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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Jean Kwok takes the abstract idea of China’s one-child policy and gives it a face. A mother. A daughter. A story filled with heartbreak, resilience, and the kind of love that crosses oceans.
I was pulled into Jasmine’s journey from the very first page. Her desperation, her courage, and the quiet strength she shows in a world that constantly tries to silence her—it stayed with me long after the final chapter. And then there’s Rebecca, whose seemingly perfect life is more fragile than it appears. The way their stories collide is so layered and powerful.
This is more than a thriller. It’s a story about identity, motherhood, sacrifice, and how policy isn’t just policy—it’s people’s lives. This book made the consequences of the one-child rule painfully real.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It feels like I must have read a completely different book than the one getting these 5 star reviews. I didn’t enjoy anything about this- the dialogue is disjointed and stilted in a way that’s actually hard to read, the writing style is beyond simplistic, and literally do not even get me started on the story itself. This one was absolutely not for me.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
🥹
medium-paced
I liked the plot and story for the most part, but had a hard time with the narration. It was hard to root for any of the characters, and so many of the details were superfluous to the plot and distracting.
The irony of writing a story about an editor that IMO needed some more heavy handed editing isn’t lost on me.
The irony of writing a story about an editor that IMO needed some more heavy handed editing isn’t lost on me.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A hopeful noir? A pitch perfect tale where every detail pays off, and the emotional undercurrent works in its favor