A review by eena
Bliss Montage by Ling Ma

dark informative reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Reading this made me want to reread Severance again, this is more of a 3.5 rating and here are my reasons:

  • Ling Ma’s main characters are usually fascinating that she goes beyond the usual immigrant stories that we know of and I truly love how she presented the relationships of her characters here
  • This reminded me of On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous and how for Asian people, especially immigrants, the English language is power and a status symbol
  • I LOVE THE TITLE SO MUCH it’s the most realistic part of this collection
  • What made me rate it a little lower than most of the reviews here was that I expecting the stories to go beyond just the fantasy of everything because I feel like some bits were confused in becoming a fantasy or a surrealist story. I also thought that it will be unique that each story will be interlaced with each other and this also disappointed me somehow. 

This is truly a high recommendation this year and I cannot wait for Ling Ma’s future works. Big thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for the arc! 
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