Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin

32 reviews

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 ✨

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Abandonment, and War

Moderate: Drug use, Racial slurs, and Racism

augie_'s review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, and War

maggiemcfly's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Death of parent, and War

Moderate: Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Rape

Minor: Alcoholism

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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Trafficking, Death of parent, and War

jankavdm's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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? No

4.5

This book is somewhat relatable, although i've not fled a war, as someone who left their country by blood and is faced with the challenges of integrating and creating a home in a new place, i relate on some levels. To be honest, at times I was hesitant to pick the book up and continue reading because the scene I had got to I knew was going to be hard to hear. I shed a couple of tears, in a couple of different places, but what struck me was how quickly I was invested at the beginning of the book, and because of that, how emotional I got at one of the tragedies that happened relatively early in the book. I don't think that can be said for very many books and stories. I thought the little bit of writing before a chapter was a really nice touch, I looked forward to those a lot! It sort of felt like I was reading them with someone else, and that this book wasn't just a story about x, y, and z, it was more like a discussion and analysis of the struggles and topics that come up.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Trafficking, and Death of parent

Moderate: Rape and Police brutality

Minor: Racial slurs

lydia_reads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Trafficking, and Death of parent

Moderate: Violence and War

katerina_l's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and War

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, and Grief

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Drug use

linhsreadinghour's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad 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

Wandering Souls is a book I’ve been searching for a very long time as a second generation immigrant whose parents made the same journey as Anh and her brothers. A short book that encapsulates trauma, resilience and sacrifice with tender love and care. I absolutely adore this book, it’s so smart in its writing structure and narratives. It will forever hold a special place in my heart. A must read for anyone who is interested in learning more about Vietnamese British diaspora.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

kara_44's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, Death of parent, and War

Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism