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annabuzz's review
lighthearted
slow-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
1.0
karend's review against another edition
3.75
I liked it for the look into a part of the world I wouldn't otherwise see from that angle.
wordsbetweenlines's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This was fine. It just had so many POVs and some didn’t hook me and I kept waiting to get back to a different POV for the story to pick back up. It was an easy listen but that pretty much sums it up.
amyschmelzer's review against another edition
5.0
I had questions that needed to be answered as we approached the finish line. The author nailed the landing.
tfarwell's review against another edition
2.0
I received this book as part of a giveaway in return for the review.
Sunshine Nails is Mai Nguyen's first book. One can find nods to her background as a journalist, such as incorporating a news story as part of one of the story lines and her style of writing. While adding the news story to the storyline is intriguing, the journalistic style of writing (telling vs showing) is a bit of a disappointment.
There are three plotlines in the book: mom & pop store vs. mega store, a news story about abuses in the nail industry, and a story about a family that has lost itself and their deeper ties to their culture. The first plotline is typical of what one would expect. The actions of their customers at the end somehow managed to be both predictable and misplaced. The reader didn't have enough interactions with the Trans and their customers to make the actions "fit" well.
The second was an intriguing addition, but needs to be developed more throughout to make it meaningful. While the news article was mentioned a few times throughout the novel and reactions to the article were told to the reader, there wasn't much else done with the story. Shock, horror, and misunderstanding was all that was conveyed.
The third plotline was, perhaps, the most interesting of them all. The points where the family interacted with their culture and their reactions to those points made the reader think deeper about the immigrant experience. However the characters were not very likeable throughout most of the novel. Towards the end of the novel, when the characters and their culture realigned seemed to provide some likeability points with the characters. However, one wonders about whether or not any change will really happen to them or if they would return to their original states if the story continued.
Some of the issues I had with this book I anticipate going away with future novels by Nguyen as they are typical of many first novels, especially first novels by journalists. I do look forward to seeing what her next novel entails.
Sunshine Nails is Mai Nguyen's first book. One can find nods to her background as a journalist, such as incorporating a news story as part of one of the story lines and her style of writing. While adding the news story to the storyline is intriguing, the journalistic style of writing (telling vs showing) is a bit of a disappointment.
There are three plotlines in the book: mom & pop store vs. mega store, a news story about abuses in the nail industry, and a story about a family that has lost itself and their deeper ties to their culture. The first plotline is typical of what one would expect. The actions of their customers at the end somehow managed to be both predictable and misplaced. The reader didn't have enough interactions with the Trans and their customers to make the actions "fit" well.
The second was an intriguing addition, but needs to be developed more throughout to make it meaningful. While the news article was mentioned a few times throughout the novel and reactions to the article were told to the reader, there wasn't much else done with the story. Shock, horror, and misunderstanding was all that was conveyed.
The third plotline was, perhaps, the most interesting of them all. The points where the family interacted with their culture and their reactions to those points made the reader think deeper about the immigrant experience. However the characters were not very likeable throughout most of the novel. Towards the end of the novel, when the characters and their culture realigned seemed to provide some likeability points with the characters. However, one wonders about whether or not any change will really happen to them or if they would return to their original states if the story continued.
Some of the issues I had with this book I anticipate going away with future novels by Nguyen as they are typical of many first novels, especially first novels by journalists. I do look forward to seeing what her next novel entails.
dameagles's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
5.0
serica's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.0
This definitely had debut novel energy writing-wise but I still enjoyed it! Love some Canadian rep, especially from the perspective of an immigrant family.
magnoliaxsoulangeana's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
desiraeschmidt's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
3.5