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
yolie'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: Classism, Fire/Fire injury, and Abortion
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Infertility, Kidnapping, Medical content, Miscarriage, Racism, Xenophobia, and Cultural appropriation
fionnlister's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Abortion, Infertility, and Medical content
Minor: Miscarriage
georgiesutton's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Abortion, Pregnancy, and Racism
Minor: Sexual content, Medical content, Miscarriage, Fire/Fire injury, and Infertility
ashleycmms's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Abortion, Car accident, Child death, Miscarriage, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Infertility, Medical content, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Xenophobia
Minor: Vomit and Sexual content
bethcarmo21's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Abortion, Car accident, Death, Infertility, Medical content, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
julesloyola's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Abortion, Infertility, Miscarriage, Medical content, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Sexism, Racism, Misogyny, Car accident, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
cyn2hia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Abortion, Racism, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Infertility
Minor: Vomit, Medical content, and Misogyny
darkmattersoybean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abortion, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Racism
theskyboi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
As far as the book itself, I'd be doing it a disservice to not speak about the author's voice. Celeste Ng's conversational and casual tone gives readers the best combination of stream-of-consciousness and narrative story structures, blending to create a book much more concerned with universal feelings than minute details. At times, this style does prove somewhat distracting, and it tends to drift more toward the informal side of things, especially in scenes between the Richardson children and Pearl.
For a book about family and identity, the plot arranges all the characters on a playing field where each of their motivations and fears all mix in murky waters, almost dissolving any fixed boundaries between them. No one fully wants to take this first step toward bridging opposing sides because all the characters are busy trying to identify their personal desires before considering those around them. At its core, this novel is about how our family relationships can be much more fragile than we ever thought possible, and it sets this realization against the backdrop of a glimmering suburban utopia in need of serious remodeling.
Graphic: Abortion, Infertility, Medical content, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Addiction, Misogyny, Racism, and Xenophobia
Minor: Death of parent