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sakisreads's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
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? No
4.5
I kept seeing this pop up in the bookshop and in the library, so I knew I had to give it a go.
Flitting between narratives is brilliant when it is well-executed, and Cecile Pin absolutely nails it 👏🏼I love that we got a little bit of Dao and a little bit of Jane too. I felt honoured to get a glimpse into Anh’s nuances through their narratives (Dao being her dead little brother, Jane being her daughter researching and writing Anh’s past.)
I was gripped throughout and thought Pin had cleverly and concisely expressed this story. I am looking forward to exploring her other writing. 4.5 out of 5 stars for me, thank you ✨
Flitting between narratives is brilliant when it is well-executed, and Cecile Pin absolutely nails it 👏🏼
I was gripped throughout and thought Pin had cleverly and concisely expressed this story. I am looking forward to exploring her other writing. 4.5 out of 5 stars for me, thank you ✨
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Abandonment, and War
Moderate: Drug use, Racial slurs, and Racism
ciaravirk's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Trafficking, Death of parent, and War
bookishbee27's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
3.0
A fascinating, multi-generational exploration of asylum seeking and immigrant life written beautifully.
The good: I was really drawn in by the historical context Wandering Souls is set in and the issues addressed as the fleeing from Vietnam following the Vietnam War and resettlement of refugees in the UK under Thatcher's government is not something I had any prior knowledge of. Pin has clearly researched this well and paints a comprehensive picture of these issues which I found highly educational. I loved how the characters were written and found their voices to be rich and interesting throughout.
The not-so-good: For me, Wandering Souls lacked much going on and I would argue it was a slow burn rather than plot driven. At times this meant I wasn't reaching for it or that compelled.
I would draw similarities with Black Butterflies in covering an important and often overlooked period of history and social issues, but needing more plot development.
The good: I was really drawn in by the historical context Wandering Souls is set in and the issues addressed as the fleeing from Vietnam following the Vietnam War and resettlement of refugees in the UK under Thatcher's government is not something I had any prior knowledge of. Pin has clearly researched this well and paints a comprehensive picture of these issues which I found highly educational. I loved how the characters were written and found their voices to be rich and interesting throughout.
The not-so-good: For me, Wandering Souls lacked much going on and I would argue it was a slow burn rather than plot driven. At times this meant I wasn't reaching for it or that compelled.
I would draw similarities with Black Butterflies in covering an important and often overlooked period of history and social issues, but needing more plot development.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Deportation
Moderate: Racism, Violence, and War
Minor: Drug use
skyfluff's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Drug use, Hate crime, Rape, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
claire_michelle18's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A beautifully written saga about Anh and her two brothers, who flee as refugees from Vietnam in the 1970s and eventually end up in the UK. I found Anh's story achingly sad but, in the end, hopeful as she gradually builds a life for herself and her family. Pin's writing is stunning, with the story mainly told from Anh's perspective but with snippets from other perspectives, moving forwards and back through time to add layers of depth to the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, and Grief
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Drug use
elizabethgreads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? No
5.0
A tough story to read filled with grief, yet ends in a very hopeful tone. The story focuses on an immigrant families experience in immigrating from Vietnam to the UK. It shows the heartache and the triumphs. The ending chapter was absolutely wonderful. I loved the look at intergenerational trauma and the healing the family experienced. The sentiments how why stories are important made me cry.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child death, Drug use, Racism, and Death of parent
Minor: Rape
linguaphile412's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Trafficking, and Murder
Minor: Drug use and Alcohol
oldandnewbooksmell's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
Trigger Warnings: Death, massacres, drowning, grief, war, racism, mentions of alcohol and drug use
Wandering Souls opens in 1978 in Vietnam as Anh and her brother, 14-year-old Minh and 10-year-old Thanh are packing for their trip to a refugee camp in Hong Kong ahead of the rest of their family before they make their way to their Uncle in America. Anh and her brothers make it to Hong Kong, but the rest of the family unfortunately don’t make it through their journey. The siblings eventually get accepted into Great Britain and over the next number of years, struggle to carve out a life for themselves in a country that’s not their own.
Told mostly through Anh’s POV, historical research, voices from lost family, and an unnamed narrator, Wandering Souls follows the lives of the last members of a family marked by war and loss and their persistence in the pursuit of a better future that they set out for years ago.
I read this book in one day, in roughly three settings. The prose of this novel were beautifully written and an emotional rollercoaster that will warrant a box of tissues for sure. Cecile Pin sprinkles in news articles and historical facts, along with personal experiences from an unnamed narrator between sections from the siblings.
This novel really deals with grief and survivor’s guilt of the three siblings. Their parents had such high hopes and dreams for them in America, but when they don’t make it there and are instead in the UK, they have to figure out what they will do instead.
Wandering Souls also opened my eyes to a lot of the horrors Vietnamese people experienced around the world as a result of the Vietnam War. I didn’t know who “boat people” were and both the piracy that could happen to them or the horrid conditions they had to travel in. Or the Koh Kra Island refugee massacres. Even in their own country, the psychological warfare the American would put them through with recordings of voices in the forests.
The dark side of immigration is shined on by Pin, but even with all the heartache, racism, and struggles the characters go through in this book, overall, it’s still about family, love, and grief. I couldn’t put this book down and I can see many others opening their hearts to this family and their journey.
*Thank you Henry Holt and Co. and NetGalley for a digital advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Drug use, and Death of parent
fictionalsarah's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Drug use