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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
akincses1992's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Wonderful and beautifully written. Highlights complicated mother-daughter relationships and the struggle of immigrants. Just a great read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Murder, Xenophobia, Violence, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and War
Minor: Colonisation and Rape
wenwanzhao's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I’m always intrigued by books that have an non-chronological timeline, and the backwards nature of Daughters of the New Year definitely felt important to the story that was being told. The more we went back in time, the more I felt like the book was moving away from our reality, which was a bit trippy but not un-enjoyable.
The immigrant child anecdotes in this story can seem a bit tiresome at times, but it seems unfair to blame someone for retelling an honest experience. The book thrives in its second part, where we delve into the ancestors of the characters we are originally introduced to. It’s fascinating to see how the present we are introduced to comes into play.
I admit to expecting more closure on the arcs of the three sisters centred in the blurb, but I suppose it’s just more reason to never trust a summary written by a publisher. Tran’s writing is evocative without being overbearing, and it kept me more hooked into a book than I have been in a while.
The immigrant child anecdotes in this story can seem a bit tiresome at times, but it seems unfair to blame someone for retelling an honest experience. The book thrives in its second part, where we delve into the ancestors of the characters we are originally introduced to. It’s fascinating to see how the present we are introduced to comes into play.
I admit to expecting more closure on the arcs of the three sisters centred in the blurb, but I suppose it’s just more reason to never trust a summary written by a publisher. Tran’s writing is evocative without being overbearing, and it kept me more hooked into a book than I have been in a while.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Rape, Pregnancy, Murder, Death of parent, War, Racism, and Death
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