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stellahadz's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Drug use, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Deportation
bites_of_books'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
5.0
Ingrid is a young PhD student on track to become someone in academia, if only she could figure out how to finish her dissertation. The character development that she goes through is impeccable and all the other supporting characters provide great contrast, add complexity, and kept the story moving at a fast pace.
A great novel that I'd highly recommend if you're at all interested in the ways that academia has and continues to profit off of POC students and cultures. Also, if you just want a story that is character driven with complex character development!
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Classism, and Deportation
gomhearts's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
at first, i thought i knew what the book would be about: ingrid coming to terms with her asian identity and the internal racism she harbored in her childhood would manifest into her phd dissertation while researching poet xiao-wen chou.
oh my god i was so wrong.
i started to make hypotheses of what would happen next and each time i was debunked. i was in awe by how the book made you feel defenseless. as someone well-versed in the asian-american diaspora and reading about someone who was just so... anti-asian-american, i felt so frustrated with ingrid but wouldn't put the book down since i was determined to see it through that she changes in the end.
did she change?
i don't really know. and i think she's lying to us all.
the book is satirical. it's so hyperbolic i can't even tell what's meant to be taken seriously. are we supposed to take the poc caucus protest seriously? what about her saviorism when it comes to timothy - and why didn't she do anything about it in the first place? is michael supposed to stand in as a metaphor for asian-using-online-propaganda-brain-rot? and how about alex's detachment from the blond, white woman who he only viewed as a symbol for sex. yet another glorification of the white woman as she can come and go as she pleases. vivian was maybe the most authentic character yet. i never hated her. i actually think i may have hated ingrid even though i understood what she was going through.
as i was writing this review, i went from believing this book hailed a 5-star rating to a 3.75. and i wanted to talk about that. from a book that i believe is supposed to speak about asian-american model minority myths and how these stereotypes are perpetuated in modern life, the exaggeration from Vivian's broadcast to Michael's sinophilic rant to John Smith's puppet-playing facade... felt almost backfiring to me.
i cried a lot during this book. and at its peak, i recognize that it's GREAT fiction. very well-written, humorous when needed, personal, and do touch on many aspects of an asian-american's upbringing. however, the feeling i get after reading is synonymous to dread and confusion. what do i feel about ingrid? should i be happy for her? because honestly i'm not. about eunice? about stephen's performative activism? (not to mention, but hello - why was it never addressed that he keeps those raunchy photos AND the recent search history??? ingrid, why didn't you go for it???) anyways.
after reflection, this book gets a 5 in its provocation. but in the aftermath of how i feel, i have to go to a 3.75 for it (with sadness).
Minor: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Colonisation
alexandrabelze's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Xenophobia, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Stalking and Suicide attempt
wenwanzhao's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Drug abuse and Drug use
Moderate: Mental illness, Racism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Cultural appropriation
Minor: Suicide attempt
bibliozord'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Xenophobia, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Cultural appropriation
Minor: Sexual content and Stalking
lily1304's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I also loved Ingrid as a main character - so adrift, and trying on different personalities and ideologies over the course of the story. I really grew to like her. I felt like she was oddly trapped in the 2000s, something about her made me stop and wonder whether the setting was the 2000s. I think that was intentional, and it added something to the story - I don't know how to phrase exactly what.
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Hate crime, Mental illness, Violence, Police brutality, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Blood, and Deportation
The main character abuses allergy medsolive_lol's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Drug abuse, Racial slurs, and Gaslighting
Minor: Cursing, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt
ramreadsagain'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
4.25
It talks about so many things, from yellowface and cultural appropriation/fetishism to internalised racism, academic burnout, and more.
It was entertaining throughout, definitely a ‘food for thought’ kind of book.
My only gripe is with a couple of characters. I found Ingrid to be frustratingly naive and stupid ay times though I believe this was intentional. Eunice also felt underdeveloped and I would have liked to have seen more of her storyline.
Graphic: Racism and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Drug abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia
Minor: Suicide attempt, Colonisation, and Deportation
kmgard'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
Minor: Suicide attempt