Scan barcode
vaekay's review against another edition
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
2.0
Heavy groomer/borderline pedophilic (maybe not-so-borderline pedophilic) content. Stuck in extremely gross, misogynistic mens' point of views for the majority of the book. Bounces from the POV of a 9 year old Tammy to an adult Tammy having sex with her fiancee then back to a childhood Tammy. Lots of casual racism towards Black and brown people of color as well as other Chinese people. I understand that the internalized Sinophobia/racism is a plot point of the book, but myself and my Chinese partner were very disturbed by it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Body shaming, Classism, Death of parent, Child abuse, Xenophobia, Animal cruelty, Blood, Car accident, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, and Fatphobia
Minor: Gun violence, Deportation, Injury/Injury detail, and Islamophobia
readwith_adele's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
tiak143's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Animal cruelty
bree_of_the_woods's review against another edition
Child abuse of young girl on first page, second page confirmed its habitual happenings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
cinderellasbookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed it. I found the story to be personal and reflective in exploring identity, family, and the way things are tethered or tied together in unexpected ways or in ways we sometimes try to pull away from despite who we are and want to be. You need to know who are you before you can get to where you’re going.
I read a few reviews where some expected something else or that there are other books that develop the themes better, but I actually appreciate the author in telling the story she wanted to tell. It’s not perfect, but to me I empathized and connected with it.
I read a few reviews where some expected something else or that there are other books that develop the themes better, but I actually appreciate the author in telling the story she wanted to tell. It’s not perfect, but to me I empathized and connected with it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Car accident
Minor: Child abuse
telepathyjmin's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
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
3.5
For the most part, this was a pretty good read. I don't normally like books that change pov and show flashbacks/jump around, but i like the way it was done in this.
Lots of moments showing morally ambiguous characters, which i always find interesting to see.
The main reason i didn't give this a higher rating is for the last part of the book.
The pacing was pretty steady for most of the book, but all of a sudden all these major plot points start happening. Tony's dad dying, Kip running over Tony, Oliver hiding it all from Tammy etc.
I wish we would've gotten to see more of Tammy visiting China after her father's death, as i feel that would had provided a more satisfying(?) ending.
Lots of moments showing morally ambiguous characters, which i always find interesting to see.
The pacing was pretty steady for most of the book, but all of a sudden all these major plot points start happening. Tony's dad dying, Kip running over Tony, Oliver hiding it all from Tammy etc.
I wish we would've gotten to see more of Tammy visiting China after her father's death, as i feel that would had provided a more satisfying(?) ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident and Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Xenophobia
Minor: Alcohol, Cultural appropriation, Drug use, Medical content, and Physical abuse
oceanwriter's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
3.0
Literary fiction with generational themes has been an unintentional go-to for me this year. I picked up Paper Names not long after reading Banyan Moon so it was fun to switch perspectives. While Banyan Moon followed mother/daughter/grandmother dynamics, Paper Names had more of a father/daughter theme to it.
Tony has only ever wanted the best life for his daughter Tammy. To him, that means leaving China and building a new life in America. It hasn’t been easy for him. He's afraid to venture from his small circle out of fear. It’s easier for Tammy as a first-generation American. She and her father tend to butt heads as she strives to lead her own American lifestyle where Tony is often stuck in the middle of the culture in which he was raised and the one he sought out for Tammy. After an accident, a man named Oliver comes into their lives, bringing his own perspective on what it means to be American.
I loved reading the scenes between Tony and Tammy as well as a lot of Tony’s chapters in general. I can’t say I was hooked on the story as a whole. Given what drew me to the book, it didn’t seem like Oliver’s perspective was entirely necessary. Otherwise, the writing style was strong for a debut aside from some pacing issues. The ending happened so quickly and predictable once the setup had been made.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Car accident, and Child abuse
Moderate: Racism, Adult/minor relationship, and Animal cruelty
estam1's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Child abuse, and Death of parent
booksbeyondthebinary's review against another edition
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Child abuse, and Death of parent
Moderate: Racism and Adult/minor relationship
zhelana's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This book was weird. I spent most of the time wondering what it was about. The description of the book on goodreads doesn't happen until 85% through the book. Before that it's just random scenes with this girl and this lawyer. I almost put it down several times, but it was so short that I kept reading. It doesn't really get interesting until 80-85% through the book. Also, it asked me to feel for a child abuser and that felt uncomfortable. Like, when bad things happened to him I wanted to say "good, I'm glad that happened" rather than feeling bad for him and his family like I seemed to be supposed to. So I didn't actively dislike this book but I also didn't really like it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Child abuse