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treyhunner's review
4.0
Teenage drama set in Mao's China during the cultural revolution. I found the characters a little flat at times, but relatable enough to reflect on between chapters. A worthwhile read.
catladylover94's review
really good made me think a lot would like to read more of her books
boooooooooooe's review against another edition
4.0
Veel drama. Ups and downs. Tijdens dit leuke verhaal ook nog info over China. En zijn inwoners tijdens de culturele revolutie.
leighanneslit's review
5.0
Taking place at the height of the cultural revolution in Maoist China in the 1960's/70's, this novel follows two youths, Wild Ginger and Maple. Wild Ginger is determined to become a Maoist, despite the fact that her mother has been called a French spy, because her father was a Frenchman. Maple and Wild Ginger quickly find solace in each others company, both being shunned by the other children.
As the two children grow older, Wild Ginger becomes a national hero after exposing some criminals in a local market. But soon, she comes to her ultimate test as she falls in love with Evergreen but can not give in to her desires because of her desire to be a Maoist. In the meantime, Maple and Evergreen are both suddenly doubting the entire revolution and everything that they were raised to believe. As Maple and Evergreen fall in love and become engaged, Wild Ginger's turns cold and soon betrays the both of them, but she still can not stay away from Evergreen.
This novel is a frightening but true look at China's past. Full of intensity and passion, Wild Ginger is a love story which uses the horrors and injustices of China's cultural revolution as a backdrop.
Honestly, I wasn't sure how I would feel about this novel, but I was drawn in instantly. The passion and the intensity of the characters makes this novel a truly memorable one. It does get a little racy at some points, but nothing over the top. Overall, I enjoyed this book and plan on reading more from this author.
As the two children grow older, Wild Ginger becomes a national hero after exposing some criminals in a local market. But soon, she comes to her ultimate test as she falls in love with Evergreen but can not give in to her desires because of her desire to be a Maoist. In the meantime, Maple and Evergreen are both suddenly doubting the entire revolution and everything that they were raised to believe. As Maple and Evergreen fall in love and become engaged, Wild Ginger's turns cold and soon betrays the both of them, but she still can not stay away from Evergreen.
This novel is a frightening but true look at China's past. Full of intensity and passion, Wild Ginger is a love story which uses the horrors and injustices of China's cultural revolution as a backdrop.
Honestly, I wasn't sure how I would feel about this novel, but I was drawn in instantly. The passion and the intensity of the characters makes this novel a truly memorable one. It does get a little racy at some points, but nothing over the top. Overall, I enjoyed this book and plan on reading more from this author.
noralie14's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
ronald_schoedel's review
4.0
Being a teenager is hard enough without the chaos and horror of the Maoist cult to deal with as well. I can't even imagine going through the Cultural Revolution in that period of life. A coming of age tale quite unlike most and which will shock many western readers.
kartikalanka's review
challenging
dark
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
librarianguish's review
4.0
Read for the 2015 Reading Challenge - a book by an author with my initials. Already branching out beyond my normal reading tastes!
I enjoyed it... I know very little about the Chinese Cultural Revolution, and this book has piqued my interest to learn more.
I enjoyed it... I know very little about the Chinese Cultural Revolution, and this book has piqued my interest to learn more.
quataodo's review against another edition
1.0
i was assigned this book for summer reading, a decision which makes me deeply question the credibility of my school's english department. i can probably count with my fingers the amount of complex sentences in this book. i've seen better writing from my high school classmates
angelikinika's review against another edition
3.0
It was an interesting book about the Maoist era in China. I didn't put more than three stars cause I could not bring myself to care for any of the main characters.