readingwithhippos's review against another edition
4.0
This book was stressful to read because the setup is so dire: Scarlett Chen is pregnant and living in Los Angeles with other Chinese moms-to-be. She was sent there by her boss, who is also the father of her child. He has only daughters with his wife, but when he finds out that Scarlett is having a boy, he wants his son to be born on American soil. When Scarlett finds out her baby is not the much wished for male heir after all, she makes a desperate escape in the maternity home’s van, with a pregnant teenage stowaway in the back. There are comic moments here, and some of the scenes even have a cinematic quality to them (I’m thinking specifically of a scene in which one very pregnant woman chases another around a rest stop parking lot), but Scarlett’s plight felt very real to me and I was deathly worried about her throughout. This book has important things to say about immigration, poverty, and women’s agency to control their own lives.
gracetxgao's review against another edition
emotional
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? Yes
3.5
liaautumn's review
emotional
inspiring
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? It's complicated
3.25
meimeililylil's review against another edition
4.0
Well written, plot progressed kind of slowly without much suspense, but enjoyable read nonetheless
cook_memorial_public_library's review against another edition
4.0
A 2018 staff favorite recommended by Andrea. Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sriver%20of%20stars%20hua__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=gold
msbedelia's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic. I struggled to put it down, and I love the way everything came together.
penguiniq's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Look, this started so string and then for me dropped off a cliff. The author definitely has skill, but this was a miss overall.
amyjoy's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Enjoyable! I spent a lot of time stressed out about Scarlett's visa situation and wondering how she was going to be a single mother and earn enough money to survive, and
Spoiler
I thought the resolution, while perhaps very neat and tidy, felt satisfying. I was happy to see both Scarlett and Daisy be settled and happy.brigid_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0