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zmeiat's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
It was alright, but not as commpeling as it ought to be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Stalking, and Abortion
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Fatphobia
Minor: Addiction
museaway's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Giving this a five since I devoured it in about 24 hours. Stalking isn't a topic I typically read, but like the main character, I was intrigued by the standoffish person cloaked by email.
I did figure out who it was early on, although it was so simple, I figured I was wrong. I did not anticipate the second twist concerning the young woman's identity, which did understandably complicate things and made the secrecy a little more understandable. In reality, it's a ridiculous setup, but it was fun to watch unfold.
Structurally, I liked the way Hongmei would include a story about her childhood mid-scene as a summation of an email she had just sent. Sometimes in-scene flashbacks can be clunky but this novel had a quick pace and never stalled.
I didn't particularly like the main character but she was interesting, and while I would never have made the choices she did, it was fun to slip into someone else's head and see what would happen.
My favorite character was actually the best friend, Nini, who went from being a gold digger to a war protester. She had the best character development of the book and provided some necessary comic relief.
For someone looking for a thriller that will keep them guessing, this is not it. This is about people desperate to communicate and doing so through unconventional means.
I did figure out who it was early on, although it was so simple, I figured I was wrong. I did not anticipate the second twist concerning the young woman's identity, which did understandably complicate things and made the secrecy a little more understandable. In reality, it's a ridiculous setup, but it was fun to watch unfold.
Structurally, I liked the way Hongmei would include a story about her childhood mid-scene as a summation of an email she had just sent. Sometimes in-scene flashbacks can be clunky but this novel had a quick pace and never stalled.
I didn't particularly like the main character but she was interesting, and while I would never have made the choices she did, it was fun to slip into someone else's head and see what would happen.
My favorite character was actually the best friend, Nini, who went from being a gold digger to a war protester. She had the best character development of the book and provided some necessary comic relief.
For someone looking for a thriller that will keep them guessing, this is not it. This is about people desperate to communicate and doing so through unconventional means.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking
Moderate: Child death, Infidelity, and War
There are descriptions of the main character's life in China and the village she grew up, which include descriptions of child death and references to young teenage girls being seduced by a visitor. Hongmei's stalker had also been accused of (tw: rape)dumaurier's review against another edition
medium-paced
2.5
love the prose but i didnt care about any of this. apparently it was first published in the early 2000s, and because of that, hongmei’s interactions with technology are incredibly dated and naive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Suicide, and Stalking
Moderate: Incest and Rape
laura_jayne's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Stalking
Moderate: Rape
mvrcellv's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- 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
2.0
Though the book was on the short side, it was written quite beautifully as it told the story about Hongmae and her development as a Chinese woman in love with an American man.
The book wasn’t much of a Thriller; rather, it had mild suspense and curiosity. To be honest, I’m not sure if it was the writing or the way the audiobook was being narrated, but some parts were quite choppy; in that, we were, as a reader, transported to her past in China in the middle of a scene placed in the present. The author does have a talent for character building, in that when persons are introduced into the novel, they are described in a whole different mind-bending way than when their identity is revealed in the end.
The novel was definitely an entertaining, unique read, but I don’t think I’ll be picking it up again for a reread.
The book wasn’t much of a Thriller; rather, it had mild suspense and curiosity. To be honest, I’m not sure if it was the writing or the way the audiobook was being narrated, but some parts were quite choppy; in that, we were, as a reader, transported to her past in China in the middle of a scene placed in the present. The author does have a talent for character building, in that when persons are introduced into the novel, they are described in a whole different mind-bending way than when their identity is revealed in the end.
The novel was definitely an entertaining, unique read, but I don’t think I’ll be picking it up again for a reread.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion
Moderate: Death and Stalking
loch_nesa's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Stalking, and Gaslighting
davidbythebay's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The audiobook was very pleasant. The story is slow and repetitive. And yet, it is nice. The repetitions were a little annoying, true, but they weren’t completely problematic for enjoying the story. It’s a SLOW burn that only ever smolders. It’s a lot of the psychological study instead of a real plot. The “twist” which is the identity of the “secret talker” (the stalker she’s been talking to anonymously) was clear from about half way through. Again, though, it’s a pleasant enough story and it’s short. So I kept with it. I wonder if something was lost in translation, as it was sometimes a lyrical sentence that just had a huge horn blast in the middle of it. Like a word that seemed out of place - usually a curse word or something, not a vocabulary word choice per se.
Again, it was a slow moving story that was predictable and had a few things that I find problematic (stalking) but it sort of worked in the end. Then again, it feels like a predator with prey which shouldn’t be the feeling for the characters in this situation. Being spoiler free, that’s all I can say.
TW: abortion, stalking, cyberstalking, murder/violent deaths
Again, it was a slow moving story that was predictable and had a few things that I find problematic (stalking) but it sort of worked in the end. Then again, it feels like a predator with prey which shouldn’t be the feeling for the characters in this situation. Being spoiler free, that’s all I can say.
TW: abortion, stalking, cyberstalking, murder/violent deaths
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking
Moderate: Violence, Murder, and Alcohol
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