you only a brief perspective on the experiences that the characters face during certain periods of their life.
Daughters of the New Year is a story about generational trauma, immigrants, cultural detachment, fading memories, and the fate of horoscopes. Told through the perspective of mothers and daughters from different generations, you see how each of their experiences shape their decisions, and inevitably how those factors influence their relationships with one another as time goes by.
I wish this book was longer - I wish I had more answers about the lives of the characters who grew dear to my heart, but I think the lack of closure mirrors one of the many messages in this novel. This book forces you to be empathetic, to find a space in understanding characters who are neither good or bad, but a very human gray. The plot isn't quite linear, so if you're looking for a traditionally structured story then this might not be for you as reading each part about the characters almost feels like a personal investigation into their lives.
However, I will say that this story is a small seed of Vietnam's complex history, and does a great job at highlighting how that very seed spreads its roots from one generation to the next.
If you enjoyed reading "The Mountain Sings" and "Of Women & Salt" then I would give this a try!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, and War
metawish's review
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
While the book might be about a Vietnamese American family's experience, anyone who has immigrant parents will see themselves here. The author delves into how families work and how our histories change the context of our actions, humanizing parents and children alike. The author also experiments with time in the plot, an experiment I find successful in revealing information and moving the plot forward.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, War, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Animal death, Bullying, Sexual assault, and Murder
Minor: Rape
graceesford's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- 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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Racial slurs, and War
Minor: Rape
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