afox98's review against another edition
3.0
Sylvie, a Chinese-American woman who spent part of her childhood in The Netherlands, returns to that country when her beloved grandmother takes ill. As she reunites with the distant cousins who helped raise her, she navigates difficult family relations that she never understood as a child. Her fondness for her cousin Lukas is the only thing that helps her deal with her grandmother’s illness and her life back in New York crumbling around her. When she doesn’t return to New York when planned, her sister Amy flies to The Netherlands and launches a search for her, meeting Sylvie’s “other family” for the first time.
The story is told from the different viewpoints of Sylvie, Amy, and their mother. Long-held family secrets come out in the course of the search for Sylvie, and new sides of all of the characters are revealed. The story was somewhat suspenseful, but I didn’t find some of the plot points or the ending realistic. Character development was somewhat lacking as well… I didn’t find myself caring about any of them much except for Amy, but the author never really delved into what made each character tick.
The story is told from the different viewpoints of Sylvie, Amy, and their mother. Long-held family secrets come out in the course of the search for Sylvie, and new sides of all of the characters are revealed. The story was somewhat suspenseful, but I didn’t find some of the plot points or the ending realistic. Character development was somewhat lacking as well… I didn’t find myself caring about any of them much except for Amy, but the author never really delved into what made each character tick.
katreadsalot's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed Kwok's style in the other book of hers that I read, so I thought I'd enjoy this, and I did! I couldn't put it down, and switched between the print and audio book because I was so absorbed in the story and didn't want to stop reading. Some aspects about the ending didn't quite land for me. Excellent in both the print and audio format!
jillycat's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.25
margardenlady's review
emotional
mysterious
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
4.5
Lovely writing about a journey of self discovery that three women make while also searching to solve the mystery of where Sylvie Lee has gone. The book is told from three distinct viewpoints, the mother (a Chinese immigrant to NYC who has had to leave her firstborn with grandparents in the Netherlands), Sylvie (that firstborn, now successful businesswoman) and Amy (little sister who reaches beyond her comfort zone to search for her sister). Each of these narrative threads are convincingly different from the others and evoke an understanding of the inner workings of the character. A mystery and a family saga, with a bombshell revelation at the end that changes everyone's worlds.
jamiejanae_6's review against another edition
mysterious
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? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Infidelity, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
johanna620's review against another edition
3.0
I was all into this book until the ending. Talk about glamorizing suicide. The plot really moved at a good pace and I liked the theme of us being the unreliable narrator in our own lives. So just reeeally could have done without that ending.
kry_yang's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-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
2.0
honestly wtf even happened in this book... i guess i applaud the author for a creative premise (the asian american experience in the netherlands where perceptions of whiteness and xenophobia are rlly diff than the US) but i struggled to connect with the characters in the story. also, like other ppl have said in their reviews, i thought the twist at the end was such a letdown...
Spoiler
incest and the asian american immigrant experience... perhaps this is intersectionalitymeermollusk's review against another edition
2.0
This book did so many things well but there were quite a few negatives to it for me which sadly outweighed the positives.
haysx5's review
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0