The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
amyeicher's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: War, Abandonment, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Racism, Self harm, Alcoholism, Rape, Racial slurs, and Pregnancy
moniipeters'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: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Racism, Rape, Abandonment, Abortion, Body horror, Classism, Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Torture, Trafficking, Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, Racial slurs, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, and Murder
augie_'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? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: War, Xenophobia, Racism, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Grief, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Death, and Abortion
bookthia'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? It's complicated
4.0
As someone who has been privileged to have recently travelled in Vietnam, it was fascinating to be familiar with some of the locations used in the novel.
Recommend.
Moderate: Sexual content, War, Car accident, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, and Rape
maidinnah'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
4.75
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Murder, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief
Minor: Self harm
cyborgforty's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The pacing, the journey through time, the gradual revelation of everything known (and acceptance of what remains unknown) is incredible. So much of the story revolves around the lies that characters tell each other, the truths they hide from each other, which despite each character's growth is clear until the very end. I was shocked at how differently I could perceive the same character, through different perspectives or at different points in time. Quynh and Dan especially.
Although I didn't find the prose to be the strongest part of the novel, I was taken by several lines immersed by how the text flowed between languages. The dialogue is mostly in English, but I found myself translating in my head what I think the character would have said in Vietnamese, or imagining how the character would have pronounced English words with their accent (Nguyen has a clever way of conveying this). I didn't learn many Vietnamese proverbs from my family and having them come up so often within the text was very enlightening for me, expressing sentiments that felt very familiar even if I'd never heard the words themselves.
Several times while reading this book, I thought, "oh, that's why [insert some Vietnamese linguistic/customary thing that I grew up with but never knew the reason why]." The depth Nguyen offers as a Vietnamese writer was particularly eye-opening for me, being American-born. I haven't read a lot of books set in Vietnam, or written by Vietnamese authors, much less a book that centers Vietnamese/American history in such a way.
Graphic: War and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Racial slurs and Racism
d0505's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Death of parent, Racism, War, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Alcohol and Infidelity
internationalreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Rape, War, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Death, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, and Sexual content
tahsintries's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: War, Rape, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Bullying, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Hate crime, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Infidelity
mondovertigo'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
4.0
Graphic: War, Violence, Trafficking, Racism, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Infidelity, Abandonment, Death, Racial slurs, Rape, and Classism
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Car accident, and Vomit