crystalb's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Death
moniipeters's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.0
Overall, a good piece of magical realism. There were some things that came about too easily, and early on I was worried that it was going to become a strictly romance book. Roselle Lim did a good job balancing both elements. The pacing was a little slow for my tastes, but the descriptions of food were tantalizing. Some of the narration got redundant. But, there was a twist at the end I wasn't expecting (mostly because I kept forgetting about the mystery, by no fault of the author). Overall, a good read. It won't go down as one of my favorites of all time, but I'm glad I read it and would recommend it to others.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Death
Moderate: Mental illness and Abandonment
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
A strong premise that is done little to no justice in execution. The writing itself is not that good -- from certain descriptions, Lim clearly knows how to show rather than tell, but frequently refuses to do so, stating things (often through unrealistic, stilted blocks of dialogue) and then repeating them ad nauseam. It especially shows in the last few chapters, where descriptions and sentiments are repeated within sentences of each other. It's as if there's no faith in the reader to draw conclusions and remember character/plot details on their own, which is a very frustrating tone to read. Even the more interesting passages, mostly those relating to food and the magical elements, end up as equally grating purple prose before long.
What the novel lacks in style, it doesn't quite make up for in substance. With the dull way the plot is conveyed, the conflicts and characters all feel, if you'll excuse the pun, underbaked. Moments that should be powerful and emotional instead come across as melodramatic and dry. I couldn't sympathize or connect to Natalie at all, and found her mother and grandmother much more compelling despite their merely posthumous presence. The dynamics between characters were, like many other elements, only really intriguing in theory, with their actual writing fairly shallow and any interpersonal conflict resolved in an awkward, rushed manner.
The romance is particularly unconvincing. Daniel is even less well-developed than Natalie; I felt no chemistry between them, even when it's insisted out of absolutely nowhere that they're soulmates. It being a subplot at all feels a bit... odd -- maybe I skimmed past some timeline details, but making romance a priority presumably less than a month after your (estranged, but still) mother dies is just strange to me. Though it's not the main focus of the novel, it does take attention away from other plotlines, since a significant number of conversations with other characters after Daniel is introduced regard his and Natalie's relationship. Ultimately, I feel like excising -- or at least even more significantly downplaying -- romance would have been in the narrative's favor.
I truly wish I had more positive things to say, but I find myself at a loss -- in addition to the above grievances, the setting feels inauthentic; a white audience seems to have been intended for how heavy-handed some notes on Chinese culture are (unfamiliar readers can just look up what an erhu is, I promise!); the light tone is inconsistent with themes that have potential to be so much better explored; many fabulistic elements serve no real purpose; and the progression of the plot is choppy and unsatisfying. I did conceptually like certain revelations and events, but their actual handling leaves a lot to be desired. In the end, while the recipes within may be filling, Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune is decidedly less so.
What the novel lacks in style, it doesn't quite make up for in substance. With the dull way the plot is conveyed, the conflicts and characters all feel, if you'll excuse the pun, underbaked. Moments that should be powerful and emotional instead come across as melodramatic and dry. I couldn't sympathize or connect to Natalie at all, and found her mother and grandmother much more compelling despite their merely posthumous presence. The dynamics between characters were, like many other elements, only really intriguing in theory, with their actual writing fairly shallow and any interpersonal conflict resolved in an awkward, rushed manner.
The romance is particularly unconvincing. Daniel is even less well-developed than Natalie; I felt no chemistry between them, even when it's insisted out of absolutely nowhere that they're soulmates. It being a subplot at all feels a bit... odd -- maybe I skimmed past some timeline details, but making romance a priority presumably less than a month after your (estranged, but still) mother dies is just strange to me. Though it's not the main focus of the novel, it does take attention away from other plotlines, since a significant number of conversations with other characters after Daniel is introduced regard his and Natalie's relationship. Ultimately, I feel like excising -- or at least even more significantly downplaying -- romance would have been in the narrative's favor.
I truly wish I had more positive things to say, but I find myself at a loss -- in addition to the above grievances, the setting feels inauthentic; a white audience seems to have been intended for how heavy-handed some notes on Chinese culture are (unfamiliar readers can just look up what an erhu is, I promise!); the light tone is inconsistent with themes that have potential to be so much better explored; many fabulistic elements serve no real purpose; and the progression of the plot is choppy and unsatisfying. I did conceptually like certain revelations and events, but their actual handling leaves a lot to be desired. In the end, while the recipes within may be filling, Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune is decidedly less so.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Death of parent, and Mental illness
Moderate: Death and Abandonment
Minor: Classism, Sexual content, Car accident, Ableism, and Violence
Gentrification. Agoraphobia and depression.calamitywindpetal's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Death
jademelody's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
There were more things about this that I disliked than liked...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Abandonment, and Grief
Moderate: Death and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Bullying, Car accident, Mental illness, Gaslighting, and Cultural appropriation
plumpaperbacks's review against another edition
hopeful
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? Yes
3.0
I picked this up thinking it was a romance, and that mistake is entirely my fault. I decided to stick with the book because the premise intrigued me. Unfortunately, only a couple of elements of the story were actually appealing to me: the side characters, the protagonist’s cat, and the cooking. As a vegetarian, most of the dishes weren’t any I’d personally want to eat, but I enjoyed reading about a protagonist interested and experienced in culinary arts. The story’s rather slow pace and Lim’s purple prose seriously hindered my enjoyment of the novel. While it was an interesting magical realism I think some people will enjoy, it wasn’t my cup of tea, and I’m not sure I’ll pick up anything else by this author.
Representation
Representation
- Chinese protagonist and side characters
CW: death, grief, mentions of mental illness (agoraphobia, depression)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Mental illness
The protagonist’s late mother had agoraphobia and depression. These are discussed in the book, but not in excessive detail.jenn_reads's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death
skycastleshay's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This honestly hit me in my most sensitive spots. The prose is beautiful and vivid. I'm not used to reading contemporary or even magical realism so I'm happy that I enjoyed this book as much as I did. I liked how it handled the issues of loss, fear, mental illness, generational scars and gentrification. The only reason it's not a full 5 stars is that the majority of the conversations were a bit too stilted for me, but I enjoyed everything else.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Grief
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