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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
A short thriller about a young Chinese woman who comes to New York City to reunite with her five-year-old daughter, who was adopted by a wealthy white American couple. Some great plot twists and Jean Kwok ties it all together well, but the thematic points were obvious and lacked nuance and insight.
3.5 stars. I am a fan of Jean Kwok, and this was a fun and interesting read, though a little sad at points. It jumps around, and has parallel storylines, but it all comes together in the end, even if not fully believable. It is a tale of a transracial adoption and the ramifications for all those involved. There is a small mystery element, and the two women telling their stories are both very different and interesting.
another book that i picked up on a whim but boy was i at the edge of my seat when i started this one. and mind you i was still at the edge of my seat when it ended. i loved the family drama and the way the story unfolded from the first page to the last. excellent pacing and loved the complexity of the characters.
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
THE LEFTOVER WOMAN by Jean Kwok was the first book that I have read by this author and I found it to be exceptional! It will be published on October 10, 2023. Thanks to William Morrow and Netgalley for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my opinion.
This is the story of two mothers and their intertwining stories. It has themes of international adoption, motherhood, China's One Child policy, and the publishing industry.
This was a beautifully written multicultural family drama and I look forward to reading Kwok's earlier works as well as her future books!
This is the story of two mothers and their intertwining stories. It has themes of international adoption, motherhood, China's One Child policy, and the publishing industry.
This was a beautifully written multicultural family drama and I look forward to reading Kwok's earlier works as well as her future books!
emotional
mysterious
tense
I really loved Searching for Sylvie Lee and was so excited for the book but sadly, there were too many things that didn’t work for me. First, the pacing wasn’t consistent with parts that went by super quickly (even too quickly) and parts that dragged. Some of the relationships also felt a little forced and I never felt fully invested. I also am not sure if this was marketed as thriller or literary or a literary thriller but the big twist was pretty predictable fairly early on in the story. Lastly, I was wondering throughout the book how the ending would come together but sadly, it felt super rushed.
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
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:
Yes