aeriecircus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Grief, Abortion, Classism, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Cultural appropriation and Racism
Minor: Bullying
katsusho_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really liked the themes of this novel. About motherhood, culture and righteousness.
Regarding the characters:
The author was really talented in making me, the reader, feel for these characters, whether it be anger or pity. Because at one moment I could feel entirely for the family, and another moment I could not careless about them, and actively wish them ill.
Spoiler
"She had never seen an adult cry like that, with such an animal sound. Recklessly. As if there were nothing more to be lost. For years afterward, she would sometimes wake in the night, heart thumping, thinking she'd heard that agonized cry again."
"'Is she--dying?" Izzy whispered. It was a ridiculous question, but in that moment she was honestly terrified this might be true. If a soul could leave a body, she thought, this is the sound it would make: like the screech of a nail being pulled from old wood.'
Those are by far my favourite quotes from this novel.
And let me go off on a silly little rant, starting off with the custody fight, defending the McCulloughs first:
Objectively speaking, having adopted an abandoned child in the streets means you have entire rights to them. If you give up a baby, you should have to commit to that decision, because that decision is not to be unmade. You shouldn't have to give up that child just because the birth mother wants them back, regardless of how desperate they are.
Now, for Bebe's argument:
It's ignorant how the parents are. Just because Bebe does not have a large house for the child does not mean she loves May Ling any less. Money should not be the qualifier for the love someone has for their child. Of course, it would be better for a child to live with a family with stable income, but now that Bebe has that, shouldn't she have the opportunity to have back her child. The parents don't recognise the privilege they have, inheriting land from generational inheritance, being safe from debt. And do they know how much Bebe loves her child? And how hard Bebe had tried? And in a last ditch attempt to keep her child safe, that she gave her child up for better opportunities? Although her child meant everything to her?
Also, I have grown irritated over the McCullough's insistance that race is not part of the matter during the trial, and believing that we should all be race-blind. When adopting a child of different culture, it is important to take in consideration of their roots and how they are supposed to implement it into their daily lives. I'm sure they might be trying hard, making the child try out Chinese food and placing traditional mural art on the walls. But "later when she's older" does not seem like a good defence when asked about how they planned to go about other heritage issues. Why later? Why not now?
Now as we get that out of the way, I want to start on Izzy, because I love Izzy. She is outcasted by her own family, because what? She does not follow through with the set of rules her self-righteous and strict mom asks of her? She isn't like the rest of her siblings, going out to parties and being social when she wants to sit her room and practise her violin? Before Mia's advice to go further beyond, all she was was a moody teenager that simply keeps to her and it a bit reckless at times. But everyone wants to act like she's a crazy lunatic that's about to rebel at any second simply because her mother treats her like a ticking time bomb. Izzy is passionate and kind, that's what she is. When she defended the girl in violin, it was an act of heroism, nothing of villainy like her mother would speak of. And even through her last act: "little fires everywhere", it came from a place of kindness, where she saw herself serving punishment to those who've mistreated Mia and Pearl and have taken advantage of their kindness. Izzy had a deeper connection to them than the rest of the Richardson family could hope for.
Graphic: Abandonment, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Grief, and Infertility
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Classism
themirrorball's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Pregnancy, Abortion, Infertility, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Racism
Minor: Classism
rousseure's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
this book kind of felt like a kdrama or a telenovella with some of the themes and characters, but it wasn't unserious and over dramatic like most of them are
overall i liked it, the writing was great! the author lets you think about the subjects brought up in the story without divulging her own answers or opinions
i would have liked for some of the relationships in this novel to go deeper, or to learn more about the characters, some of them were very well developped on the page while others not as much. but at the same time i understand why it was like that so idk
maybe a sequel about izzy would be fun to read
Moderate: Racism, Abortion, Pregnancy, Classism, and Infertility
Minor: Death
oatmilkie's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Abortion, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Vomit, Cultural appropriation, Medical content, Classism, Infertility, Grief, and Miscarriage
cylite's review
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
Graphic: Abortion
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Classism
celenawirth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Classism, Abortion, and Abandonment
sharebear431's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Abortion, Racism, Sexual content, Classism, Kidnapping, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Miscarriage
dholivero's review against another edition
Moderate: Classism
mbattiest's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Abortion, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Death and Stalking