szo0's review against another edition
emotional
informative
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? It's complicated
3.25
megan_martha_reads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
mariagarnett's review against another edition
4.0
"It was the height of arrogance, Xuan thought, to toss away the possible instruments of survival." ebook version, page 81
chilly_librarian's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
obviouslyjudith's review against another edition
3.75
This was incredible when it worked, sometimes it just didn’t fully
fleurdevie's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
c4sshole's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
marlmar3000's review against another edition
2.0
very disappointed in this — the writing was good but characters blended into each other and i don’t think i got a solid full portrait of the people themselves even if the world building and prose was different and well-done. book feels like wasted potential
mniiida's review against another edition
4.0
I knew immediately I would be drawn to this book. The book feels like a story within a story and I grew to love the author's approach by the end, especially with the author's note (def don't skip this!).
The story starts with Xuan—a Vietnamese refugee who is extremely into Vietnamese zodiac signs—and her three daughters and former husband resettled in New Orleans. Each chapter in the first section flips between Xuan and her daughters' perspective, with the daughters holding forms resentment as they struggle under the weight of their immigrant parents' expectations and assumptions based on their zodiac signs. You really only get snippets into the daughters lives but it made me angry to read how selfish they came across, forgetting their parents had lives and struggles before them. In the same way, I can also relate to the daughters in that there are ways I have contributed to the erasure of my family, being ashamed of not being white and even the complete opposite, not being Cambodian enough. In the first section, you really see the different ways isolation and same show up between cultures and communities.
The last section explores the roots of Xuan's family before 1975 who lived in Vietnam under French colonial rule. I was a bit confused once I got here but going back to the timeline at the start of the book helped. This section helped give context to other parts of the book and I liked how it was told not in chronological order.
Overall, this books feels exactly the way I imagine the author intended to tell the story, from the perspective of a second-gen migrant daughter acknowledging the shame in failing to acknowledge their parents' former lives.
The story starts with Xuan—a Vietnamese refugee who is extremely into Vietnamese zodiac signs—and her three daughters and former husband resettled in New Orleans. Each chapter in the first section flips between Xuan and her daughters' perspective, with the daughters holding forms resentment as they struggle under the weight of their immigrant parents' expectations and assumptions based on their zodiac signs. You really only get snippets into the daughters lives but it made me angry to read how selfish they came across, forgetting their parents had lives and struggles before them. In the same way, I can also relate to the daughters in that there are ways I have contributed to the erasure of my family, being ashamed of not being white and even the complete opposite, not being Cambodian enough. In the first section, you really see the different ways isolation and same show up between cultures and communities.
The last section explores the roots of Xuan's family before 1975 who lived in Vietnam under French colonial rule. I was a bit confused once I got here but going back to the timeline at the start of the book helped. This section helped give context to other parts of the book and I liked how it was told not in chronological order.
Overall, this books feels exactly the way I imagine the author intended to tell the story, from the perspective of a second-gen migrant daughter acknowledging the shame in failing to acknowledge their parents' former lives.
porkkutletbowl's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Rape