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margalida's review against another edition
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
dana_yamaguchi's review against another edition
2.0
“Writing is the closest thing we have to real magic. Writing is creating something out of nothing,
is opening doors to other lands. Writing gives you power to shape your own world when the real one hurts too much.”
is opening doors to other lands. Writing gives you power to shape your own world when the real one hurts too much.”
-June Hayward
sparkles_f's review against another edition
3.0
2.5--a compulsive read (I love the thriller aspects of it), but I'm finding it difficult to put my finger on exactly why this was not a good time for me. I feel uncomfortable (confused?) and I'm only 30% sure why that is.
In the end, I didn't really feel bad for what happened to either character (I understand that you're not supposed to like either June or Athena) and I'm confused about what takeaway I'm supposed to carry with me after reading this book. White people are racist and have privilege? Yeah, we know. I'm not sure what else Rebecca is trying to say about that? I work in the publishing industry, so I knew some of the behind the scene stuff that happens--oh, the backstabbing--but I try to stay away from a lot of the discourse on BookTok and BookTube and the book community. I felt the majority of the book was just a rehashing of that discourse--there were a lot of times where it felt like the author was trauma dumping with no thoughtful analysis.
R.F. Kuang seems to want to "stir the shit", but isn't open to delving deeper into some of the themes in the story--BIPOC authors, who is allowed to write what, microaggressions that Asian and minorities face, etc. I know that the MC is a mouthpiece and is verbalizing some of the things that are R.F. Quang has personally experienced herself has as an Asian woman and a female writer, but I was left with the feeling that the MC becomes unreliable because she is such a CARICATURE of what a white, racist, dumbass is. We get it: The sky is blue, grass is green, white people are racist. What takeaway are we supposed to get, if anything?
I think I would have been much more interested had there been a discussion around East Asian (Japanese, Chinese, Korean) vS. other Asian/minority authors who don't fit into that "model minority" and who don't get represented. It was brought up that Athena came from a background of privilege; therefore, was in better position to become successful--but that's where the conversation started and stopped. I wanted Kuang to really explore that with more nuance instead of microaggression after microaggression after microaggression after microaggression. Knowing what I know about R.F. Kuang's background, these rants that the MC goes off on--about how Athena was upper-class, privileged, successful and wealthy (The same background of R.F. Kuang) --make me cringe. It's not a clever social commentary, because the discussion on those microaggressions isn't taken any further, and I feel like that's why it turns into trauma dumping. I mean, slay--you want to work out some of that trauma by writing a book that has characters that have a similar background and experience the same hardships and criticisms that you've faced? Right on. I really wanted to believe that this was Kuang's way of internalizing those criticisms, her background of privilege, and doing some reflection and self-inventory--but I don't think that's the case because she's using a caricature of a petty, jealous white asshole (who bends over backwards to justify her plagiarism) as her mouthpiece.
I was really hoping I was going to get a more thoughtful and complex commentary on BIPOC representation and standards within the publishing industry, but was left disappointed and confused.
In the end, I didn't really feel bad for what happened to either character (I understand that you're not supposed to like either June or Athena) and I'm confused about what takeaway I'm supposed to carry with me after reading this book. White people are racist and have privilege? Yeah, we know. I'm not sure what else Rebecca is trying to say about that? I work in the publishing industry, so I knew some of the behind the scene stuff that happens--oh, the backstabbing--but I try to stay away from a lot of the discourse on BookTok and BookTube and the book community. I felt the majority of the book was just a rehashing of that discourse--there were a lot of times where it felt like the author was trauma dumping with no thoughtful analysis.
R.F. Kuang seems to want to "stir the shit", but isn't open to delving deeper into some of the themes in the story--BIPOC authors, who is allowed to write what, microaggressions that Asian and minorities face, etc. I know that the MC is a mouthpiece and is verbalizing some of the things that are R.F. Quang has personally experienced herself has as an Asian woman and a female writer, but I was left with the feeling that the MC becomes unreliable because she is such a CARICATURE of what a white, racist, dumbass is. We get it: The sky is blue, grass is green, white people are racist. What takeaway are we supposed to get, if anything?
I think I would have been much more interested had there been a discussion around East Asian (Japanese, Chinese, Korean) vS. other Asian/minority authors who don't fit into that "model minority" and who don't get represented. It was brought up that Athena came from a background of privilege; therefore, was in better position to become successful--but that's where the conversation started and stopped. I wanted Kuang to really explore that with more nuance instead of microaggression after microaggression after microaggression after microaggression. Knowing what I know about R.F. Kuang's background, these rants that the MC goes off on--about how Athena was upper-class, privileged, successful and wealthy (The same background of R.F. Kuang) --make me cringe. It's not a clever social commentary, because the discussion on those microaggressions isn't taken any further, and I feel like that's why it turns into trauma dumping. I mean, slay--you want to work out some of that trauma by writing a book that has characters that have a similar background and experience the same hardships and criticisms that you've faced? Right on. I really wanted to believe that this was Kuang's way of internalizing those criticisms, her background of privilege, and doing some reflection and self-inventory--but I don't think that's the case because she's using a caricature of a petty, jealous white asshole (who bends over backwards to justify her plagiarism) as her mouthpiece.
I was really hoping I was going to get a more thoughtful and complex commentary on BIPOC representation and standards within the publishing industry, but was left disappointed and confused.
laurenhurley97's review
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
seokjinramen's review against another edition
4.0
What a ride!!!
Been hearing about RF Kuang and her books for the past year. Finally gave it a chance and was not disappointed (which is uncommon for me if the book is popular on Tiktok)
Contrary to popular belief, I did not hate the main character that much. People do terrible things to survive.
I think the ending is justified because it is for us to decide whether she was just thinking crazy or what she's thinking might actually work.
Might give other RF Kuang books a chance! Loved this so much I finished it in 3 days.
Been hearing about RF Kuang and her books for the past year. Finally gave it a chance and was not disappointed (which is uncommon for me if the book is popular on Tiktok)
Contrary to popular belief, I did not hate the main character that much. People do terrible things to survive.
I think the ending is justified because it is for us to decide whether she was just thinking crazy or what she's thinking might actually work.
Might give other RF Kuang books a chance! Loved this so much I finished it in 3 days.
brigittecm's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5