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haley313's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? Yes
3.0
I have read most everything by Lisa See and have loved many of her books. This one is not one of my favorites by her. The writing/voices of the two main narrators felt immature. Which, for the most part, makes sense narratively, but it was distracting for me. I felt like I learned a lot about many different parts of Chinese culture and history that I have not heard about before. I almost enjoyed learning about these things more than I enjoyed the central story. I agree with others who have said that many of the twists and turns felt contrived. So many plot lines were wrapped up so easily, it almost left soapy at times. Overall though, I enjoyed this decades-spanning story of mothers and daughters and finding a place where you belong.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Pregnancy
Moderate: Infertility
Minor: Drug abuse
cdace8's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
If you want a book that will gut you and then slowly put you back together this is it. This book is heartbreaking yet beautiful and informational. It is a little slow at times but just a great read I got past that in most places. All of the women in this book are vastly different but have such a beautifully intertwined story. Definitely check trigger warnings as there are some extremely tough parts, especially early in the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Classism
mondovertigo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
tense
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Grief, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Cancer and Infertility