Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

6 reviews

augie_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

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

maidinnah's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-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

4.75

A thoughtful, nuanced, and empathetic account of the Vietnam war through the intertwining storylines of a Vietnamese prostitute, an American veteran, and an Amerasian “dust child”. This stirring tale explores the fallout — the broken families, the mutual resentments, the haunting secrets — and calls forth tremendous amounts of forgiveness from every side. Quê Mai Nguyễn reminds us that we may not be able to heal every wound when the dust settles, but peace can still be found when we move forward. 

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Content Warnings

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

internationalreads's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

• 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

This was.. fine? It felt like a book written to teach Americans about the Vietnam war rather than to tell a story set in that time. Disappointing after loving The Mountains Sing so much.

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Content Warnings

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

mondovertigo's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

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

annie26's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense slow-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

Nguyen Phan Que Mai can be relied on to weave a complex, emotional and powerful story. And she’s done it again with this book.
It explores interconnected issues and dynamics so well all the while giving you an important piece of Vietnamese history. I think Trang and Phong were my favourite characters but I appreciated the other characters in this story as well.
The plight of Amerasians in Vietnam is a topic that I’ve only heard discussed a few times. What a perspective.
This is a heartbreaking but very hopeful story. 4.5 stars from me. Thank you to Oneworld for my proof copy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Abandonment, Death of parent, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, War, Alcoholism, and Bullying

okiecozyreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

When I started this book, it began bringing me memories of her last book, The Mountains Sing. Although this book is a completely different story, with different characters, Nguyén Phan Qué Mai uses proverbs in this one (like the last) and continues her beautiful lyrical writing along with deep and painful family memories. I really felt this story in its entirety. I haven’t read many books about Vietnamese people (just hers and middle grade Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhhà La, also beautifully written). I appreciate her stories which go into painful times, but I feel like she gives American people a lot of grace in her writing.

This book mainly features two sisters Trang and Quỳnh, who move to the city of Sài Gòn to be bar girls. They are told it is just drinking tea with American soldiers, but they find out that it isn’t that simple. They are trying to raise money to relieve their parents from debt and help their father with medical care. We mainly get the perspective from the oldest daughter Trang.

Meanwhile, we learn parts of two other stories, that of a Vietnamese man named Phong, who is part black American and called an Amerasian, dust of the earth, for being the product of a relationship born mostly out of prostitution; as well as that of Dan, a Vietnam veteran, who with his wife Linda, is returning to Vietnam for healing. 

This isn’t an easy book to read, and for me, it falls into the category of something I don’t want to sit with for a long time, so I read it in a few days, but I cared so much for these characters, especially the sisters.

“Her parents had embedded their dreams and hopes in the names they’d given their daughters: Quỳnh was a rare flower that bloomed only at night—the night-blooming cereus; its white petals radiated a beautiful, pure scent. Trang meant “graceful, gentle, virtuous.” An Impossible Choice

“Dan recognized something unique about Sài Gòn that had survived the war: the charm of its people, their incredible energy and resourcefulness. In his nightmares, the city was war-torn, ravaged with violence like the day he’d left it. 
…
Dan told himself he should print Linda’s photos from this trip and display them around the house. Perhaps the smiling child could replace his dreams of buffaloes and boys with their bodies ripped apart.” War and Peace

“What the poet Nguyễn Duy wrote is so true. At the end of each war, whoever wins, the people lose.” War and Peace

“The war doesn’t just kill people, it robs our livelihood and destroys nature.” How to be a Mother

“And do you know why I placed you under the protective branches of a Bodhi tree? It is said that a Bodhi tree has the power to chase away sorrow and bad luck” Sweetness and Bitterness

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Sexual violence, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Abandonment, and Death