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yazzy_annalise's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
I picked this book up because it was on a LGBTQ+ book list, and I was excited to read about a POC main character. I originally had rated this book as 4 stars, but after some thought I knocked it down to 3.75 because I needed more world building for some of the aspects of the story. The story is very solidly written! I am so happy to have read this book and broadened my horizons! I think I can say this is my first book set in Malaysia and actually explores the culture. There was so many things I got to learn just from reading this book and being inspired to Google more information. However, from a story standpoint, I think there were some points where the author should have given more detail or expanded the characters' stories.
The story really focuses on Jess, her struggles, and obviously the Black Water Sister (the main story plot), but there are a lot of off hand mentions of things that were instrumental to the story, but weren't expanded upon. As well as, ALL the focus was on Jess. Thinking back to the large cast of characters, some of them weren't needed to move the story along or in the story at all, there function could have be carried out by someone else more established in the plot. After reading the story and thinking over a couple of days, I have so many questions to the author about the decisions she made writing this book. I am thinking back to all the plot points and I feel like many were rushed.
However, Zen Cho has a writing style that I really liked and kept me engaged throughout the whole book. It did take a little getting used to (because not everyone speaks English as a first language), but I do think that made the story true to life. It was a necessary and important aspect of the story and I probably would have found it strange if it was not written that way. I liked the way Zen Cho resolved the Black Water Sister, and at the same time I wish there was more meat to the closure of that chapter for Jess. All of the fear and haunting that the Black Water Sister did of Jess and then suddenly gone.
Ultimately, I would recommend this book because it is so different and I don't think many people have read a book with Malaysian and Chinese myth basis. But, I really do wish that there was more world building and a longer timeline to the story.
The story really focuses on Jess, her struggles, and obviously the Black Water Sister (the main story plot), but there are a lot of off hand mentions of things that were instrumental to the story, but weren't expanded upon. As well as, ALL the focus was on Jess. Thinking back to the large cast of characters, some of them weren't needed to move the story along or in the story at all, there function could have be carried out by someone else more established in the plot. After reading the story and thinking over a couple of days, I have so many questions to the author about the decisions she made writing this book. I am thinking back to all the plot points and I feel like many were rushed.
However, Zen Cho has a writing style that I really liked and kept me engaged throughout the whole book. It did take a little getting used to (because not everyone speaks English as a first language), but I do think that made the story true to life. It was a necessary and important aspect of the story and I probably would have found it strange if it was not written that way. I liked the way Zen Cho resolved the Black Water Sister, and at the same time I wish there was more meat to the closure of that chapter for Jess. All of the fear and haunting that the Black Water Sister did of Jess and then suddenly gone.
Ultimately, I would recommend this book because it is so different and I don't think many people have read a book with Malaysian and Chinese myth basis. But, I really do wish that there was more world building and a longer timeline to the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Murder, Rape, and Sexual violence
flyingryndeer's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Blood, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Medical trauma
Minor: Gun violence and Police brutality
lukests's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Lesbophobia and Homophobia
gellyreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
slow-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? No
2.25
This book feels so tough to review. I feel like I should have loved it and I just didn't. It felt so slow and it felt like a struggle to get through. I was telling my friend what was going on in the book about halfway and how it felt like nothing was happening, and she said it sounded like a lot was happening, and I was like yeah, okay, I guess it is. I just couldn't bring myself to care. (In case you are wondering where I was, I was telling her how her grandmother had possesed her and she had just been drugged by her uncle. Which, upon reflection, having someone drug you is a pretty big plot point, so I did concede. Stuff is happening in this book.) I wasn't invested in these characters at all. I will say that I didn't see everything coming, but I appreciated the thematic resolution, although I hated how the book ended - literally the last page of it. Like, I can't believe I didn't realize that the Uncle was Ng Chee's son, even though I probably should have? I did like that Black Water Sister was subdued by like justice and peace/love. That felt nice. BUT LITERALLY IT TOOK THE ENTIRE BOOK FOR HER TO COME OUT?! ONLY FOR US TO NOT SEE HOW HER PARENTS REACT?! That felt like a GIANT "fuck you" to the reader! I think I will try Cho's other books, but after a decent break from them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Homophobia
leannanecdote's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Murder, Gore, Violence, Racism, Grief, Xenophobia, Blood, Body horror, and Religious bigotry
kurumipanda's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
4.0
Jess is already dealing with the stress of meeting her family’s expectations, hiding her secret girlfriend, and job hunting, when she realizes she’s also being haunted by her dead grandmother. Solid story with grounded characters and relationships, a tense supernatural plot, and a good balance of humorous and heartfelt moments. Some dialog felt slow, some themes felt thinly incorporated, and a couple plot points seemed to trail off, but these seem to fit with the realism of the setting and resolution.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia, Murder, Kidnapping, Cancer, Domestic abuse, and Drug abuse
Minor: Car accident, Classism, and Racism
invaderday's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
hmmm the first half was incredibly boring. the second half was exciting but i still didn't feel all that invested in the resolution. the narration was excellent tho
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Homophobia
rach_reads_books's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence, Sexual assault, and Domestic abuse
miaaa_lenaaa's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The premise of the was good and it was well written there was just something about it that just dragged a little slow for me
‘Maybe that was what true love meant: a bitterness that stayed on the tongue when everything else faded.’
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Cancer, and Death
arialien's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Death, Violence, and Cancer