Reviews

Bridge of Scarlet Leaves by Kristina McMorris

creepepaper's review

3.0

In this historical fiction, an already controversial relationship between Maddie Kern, a white American, and Lane Moritomo, a Japanese American, just began to blossom when Pearl Harbor is suddenly attacked by the Japanese. The attack throws Lane and his family into a spiral of unwarranted racism and drags Maddie into the mess. The story grows more complicated as Maddie's brother enlists in the army and Lane is forced to leave his home.

This story was informative and enjoyable, but I felt a strong disconnect from the characters. I'd been warned several times about the tear-jerker I was getting myself into and mentally tried to prepare myself. However, that was unnecessary as anything traumatic that happened to the characters, although sad, didn't strongly affect me because I never felt close enough to them. The relationship between Maddie and Lane was swift and didn't really take time to explore their romance. I couldn't decide if this was a romance novel or a drama with some romance or an action novel. The romance was definitely muddled and not focused on enough for me to be invested in their relationship.

I honestly felt the first 35 chapters were mostly unnecessary as I assume it was meant to build their relationship and show their hardships together, but it didn't stick the landing and wasn't successful. Things began to pick up once actual war-time began.

To be fair, I think a lot of the flaws of this book lie in the fact that it's not my typical genre and I'm hyper critical of romances. That's why I awarded this book 3 stars instead of 2 as I know it started at a disadvantage from me. Overall, the story was enjoyable and I felt I learned a lot as I feel school briefly glossed over the Japanese internment camps and the cruelty toward them during WWII.

aliciafromtheashes's review against another edition

I tried to love it. Full breakdown to come.

kerryann52's review

emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

margothere's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

dl2000's review against another edition

4.0

I absolutely loved all the characters in this story. This book had so many wonderful elements to it - family, love, loss, war, the search for one's identity... This is the first story I've read about Japanese/American relations in the U.S. during the time of Pearl Harbor and it forced me to think about something I never had before as well as enlightening me. My favorite thing about this book were definitely the portrayal of the characters - all so very believable. I look forward to reading more by this author.

gr8reader's review against another edition

5.0

This is another book that will sit on the bookshelf in my mind for years to come. One that I will take down, rifle through it's pages and wonder about the characters - where they are now, what they are up to.....but also to think about where they were then, who they were, what they went through. This story tells of 3 families, each with their own losses and tragedies. This story told a tale of a Japanese American who fell in love with his best friend's sister at the brink of war with Japan. How the brother falls for his sister's best friend. Of the experience of Japanese Americans during the internment and to those who love them. It is about choices made, about the results of those choices, coming to forgive those responsible for events that happen. (doing my best to not be a spoiler)

This was quite encompassing - covering a college baseball hopeful who enlists to fight for his country and later uses his 'fame' and skill to organize a life saving game; a woman who finds herself becoming a baseball pro, traveling the country until a family health emergency calls her home; a man who enlists to prove himself to be the American many feel he isn't because of his culture; a man who learns to love again after opening his home to women displaced because of the war; about POW camps; about love, hope and finding happiness despite all the heartbreak.

There were times my reading was slowed down by McMorris' way with words...times it was slowed because I was caught up in the melody coming across the pages as Maddie played a soulful tune on her violin...and times that my reading was slowed because of the tears that were streaming down my face.

Yes, this book will be joining the likes of "Hotel on The Corner of Bitter and Sweet" and "Those Who Save Us"

rebeccahenion's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

brinastewart's review against another edition

2.0

This was a rough one and not just because of the WW2 setting. I struggled to push through, it just could not hold my interest for long sets of time. The fact that the author did not lay out the passing of time well contributed a lot to this. Having a line sprinkled here and there saying "3 months passed", "Nine months later", "4 years____", did not do the job of having the reader feel that amount of time had passed. It just confused me further because I would then have to try and adjust what I had read up to those statements. Knowing that the ending would not happy, but sad did not encourage the feeling of wanting to know what happens next. I was just cautiously reading and waiting for the sad event.

lynnski723's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 stars. It was enjoyable but not wonderful. Although predictable at times, I did like the storyline

kenziek15's review

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

It was a slow start but I could not put it down in the second half