Reviews with content warning for Xenophobia - Sunshine Nails

Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen

8 reviews

erikaraz's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-paced

Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

Fun story of an immigrant family surviving in Toronto. Great cast of characters all making mistakes and finding their purpose and reflecting on family and loyalty.

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kelly_e's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted fast-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? Yes

3.25

Title: Sunshine Nails
Author: Mai Nguyen
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 3.25
Pub Date: July 4, 2023

T H R E E • W O R D S

Lighthearted • Simple • Entertaining

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Vietnamese refugees Debbie and Phil Tran have made a good life for themselves in Toronto, but their landlord has just jacked up the rent of their family-run nail salon, Sunshine Nails, and it’s way more than they can afford. When Take Ten, a glamorous chain offering a more luxurious salon experience, moves into the neighborhood, the Tran family is terrified of losing their business—and the community they’ve built around them.

But daughter Jessica comes to their rescue. She’s just moved back home after a messy breakup and an even messier firing. Together with her workaholic brother, Dustin, and recently immigrated cousin, Thuy, they devise some good old-fashioned sabotage. But as the line between right and wrong gets blurred, relationships are put to the test, and Debbie and Phil must choose: Do they keep their family intact or fight for their salon?

💭 T H O U G H T S

Sunshine Nails originally popped onto my radar when it was included on the Canada Reads 2024 longlist. When it wasn't included on the shortlist, I figured I would read it at some point, but it didn't become a priority until it was selected as April's pick for my in-person book club. I had definitely seen mixed reviews and was anticipating more of a humourous tone than what it actually is.

Told through multiple POVs, Mai Nguyen delivers an ode to nail techs while exploring the Asian Canadian immigrant experience in her debut novel. The writing is overly simple and the story is quite relatable. I appreciated a novel that offers a thriving immigrant family at the center of it. The generational differences were oftentimes real and comical. Through a less prominent thread the theme of gentrification is also explored.

The audio narration features a full cast of characters, which gave the story another dimension and really brought the family to life. It was best for me to read along with my eyeballs just so I was able to keep track of who was who.

Overall, Sunshine Nails was a quick, easy read with uplifting qualities. There is a decent amount of social commentary, yet Nguyen weaves it into the narrative without it being too preachy.
Unfortunately, I will be missing the book club discussion, but I look forward to seeing people's thoughts on the designated post afterwards.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• immigrant stories
• family drama
• Kim's Convenience

⚠️ CW: racism, classism, alcohol, alcoholism, DUI, xenophobia, infidelity, drug use, suicidal thoughts, vomit, cursing

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Jessica never understood the power of gossip until she worked at the nail salon. It gave people who had nothing to talk about a reason to engage with one another, to create closeness through the exchange of closely guarded information."

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spicycronereads's review against another edition

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.25

This was a book club pick so a bit outside what I typically read. I enjoyed it. However there were a lot of plot points that went nowhere, and a few that seemed to come from nowhere.

For example, when Jessica describes Hamza as “tall and lanky with a noticeable dimple on the right side of his mouth, like a period at the end of a sentence,” I really thought we were going to see more of him. But then we don’t see him again for most of the book and when he does reappear, they don’t make a connection. Mackenzie’s angel investor dad is another example… so much story potential. This wasn’t a mystery novel; we don’t need red herrings!

The story is split across five points of view of a first generation Vietnamese Canadian family - the parents Phil and Debbie, siblings Dustin and Jessica, and cousin Thuy. As a result of such a divided narrative, we seem to get only the most superficial insights / character arcs.

That said, there are many things to like about the novel. There are some interesting glimpses into the Vietnamese immigrant community in Canada and some lovely moments of family connection and love.

There is a lot of racial diversity which makes the diverse representation quite prominent. The five MCs are all Vietnamese. Dustin’s girlfriend is South Asian, and there is an entire community of aunties, uncles, cousins, etc whom we glimpse briefly. We see some class struggle and the effects of gentrification as well.

I read a review that praised how the novel deals with racism. In my opinion it doesn’t actually address the racist things that happen in the story. They happen and then the narrative quickly moves past them. Maybe that is to illustrate just how banal the casual racism and micro-aggressions are, but it left me wanting more.

There is no spice to speak of. A few, very brief scenes where characters are intimate. The details are not quite closed door but not open either, so maybe cracked door? This is not a romance novel and the romantic relationships are in the background in favor of the family dynamics.

Overall, I enjoyed the novel. We had a great book club discussion about it. I recommend it to those interested in complex family dynamics or the Vietnamese immigrant experience in North America. 3.25 ⭐️

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