Reviews with content warning for Racism - Sunshine Nails

Reviews tagging 'Racism'

spicycronereads's review

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

This was a book club pick so a bit outside what I typically read. I enjoyed it. However there were a lot of plot points that went nowhere, and a few that seemed to come from nowhere.

For example, when Jessica describes Hamza as “tall and lanky with a noticeable dimple on the right side of his mouth, like a period at the end of a sentence,” I really thought we were going to see more of him. But then we don’t see him again for most of the book and when he does reappear, they don’t make a connection. Mackenzie’s angel investor dad is another example… so much story potential. This wasn’t a mystery novel; we don’t need red herrings!

The story is split across five points of view of a first generation Vietnamese Canadian family - the parents Phil and Debbie, siblings Dustin and Jessica, and cousin Thuy. As a result of such a divided narrative, we seem to get only the most superficial insights / character arcs.

That said, there are many things to like about the novel. There are some interesting glimpses into the Vietnamese immigrant community in Canada and some lovely moments of family connection and love.

There is a lot of racial diversity which makes the diverse representation quite prominent. The five MCs are all Vietnamese. Dustin’s girlfriend is South Asian, and there is an entire community of aunties, uncles, cousins, etc whom we glimpse briefly. We see some class struggle and the effects of gentrification as well.

I read a review that praised how the novel deals with racism. In my opinion it doesn’t actually address the racist things that happen in the story. They happen and then the narrative quickly moves past them. Maybe that is to illustrate just how banal the casual racism and micro-aggressions are, but it left me wanting more.

There is no spice to speak of. A few, very brief scenes where characters are intimate. The details are not quite closed door but not open either, so maybe cracked door? This is not a romance novel and the romantic relationships are in the background in favor of the family dynamics.

Overall, I enjoyed the novel. We had a great book club discussion about it. I recommend it to those interested in complex family dynamics or the Vietnamese immigrant experience in North America. 3.25 ⭐️

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kdailyreads's review

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
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

3.75

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ukponge's review

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emotional funny relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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bitternortherner's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful tense 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

4.0

The cover is so deceiving! I downloaded the audiobook, thinking I was branching out into romance, but this is far from it. A family drama of fighting gentrification and expectations of assimilation.

If you love the show Kim's Convenience, you will love this.

The amount of shenanigans this family gets into is hilarious, and sometimes heartbreaking, but always drawing them closer to each other. The perspective switches between each family member, offering a multifaceted take on the ever changing dynamics of the neighborhood and inner circle.

This was still a bit out of my typical reading zone (sci-fi, fantasy, horror), and I did have some issues staying interested because of my initial incorrect assumption that this was romance. That was absolutely my bad!

The audiobook has a complete cast for each family member and was really fun to listen to. The mom is so sassy, I absolutely imagine my feisty Viet Auntie when her parts come up.

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daniellekat's review against another edition

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This had potential but it's just such an obvious debut novel. The writing isn't nuanced enough and everything just feels heavy handed. Also, the author writes about Toronto terribly....just listing off street names at every opportunity does not realistically set a scene (major pet peeve of mine 😑).

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kristynpittman's review

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Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

A multi-POV family drama that examines all things work. How work defines us, saves us, and can ultimately drown us. An Asian immigrant family works tirelessly to save their nail salon in the face of gentrification, racism, and trauma.

******
Thank you to Atria for providing me with an early copy for review.

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foldingthepage_kayleigh's review

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Reading this book was like watching a soap opera. Every time one of the characters takes action, I would think there’s no way they’re making that decision, it just seems overdramatic and outside of reality. This is not necessarily a bad thing as it kept me wanting to see what would happen next, and where all these choices would lead.

There are also about 5 POVs in this book, and usually I like a multiple POV read, but unfortunately, this fell a bit short for me because we never really got beyond the surface level of each character, leaving me feeling a bit disconnected from the story.

I think the elements of this book that shone the most were:

Debbie and Phil’s stories of being refugees from Vietnam
Dustin and Mackenzie’s relationship
Vietnamese culture
Commentary on gentrification

Overall, I thought this one was somewhere between okay and good. I was expecting a lighthearted romcom, and what I got was a contemporary drama, so I think that influenced my enjoyment of this book a bit.

It’s not one that will stick with me, but it still would be worth picking up if any of these elements intrigue you.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an digital advanced reading copy of this book.

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