Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang

4 reviews

kbrinkman25's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I was frustrated by this book because the sense of timing and investment in characters just seemed off. Maybe the timing was deliberate, as in Xishi is a legend because she was able to entirely retrain her mind, manners, and facial expressions in a little more than two months. But the writing seems to invite you to see Xishi as a whole, flawed, relatable person in spite of her beauty. So is she a superhuman legend, or a regular person in extraordinary circumstances? I'm not sure.

All of Xishi's relationships were also hard to believe because we didn't spend enough time with them. (Spoilers ahead) 

  • Zhengdan seemed set up to be her best friend within the Wu palace,
    but she did not do much and then she died in an incredibly anticlimactic way.
  • Every ally she made in the Wu palace seemed very ill thought out. Counting on the loyalty of people you hardly know,
    let alone who tried to poison you,
    seems like the naive thinking of someone who only received ten weeks of training.
    Then again, they all did exactly as she wanted them to with an astonishing lack or suspicion.
  • Fanli is tricky because he did seem like a somewhat fleshed out character, just one we spent no time with. 

There were a lot of elements to explore in this story about loyalty, war, suffering, and love. For me it boiled down to a lack of space to give all of those elements the nuance they deserved. But I was genuinely surprised by the ending and thought it was done well, so I'm willing to see where this author goes in the future! 
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poohshunnybee's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective 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

4.0

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izzyrbell's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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love_and_lilacs's review against another edition

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challenging emotional sad 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? It's complicated

4.25

 I loved this book. Being completely unfamiliar with both the author and the subject matter, I wasn't really sure what I was getting into, but by the end I was compelled to begin researching the myths and stories that formed the foundation of this novel. 

There were certainly a few points that I felt the pacing could have been improved but it wasn't enough to stop me from enjoying the story. And there were a few minor points where I wasn't entirely clear on how much time was passing, particularly once Xishi arrives at the Wu castle. 

The ending was also entirely unexpected, and then unexpected one more time before it all wrapped up. Maybe if you're familiar with Xishi's story and the variations of her myth, you won't be surprised at all, but I certainly was. 

I hesitate to make this comparison, because I feel like it puts too much pressure on this book, but I would say that people who enjoy Madeline Miller's works will also enjoy this one. Miller's prose is likely the stronger, but I was hardly disappointed by Liang's writing style either. 

The romance was also constructed in a way that felt compelling and satisfying to read, and I found myself anxious to learn the ultimate fate of Xishi and Fanli. 

I devoured this in almost a single sitting and only stopped reading because it was 3 am. I can imagine myself returning to this book to read it again, perhaps at a slower pace that allows me to savor what I might have missed the first time around. 

Perhaps the highest praise I can give this book is that it moved me to tears, and any book that can move me to feel real emotion is worth my time. 


ARC provided by NetGalley 
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