bookmaddie's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I really enjoyed the historical perspectives of the women Dorothy comes from. Ford's writing brings to life a vast array of time periods, creating engaging stories, even when we may only spend a fraction of the book with a character. However, in Dorothy's sections, I found the warmth to evaporate from the writing. It left her sections feeling lackluster in some way, and made it harder for me to connect with her story. I also found it a bit hard to understand the passage of time in Dorothy's sections. I can understand how some of these writing choices may have been made to reflect each character, but I think overall, it made for an uneven, and at times confusing, reading experience.
I also found the structure a tad repetitive. Each historical perspective ends with some sort of trauma, which makes sense due to the premise, but chapter after chapter—it felt endless. I wonder if there would have been a way to structure the story a bit differently so that each chapter felt a bit less formulaic.
This was a mixed bag for me. I think the writing wasn't strong enough to pull off such a complicated, idea. However, the idea is fascinating, and I'd be curious to see what Ford publishes in the future. Maybe I'd do better with a more straightforward (and historical?) plot.
Thanks Atria Books and Netgalley for my advanced digital copy. Sorry it took me so long to read it!
Graphic: Abandonment, Terminal illness, Confinement, Mental illness, Rape, Death, and Death of parent
apworden's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Spoiler
not sure I am comfortable with how Dorothy overdosing solving everyone’s problems could be interpreted by someone in a similarly stressful situationGraphic: Drug use, Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racism, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, War, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Ableism, Domestic abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Confinement, Deportation, Pregnancy, Grief, Body horror, Blood, Death, Bullying, Child death, Death of parent, Hate crime, Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and Colonisation
vistacanas's review
- 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
4.25
Karma is more like a suitcase. You have to be unafraid to open it up and look at what's inside, to unpack the things you do not need. Karma is the climate of the past which shapes how much leeway we have in the future.
Well, this was a wonderful multi-generational ride and an excellent introduction to the concept of epigenetics. It’s a combo of historical and futuristic fiction, as well as magical realism.
It took a bit longer to get totally pulled in to the story because of the multiple characters, but it’s well worth the extra effort.
Spanning from the early 1800s to the late 2000s, the stories of the women of the Moy family are heartbreaking. The concept of trauma being passed down to future generations becomes completely believable when you read about multiple generations simultaneously. I have no doubt that most of the immigrants and all African-Americans are impacted by this awful phenomenon.
Highly recommend this one for those seeking pleasure and evolution!
Graphic: Pregnancy, Classism, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Grief, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Slavery
Moderate: Outing, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Deportation, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pandemic/Epidemic
probablybadgers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Mental illness, Misogyny, Bullying, Death, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, War, Confinement, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Suicide, Abandonment, and Adult/minor relationship
caseythereader's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Grief, Homophobia, Racism, Lesbophobia, Suicide, Abandonment, Death, Bullying, Racial slurs, Vomit, Child death, War, Gun violence, Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Rape, and Xenophobia
lizsurber's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Classism, Death, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Vomit
Moderate: War and Xenophobia
Minor: Self harm and Forced institutionalization
chrisljm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Also, just in case there is anyone else out there who will have a similar experience to me, THEY ARE NOT SPEAKING CANTONESE IN THIS BOOK, IT’S TOISANESE 😭 I was losing my mind because I know Cantonese but was unfamiliar with Toisanese, but I’ve since learned it’s because they’re used interchangeably and prior to the 1960s Toisanese was the dominant language spoken in Chinatowns.
Another thing, this part of the blurb was the reason why I decided to read this book, “A stranger is searching for her in each time period. A stranger who’s loved her through all of her genetic memories,” but it was so misleading.
Graphic: Rape, Violence, Sexism, Slavery, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Toxic relationship, Death, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Medical content
Moderate: Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Grief, Forced institutionalization, War, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Fire/Fire injury, Cancer, Abandonment, Murder, Suicide, Blood, Death of parent, Classism, Bullying, Vomit, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity
Minor: Racial slurs, Self harm, and Colonisation
threadsof_kate's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Death, Homophobia, and Adult/minor relationship
nina_rozmanovna's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Rape
mikaelaandherbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Death, and Racism
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexism, and Domestic abuse
Minor: War, Violence, and Xenophobia