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A review by booksamongstfriends
Diamond Head by Cecily Wong
3.0
Diamond Head was like watching a bag of popcorn pop in the microwave. Now I know the bag said only 2 1/2 minutes, so I'm waiting and waiting for something to start popping, but I'm almost at the point where I don't even want popcorn anymore. Then all of a sudden…POP! And once one kernel pops, the rest do too.
This book promised secrets, lies, and generational drama that challenged the idea of soulmates and destiny, focusing on the Leong family. Would one follow the heart or follow tradition? Initially, I was worried that the synopsis was going to be better than the book. Halfway through, I was still piecing the characters together, and that could just be me. But the kernels still hadn’t popped yet! Then, once we get a hold of who each character is, we finally become invested in their stories and can start to appreciate some of the
talent that the author has.
While in some ways, it can seem that a lot of the women are very dependent, there are other moments where you can recognize instead this withheld and even silent strength that, as a reader, you can appreciate. Hearing their stories unfold, I began to look forward to seeing how each of our characters' decisions—following love or money—develop into either consequence, regret, or some unfurling of secrets. It leaves any reader wondering: what does love really look like, what does happiness look like, and is love ever really enough?
Now, I usually don’t mind time hopping in books. But at times, it felt a little bit confusing, considering that it looked like we were in the same year, just getting different perspectives, and then going back to the past, then back to the present. One thing that’s undeniable about this book is how descriptive it is. The author does a beautiful job of transporting you into each environment. As someone who’s seen personally the beauty of Hawaii, a lot of these chapters captured so much of the cultural and natural essence of not only the location but the location at that time.
I think it was also genius for the author to balance historical and practical fiction. The events in the book take place around major events in history. Though I know the author said she took her own liberties with some of the locations to make them more personal with her experiences, which could lead to inaccuracies. But this book is not just about the history of the world, but the history and legacy of this family—the history that we leave behind, the legacy that one wants to create, and the sacrifice that it takes to build one.
I don’t see myself reading this book again, but I’m glad I stuck it out. Overall, it had some interesting moments.
This book promised secrets, lies, and generational drama that challenged the idea of soulmates and destiny, focusing on the Leong family. Would one follow the heart or follow tradition? Initially, I was worried that the synopsis was going to be better than the book. Halfway through, I was still piecing the characters together, and that could just be me. But the kernels still hadn’t popped yet! Then, once we get a hold of who each character is, we finally become invested in their stories and can start to appreciate some of the
talent that the author has.
While in some ways, it can seem that a lot of the women are very dependent, there are other moments where you can recognize instead this withheld and even silent strength that, as a reader, you can appreciate. Hearing their stories unfold, I began to look forward to seeing how each of our characters' decisions—following love or money—develop into either consequence, regret, or some unfurling of secrets. It leaves any reader wondering: what does love really look like, what does happiness look like, and is love ever really enough?
Now, I usually don’t mind time hopping in books. But at times, it felt a little bit confusing, considering that it looked like we were in the same year, just getting different perspectives, and then going back to the past, then back to the present. One thing that’s undeniable about this book is how descriptive it is. The author does a beautiful job of transporting you into each environment. As someone who’s seen personally the beauty of Hawaii, a lot of these chapters captured so much of the cultural and natural essence of not only the location but the location at that time.
I think it was also genius for the author to balance historical and practical fiction. The events in the book take place around major events in history. Though I know the author said she took her own liberties with some of the locations to make them more personal with her experiences, which could lead to inaccuracies. But this book is not just about the history of the world, but the history and legacy of this family—the history that we leave behind, the legacy that one wants to create, and the sacrifice that it takes to build one.
I don’t see myself reading this book again, but I’m glad I stuck it out. Overall, it had some interesting moments.