chiara_lr's review
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
syafiqha's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
3.7 star
You Jin and the translator writer, Jeremy Tiang, have a soul in their words. It doesn't mean other writers don't have a soul when writing.
Her creative writing is adoring & attractive to me, but it is quite judgemental about the Saudi Arabic culture back then and turns me off a bit.
' 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗮 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝘆. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱. 𝗜 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲'
•
The short stories are slow-paced. Having spent a month reading this (it's my fault, I don't feel hooked on this book). There are so many amazing quotes about life.
Each of them contains specific lessons about being an adult/ foreigner who live and work in Saudi Arabic/ about love/ about the family bond.
' 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗵𝘂𝘀𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿'
' 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻'
Most of them make me feel heavy, sad, have thoughts about life and leave me with sorrow. It is filled with tragic scenes from real life and makes me realise how complicated becoming an adult is.
You Jin and the translator writer, Jeremy Tiang, have a soul in their words. It doesn't mean other writers don't have a soul when writing.
Her creative writing is adoring & attractive to me, but it is quite judgemental about the Saudi Arabic culture back then and turns me off a bit.
' 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗮 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝘆. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱. 𝗜 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲'
•
The short stories are slow-paced. Having spent a month reading this (it's my fault, I don't feel hooked on this book). There are so many amazing quotes about life.
Each of them contains specific lessons about being an adult/ foreigner who live and work in Saudi Arabic/ about love/ about the family bond.
' 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗵𝘂𝘀𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿'
' 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻'
Most of them make me feel heavy, sad, have thoughts about life and leave me with sorrow. It is filled with tragic scenes from real life and makes me realise how complicated becoming an adult is.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Bullying
charliechan21's review
4.0
An easy to read fascinating insight into Saudi Arabia in decades gone by although sometimes the writer was a bit judgemental which made me grow to dislike her a little.
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