Reviews with content warning for Racial slurs - Peach Blossom Spring

Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu

31 reviews

cait_mccarron's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

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roguephoenix7's review against another edition

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emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I initially struggled to get into this book but I found I couldn't put it down by the second half. My favorite part of the story was the characters and how they had a lot of depth to them despite seeing them in such a limited way. They were flawed, they didn't always make the right choice but you could always see why they made the choices they did. They thought they were doing the right thing with the circumstances they were dealt. The story is sad, it's one of loss and struggling to find a place to belong but the characters persist and create new lives for themselves. I enjoyed seeing the story progress through the three generations of the family. It added a lot of depth to the characters getting to see where they came from and how they were raised.
I'm glad I stuck through with this book, I definitely found it a worthwhile read.

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ginadapooh's review against another edition

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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

4.5

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yomireads's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? Yes

4.75

Poignant, hopeful, and heartbreaking. A story spanning 3 generations struggling to understand what to hold back and what to give of their heritage when so much of a past is hardship and pain.

The prose is especially beautiful, allowing for the switch in perspectives without too much jarring, and the insight to the emotional turmoil in each character during their periods of grief and strength in turn. I particularly appreciated the bond between Renshu and Meiling, strained through hardship and distance over time, but never for lack of love.

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jhartsoe's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

4.5

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samlo28's review against another edition

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3.75

“within every misfortune there is a blessing and within every blessing, the seeds of misfortune, and so it goes, until the end of time.”

i always like the idea of a generational story more than the story itself. when covering such a large period of time, a lot of events are just told to the reader which leads to a sense of detachment. i also find the transition from the first main character to the next main character dissatisfying.

that being said, i still enjoyed PEACH BLOSSOM SPRING, especially the first half that focused more on meilin. i was moved by her thoughtfulness and strength in the face of such horrors. i also loved the incorporation of stories and their importance.

unfortunately when the focus of the story shifted to renshu/henry, my enjoyment wavered. i understood his actions and decision-making process but it made for a tedious reading experience. my interest picked back up a bit with lily and i feel like the ending was strong, but it never quite reached the highs of the first half.

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jmitchell20's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative 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

4.25

A moving story of a Chinese family dealing with generational trauma caused by wars and displacement through the 20th century. It was educational without feeling fact-heavy. Really felt for every family member during the difficult choices they were forced to make.

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