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sleenornenor's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
demifang21's review against another edition
2.0
Wanted to like this and really couldn't! Found the writing pretty awkward, had to stop not infrequently and be like "what?", couldn't love any character (not that every book should have likeable characters, but I just didn't find most of them convincing). The main character had elements that I objectively should be able to identify with, and I still didn't feel a great personal connection to her, which made me feel a little relieved that I'm not just reading books to feel good about characters I find similar to myself.
I'll try to look on the bright side of the book's strengths: I appreciated all the insights of the narrator's flaws. I know I just said that the characters didn't seem convincing, but at the same time I recognized some of her "I-should-know-better" actions as familiar to myself, which did make her seem more human but also made me feel better about myself for having made the same mistakes or having similar thoughts (while showing me how stupid I could be for having judgment clouded by emotions sometimes.) I also appreciated that the writer clearly embedded geographic cultures into the story in an almost autobiographical fashion (not that it should always be assumed to be autobiographical, but I read after finishing the book that she grew up in Singapore and lives in the Bay Area, and those are the two main regions competing for the narrator's attention throughout the book.) With my modest familiarity of the Bay Area, and from what I have heard about Singapore from friends, it was nice (and very appropriate for the plot's themes) that the narrator's relationships with these specific geographic cultures were evident and rooted in reality based on the author's own experiences.
I should also concede that despite not being convinced by the writing and/or the characters, I could not help being constantly curious about what would happen next and snuck in more reading time in my day than I typically would, wanting to see how things turned out for our characters.
The tug between the home country and Americanization / westernization is a theme that seems reminiscent of Crazy Rich Asians, though I confess this feeling is based on the movie since I haven't yet read the CRA book. While I thought there were interesting devices within the plot to embody and underscore this theme, I wasn't fully, emotionally compelled by it.
I'll try to look on the bright side of the book's strengths: I appreciated all the insights of the narrator's flaws. I know I just said that the characters didn't seem convincing, but at the same time I recognized some of her "I-should-know-better" actions as familiar to myself, which did make her seem more human but also made me feel better about myself for having made the same mistakes or having similar thoughts (while showing me how stupid I could be for having judgment clouded by emotions sometimes.) I also appreciated that the writer clearly embedded geographic cultures into the story in an almost autobiographical fashion (not that it should always be assumed to be autobiographical, but I read after finishing the book that she grew up in Singapore and lives in the Bay Area, and those are the two main regions competing for the narrator's attention throughout the book.) With my modest familiarity of the Bay Area, and from what I have heard about Singapore from friends, it was nice (and very appropriate for the plot's themes) that the narrator's relationships with these specific geographic cultures were evident and rooted in reality based on the author's own experiences.
I should also concede that despite not being convinced by the writing and/or the characters, I could not help being constantly curious about what would happen next and snuck in more reading time in my day than I typically would, wanting to see how things turned out for our characters.
The tug between the home country and Americanization / westernization is a theme that seems reminiscent of Crazy Rich Asians, though I confess this feeling is based on the movie since I haven't yet read the CRA book. While I thought there were interesting devices within the plot to embody and underscore this theme, I wasn't fully, emotionally compelled by it.
maria161985's review against another edition
3.0
I thought this book was interesting however, character development was lacking for some of the characters, especially Paul, along with certain relationships lacking explanation. I found that it was difficult to truly understand the relationship between Paul and Gretchen as we were just hearing about it when it was in the final stages. Also, I found it difficult to feel sorry for Gretchen's family when it came time to finding an heir for Lin's. There were some enjoyable moments, such as when the Lin family finally came together in order to run the company. However, I found that Gretchen's relationships with her friends (Frankie in particular) and her romantic endeavours were boring, lacking substance which is needed to keep a reader entertained. If only the characters and relationships were given more of a spotlight, the novel could have been more enjoyable to read.
iseenologic's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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
3.75
caitlintaylor24's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-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
4.0
hanam's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
3.25
mel_be_readin's review against another edition
2.0
I hate giving bad reviews, but I just really didn't like this book. The main character, Gretchen, was awful, so mean to everyone, without decent reason. I appreciate flawed characters, but she did not evolve throughout the course of the book. She didn't seem to learn anything.The ending was a quick wrap-up, very unsatisfying, and left me feeling like nothing at all had happened. There was no resolution because nothing really happened.
I read another review saying they would've preferred to read this from the perspective of one of the other characters, and I agree. And no doubt they would be talking about what a shit person Gretchen is.
I could've DNF'd this halfway through and never thought about it again.
I do own Kirsten Chen's latest book, Counterfeit, I've heard good things and won't let this dissuade me from reading it.
She does write well, it's just that the story here fell flat for me, which is possibly just personal preference. Unpopular opinion: this has Sally Rooney vibes, in that it's a bit whiney and nothing really happens. So if that's your thing then you might like this!
I read another review saying they would've preferred to read this from the perspective of one of the other characters, and I agree. And no doubt they would be talking about what a shit person Gretchen is.
I could've DNF'd this halfway through and never thought about it again.
I do own Kirsten Chen's latest book, Counterfeit, I've heard good things and won't let this dissuade me from reading it.
She does write well, it's just that the story here fell flat for me, which is possibly just personal preference. Unpopular opinion: this has Sally Rooney vibes, in that it's a bit whiney and nothing really happens. So if that's your thing then you might like this!