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crystalb's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
moniipeters's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Overall, a good piece of magical realism. There were some things that came about too easily, and early on I was worried that it was going to become a strictly romance book. Roselle Lim did a good job balancing both elements. The pacing was a little slow for my tastes, but the descriptions of food were tantalizing. Some of the narration got redundant. But, there was a twist at the end I wasn't expecting (mostly because I kept forgetting about the mystery, by no fault of the author). Overall, a good read. It won't go down as one of my favorites of all time, but I'm glad I read it and would recommend it to others.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Mental illness and Abandonment
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
A strong premise that is done little to no justice in execution. The writing itself is not that good -- from certain descriptions, Lim clearly knows how to show rather than tell, but frequently refuses to do so, stating things (often through unrealistic, stilted blocks of dialogue) and then repeating them ad nauseam. It especially shows in the last few chapters, where descriptions and sentiments are repeated within sentences of each other. It's as if there's no faith in the reader to draw conclusions and remember character/plot details on their own, which is a very frustrating tone to read. Even the more interesting passages, mostly those relating to food and the magical elements, end up as equally grating purple prose before long.
What the novel lacks in style, it doesn't quite make up for in substance. With the dull way the plot is conveyed, the conflicts and characters all feel, if you'll excuse the pun, underbaked. Moments that should be powerful and emotional instead come across as melodramatic and dry. I couldn't sympathize or connect to Natalie at all, and found her mother and grandmother much more compelling despite their merely posthumous presence. The dynamics between characters were, like many other elements, only really intriguing in theory, with their actual writing fairly shallow and any interpersonal conflict resolved in an awkward, rushed manner.
The romance is particularly unconvincing. Daniel is even less well-developed than Natalie; I felt no chemistry between them, even when it's insisted out of absolutely nowhere that they're soulmates. It being a subplot at all feels a bit... odd -- maybe I skimmed past some timeline details, but making romance a priority presumably less than a month after your (estranged, but still) mother dies is just strange to me. Though it's not the main focus of the novel, it does take attention away from other plotlines, since a significant number of conversations with other characters after Daniel is introduced regard his and Natalie's relationship. Ultimately, I feel like excising -- or at least even more significantly downplaying -- romance would have been in the narrative's favor.
I truly wish I had more positive things to say, but I find myself at a loss -- in addition to the above grievances, the setting feels inauthentic; a white audience seems to have been intended for how heavy-handed some notes on Chinese culture are (unfamiliar readers can just look up what an erhu is, I promise!); the light tone is inconsistent with themes that have potential to be so much better explored; many fabulistic elements serve no real purpose; and the progression of the plot is choppy and unsatisfying. I did conceptually like certain revelations and events, but their actual handling leaves a lot to be desired. In the end, while the recipes within may be filling, Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune is decidedly less so.
What the novel lacks in style, it doesn't quite make up for in substance. With the dull way the plot is conveyed, the conflicts and characters all feel, if you'll excuse the pun, underbaked. Moments that should be powerful and emotional instead come across as melodramatic and dry. I couldn't sympathize or connect to Natalie at all, and found her mother and grandmother much more compelling despite their merely posthumous presence. The dynamics between characters were, like many other elements, only really intriguing in theory, with their actual writing fairly shallow and any interpersonal conflict resolved in an awkward, rushed manner.
The romance is particularly unconvincing. Daniel is even less well-developed than Natalie; I felt no chemistry between them, even when it's insisted out of absolutely nowhere that they're soulmates. It being a subplot at all feels a bit... odd -- maybe I skimmed past some timeline details, but making romance a priority presumably less than a month after your (estranged, but still) mother dies is just strange to me. Though it's not the main focus of the novel, it does take attention away from other plotlines, since a significant number of conversations with other characters after Daniel is introduced regard his and Natalie's relationship. Ultimately, I feel like excising -- or at least even more significantly downplaying -- romance would have been in the narrative's favor.
I truly wish I had more positive things to say, but I find myself at a loss -- in addition to the above grievances, the setting feels inauthentic; a white audience seems to have been intended for how heavy-handed some notes on Chinese culture are (unfamiliar readers can just look up what an erhu is, I promise!); the light tone is inconsistent with themes that have potential to be so much better explored; many fabulistic elements serve no real purpose; and the progression of the plot is choppy and unsatisfying. I did conceptually like certain revelations and events, but their actual handling leaves a lot to be desired. In the end, while the recipes within may be filling, Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune is decidedly less so.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death and Abandonment
Minor: Ableism, Sexual content, Violence, Car accident, and Classism
Gentrification. Agoraphobia and depression.susanknights's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Death of parent
mandkips's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- 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
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Death of parent
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Car accident
olivialandryxo's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I picked this up thinking it was a romance, and that mistake is entirely my fault. I decided to stick with the book because the premise intrigued me. Unfortunately, only a couple of elements of the story were actually appealing to me: the side characters, the protagonist’s cat, and the cooking. As a vegetarian, most of the dishes weren’t any I’d personally want to eat, but I enjoyed reading about a protagonist interested and experienced in culinary arts. The story’s rather slow pace and Lim’s purple prose seriously hindered my enjoyment of the novel. While it was an interesting magical realism I think some people will enjoy, it wasn’t my cup of tea, and I’m not sure I’ll pick up anything else by this author.
