elean0rtaylor's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-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
5.0
I really enjoyed this. It was such an interesting book, and really opened my eyes to the problems faced by Amerasians - the children of American GIs and Vietnamese women who had relationships during the war. Also very eye opening about the general aftermath of the Vietnamese war - really enjoying reading books on this topic!
The book followed 3 storylines that interlinked. There were definitely parts of it that were predictable, but I don't think that detracted from the story.
I absolutely loved the little bits of Vietnamese throughout the book, and having seen Quế Mai speak at a literary festival, I enjoyed the funny references to Vietnamese words being pronounced wrong, meaning completely different things, but also Vietnamese people trying to interpret English words.
The writing style was lyrical, as ever, and I am astonished that the author is able to write so beautifully in a second language.
Definitely would recommend. I couldn't put it down!
The book followed 3 storylines that interlinked. There were definitely parts of it that were predictable, but I don't think that detracted from the story.
I absolutely loved the little bits of Vietnamese throughout the book, and having seen Quế Mai speak at a literary festival, I enjoyed the funny references to Vietnamese words being pronounced wrong, meaning completely different things, but also Vietnamese people trying to interpret English words.
The writing style was lyrical, as ever, and I am astonished that the author is able to write so beautifully in a second language.
Definitely would recommend. I couldn't put it down!
amyeicher's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Abandonment, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Racism, Self harm, Alcoholism, Rape, Racial slurs, and Pregnancy
ashley_schulte's review against another edition
emotional
informative
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? Yes
4.0
I have not read any historical fiction books about the Vietnam War and in fact the extent of my knowledge was the very cursory education I received while I was in school, which was not a lot. This was quite eye opening and made me realize how much I don’t know about it and the lasting effects that the war had. I thought the book was well written and it was an easy read that kept my attention. The only thing I struggled with was the constant changing of characters and time periods from chapter to chapter. Overall? Great book and I would recommend giving it a read.
katreadsalot's review against another edition
5.0
This was a book about hard things, but I found myself drawn into this story. The ending felt hopeful to me because of the healing and forgiveness. I do not know much about the Vietnam war, and appreciated learning more about its complexities and legacy.
gigimas's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
_cararichardson's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-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? Yes
3.75
This was a good read, but didn’t blow me away. It was an interesting story, I’ve never read about this particular topic before. I do think the issues it raised were very important, war, trauma, the plight of sex workers and how the Vietnam war harmed all parties involved. However I found some of the characters and relationships a little flat and the story line was kind of predictable. I thought the writing was very pretty and it did end on a positive note.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and War
bookishnerdmom's review against another edition
5.0
Not a comfortable read; but an extremely well written, eye opening, heart wrenching one. This one is definitely worthy of book of the year.
gquartin's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
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
5.0
ggrillion's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- 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
4.25