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A review by nonsensicaljourney
This Place Is Still Beautiful by XiXi Tian
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.0
This book was an excellent vehicle for an interesting discussion about racism, particularly with regards to the Asian community, as well as colourism. It investigated the lives of two sisters of Chinese heritage living in suburbian America, and how they reacted when a hate crime was committed against their family. The characters were well fleshed-out, and even the one who was portrayed as more juvenile (in the context of a YA novel) was given a significant and difficult moral decision to make.
Yes, it was a YA novel, so there was a significant focus on romance, but I enjoyed that the author turned it all around and made it relevant to the question of how these characters wrestled morally with racism of all types - subtle racism, and the kind of blatant racism associated with a hate crime. It was very well written, and fast-paced. I read it in less than three days.
It was also very interesting as a young person of colour to think through the impact on two sisters of slightly different shades and "white-passing-ness", and reflect on how that has affected me in my own life. I think this book allowed for a very accurate insight into these concerns, and would recommend it to anyone who is hoping to learn about colourism and what that entails, in reality.
Yes, it was a YA novel, so there was a significant focus on romance, but I enjoyed that the author turned it all around and made it relevant to the question of how these characters wrestled morally with racism of all types - subtle racism, and the kind of blatant racism associated with a hate crime. It was very well written, and fast-paced. I read it in less than three days.
It was also very interesting as a young person of colour to think through the impact on two sisters of slightly different shades and "white-passing-ness", and reflect on how that has affected me in my own life. I think this book allowed for a very accurate insight into these concerns, and would recommend it to anyone who is hoping to learn about colourism and what that entails, in reality.