Representation
Representation
- Chinese protagonist and side characters
CW: death, grief, mentions of mental illness (agoraphobia, depression)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Mental illness
The protagonist’s late mother had agoraphobia and depression. These are discussed in the book, but not in excessive detail.crystalisreading's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Natalie Tan's Book of Luck & Good Fortune is a sweet, magical contemporary story. It's an #ownvoices magical realist contemporary romance starring Natalie Tan, a recently orphaned Chines-American woman who comes back to her family apartment in San Francisco's Chinatown to mourn her estranged mother's sudden passing and resolve her mother's affairs. This task turns into so much more, as Natalie discovers more and more about her family history, her formidable, magical grandmother, who was so beloved by and integral to their Chinatown community, her lovely, opinionated, agoraphobic mother, her absentee father, and the now-closed family restaurant downstairs that influenced all their lives so very much. The book is full of lavish descriptions of food and music and the seamless blending of magical awareness and events with contemporary life. Natalie hears songs that represent people she loves, and uses food to help the people around her. She also fights back against the encroaching gentrification of her Chinatown neighborhood and meets a handsome, charming love interest who loves her and her cooking about equally.
The diversity of the story is lovely. Almost everyone, aside from an obnoxious and pushy white female real estate agent, is Asian American, mostly Chinese, and lives in or near San Francisco's Chinatown. There are many interesting older characters, as well as the younger Natalie and her love interest. I don't remember any LGBTQ+ representation, but there's definitely mental health rep, as Natalie's mother was homebound by agoraphobia/ anxiety, and Natalie has her own mental health struggles, from a loving but contentious relationship with her mother and abandonment issues from an absent father.
The writing felt very simplistic to me. Natalie often behaved in a very young and immature manner, and the story itself could be very simplistic. I guessed most of the twists far in advance. That doesn't mean the story wasn't enjoyable. The food descriptions really were mouth-watering, and the story captured lovely snapshots of historic Chinatown neighborhoods, with vital messages about the danger of gentrification erasing so much important Chinese American history and culture. The story itself, while predictable and often simplistic, was still pleasant. This is Roselle Lim's first book, and as such, I'm looking forward to trying some of her following books, to see how her writing improves with experience, and what other food and cultural aspects of the Chinese diaspora she features. If you're looking for a relaxing read, with lots of food and magic and romance, and if you won't be triggered by the repeated themes of mental health issues, including sudden and traumatic bereavement, this could be a lovely choice for you, either in print or in the charming audio book presentation.
Thank you to Berkley/ Penguin Random House for an advanced physical copy of Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune, which they shared with me for free several years ago in a Goodreads giveaway. I finally read it! This is my honest opinion.
The diversity of the story is lovely. Almost everyone, aside from an obnoxious and pushy white female real estate agent, is Asian American, mostly Chinese, and lives in or near San Francisco's Chinatown. There are many interesting older characters, as well as the younger Natalie and her love interest. I don't remember any LGBTQ+ representation, but there's definitely mental health rep, as Natalie's mother was homebound by agoraphobia/ anxiety, and Natalie has her own mental health struggles, from a loving but contentious relationship with her mother and abandonment issues from an absent father.
The writing felt very simplistic to me. Natalie often behaved in a very young and immature manner, and the story itself could be very simplistic. I guessed most of the twists far in advance. That doesn't mean the story wasn't enjoyable. The food descriptions really were mouth-watering, and the story captured lovely snapshots of historic Chinatown neighborhoods, with vital messages about the danger of gentrification erasing so much important Chinese American history and culture. The story itself, while predictable and often simplistic, was still pleasant. This is Roselle Lim's first book, and as such, I'm looking forward to trying some of her following books, to see how her writing improves with experience, and what other food and cultural aspects of the Chinese diaspora she features. If you're looking for a relaxing read, with lots of food and magic and romance, and if you won't be triggered by the repeated themes of mental health issues, including sudden and traumatic bereavement, this could be a lovely choice for you, either in print or in the charming audio book presentation.
Thank you to Berkley/ Penguin Random House for an advanced physical copy of Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune, which they shared with me for free several years ago in a Goodreads giveaway. I finally read it! This is my honest opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
bexi's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- 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
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content and Car accident
aqtbenz's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Death of parent