Reviews

Cinema Love by Jiaming Tang is a raw story that glosses over nothing. It follows a diverse cast of characters from life in China and immigration to America. In particular, the story follows a few gay men and those close to them.

The narrative style seamlessly jumps between characters and time periods, revealing a tangled, messy web of life and relationships. There are also threads of magical realism with the characters haunted both by ghosts and by memories.

This book is cerebral with beautiful prose; not a book to get lost in, but a book that drags out the dirt from under the rug to show you the harsh realities and hidden gems in broad daylight.

I didn't quite get invested in the characters until the last 25% of the book, but I did enjoy the journey getting there. The lives depicted are fairly simple, but they also feel bigger than the pages can contain.

I definitely recommend giving this one a try, especially for those interested in literary fiction, unlikeable yet complex characters, and learning more about Chinese immigrant life.

Thank you to Dutton and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this title. All thoughts expressed are entirely my own.

Content Warnings

caitlin_davies's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective 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? Yes

5.0

mavispice's review against another edition

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lighthearted slow-paced

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

3.0

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