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marie_gg's review against another edition
2.0
In preparation for our trip to Vancouver, BC, last summer, I looked up books about Vancouver. Wayson Choy was one of the most frequently mentioned authors. I find that Canadian authors are not very widely read in the U.S., and I've found many Canadian gems.
The novel is divided into three sections, each telling the unique perspective of three siblings growing up in the Chinatown of Vancouver. It touches on many issues of race, family, rivalry, the battle between the old ways and the new ways, discrimination, war, and homosexuality.
I found many parts of the novel interesting (for example, the young girl's unique friendship with an older, disfigured Chinese man, or the affair between the Chinese girl and the Japanese boy), but it dragged in other parts. In some sections Choy included far too many characters for the reader to follow. I didn't get the same feeling of place as I did in reading Vancouver.
I have Choy's autobiography out of the library, but I'm not sure whether I'll read it just yet. This book didn't grip me enough as it could have.
The novel is divided into three sections, each telling the unique perspective of three siblings growing up in the Chinatown of Vancouver. It touches on many issues of race, family, rivalry, the battle between the old ways and the new ways, discrimination, war, and homosexuality.
I found many parts of the novel interesting (for example, the young girl's unique friendship with an older, disfigured Chinese man, or the affair between the Chinese girl and the Japanese boy), but it dragged in other parts. In some sections Choy included far too many characters for the reader to follow. I didn't get the same feeling of place as I did in reading Vancouver.
I have Choy's autobiography out of the library, but I'm not sure whether I'll read it just yet. This book didn't grip me enough as it could have.
beentsy's review against another edition
3.0
I'm still processing this book. There were some amazing and very interesting points of it. Particularly considering I live beside the city it's set in. ;)
I will say that I loved the characters Liang, Poh Poh, and Stepmother. I wish that I could sit down and drink tea and exchange stories with them for hours. Is it horribly sexist that I really only liked the female characters? Yeah, probably. LOL.
I will say that I loved the characters Liang, Poh Poh, and Stepmother. I wish that I could sit down and drink tea and exchange stories with them for hours. Is it horribly sexist that I really only liked the female characters? Yeah, probably. LOL.
juicygreenmom's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.75
sanrodsara's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
siobhanward's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Whenever I see a Canada Reads sticker on a book, I generally know it will be solid, and this was no exception. Choy's use of child narrators, having the audience see the complex world of adults through the lens of children was effective, especially with the challenging story he was telling. I liked that he moved through three of the children -using only one would not have been as effective. I'm not sure I've read a Chinese-Canadian story taking place during the interwar period and at the start of WWII, and I really enjoyed reading something new.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: War and Child abuse
Minor: Death and Chronic illness
akinobo's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
3.75
little_red_reads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
trishtalksbooks's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
reflective
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? No
4.75
la1ney's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? No
3.5
manadabomb's review against another edition
3.0
We've landed in the 30's and 40's, in Canada, in Chinatown. Not exactly a place I thought I would be! This was a timely book about immigration and it allowed us to hear how it was to be a Chinese immigrant in Canada from the perspective of 3 children.
Gender and birth order play a huge role in Chinese culture. It's unfortunate because the first POV we experience is Jook-Liang, only sister. Being female and not being the oldest in the family puts her in a position of, well, I'd like to say invisibility but she's visible and constantly being told by her grandma that girls are worthless. No one wants girls. Jook-Liang is nothing if not persistent, even becoming best friends with an old Chinese man, Wong Bak. You notice that in this POV Chinese culture is very prevalent.
Our next voice is Jung-Sum, Second Brother. Still not a place of austerity but certainly better than being a girl. Jung is adopted and he's taken with boxing, getting lessons and learning how to shadow box. As you're reading, you notice he has a need to be "manly", with boxing, fighting, and how he dresses. As you walk through Jung's POV with him, you discover his secret.
Our last POV is the youngest brother Sek-Lung, a sickly little kid that was constantly kept out of school and was a favorite of the grandma. His POV is distinctly void of Chinese culture and he's very clearly a spoiled kid. Probably the least favorite of the sections because it didn't feel like it had a point (you'll notice the other two did). Sek-Lung takes in all the disinformation about the Japanese, including with Pearl Harbor that forced America into the war, and he joins in bullying Japanese children, even while admitting that he was mistaken for being Japanese and had to be protected. Well, perhaps that is the point?
This was a good book with great perspective on, essentially, being a stranger in a strange land....illegally.
Gender and birth order play a huge role in Chinese culture. It's unfortunate because the first POV we experience is Jook-Liang, only sister. Being female and not being the oldest in the family puts her in a position of, well, I'd like to say invisibility but she's visible and constantly being told by her grandma that girls are worthless. No one wants girls. Jook-Liang is nothing if not persistent, even becoming best friends with an old Chinese man, Wong Bak. You notice that in this POV Chinese culture is very prevalent.
Our next voice is Jung-Sum, Second Brother. Still not a place of austerity but certainly better than being a girl. Jung is adopted and he's taken with boxing, getting lessons and learning how to shadow box. As you're reading, you notice he has a need to be "manly", with boxing, fighting, and how he dresses. As you walk through Jung's POV with him, you discover his secret.
Our last POV is the youngest brother Sek-Lung, a sickly little kid that was constantly kept out of school and was a favorite of the grandma. His POV is distinctly void of Chinese culture and he's very clearly a spoiled kid. Probably the least favorite of the sections because it didn't feel like it had a point (you'll notice the other two did). Sek-Lung takes in all the disinformation about the Japanese, including with Pearl Harbor that forced America into the war, and he joins in bullying Japanese children, even while admitting that he was mistaken for being Japanese and had to be protected. Well, perhaps that is the point?
This was a good book with great perspective on, essentially, being a stranger in a strange land....illegally.