A review by lovetoread18
Mambo in Chinatown by Jean Kwok

3.0

The Cinderella aspect of this story was fun to read. A frumpy, shy dishwasher becoming a lovely, talented dancer was heartwarming. I also thoroughly enjoyed the details about Chinese culture. For the most part, they were nicely interwoven into the story. But other than the protagonist, the other characters came across as two-dimensional. As one other reviewer expressed, all of the loose ends being tied up into a perfect bow at the conclusion of the novel was a bit exasperating. And it seemed like the ultimate victory for this character was to begin a relationship with her dance partner. Of all the things that happened to her, ending on this note left a sour taste in my mouth.