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read_n_wright's review against another edition
4.0
I was surprised by how readable this was, I tend to assume serious dramas will take time to get into.
Each character was very well constructed and the author really allows us to understand why they are the way they are which in turn, allows us to connect with them.
I love the possitive ending, how she hints at emotional growth and evolution and wish I could continue on that journey with the characters, especially Lydia. I loved the epiphany she had at the lake and would have loved to see the woman she became as she took her like back into her own hands but I know the writing wouldn't have the same impact had the story continued.
Looking forward to reading more by this author.
Each character was very well constructed and the author really allows us to understand why they are the way they are which in turn, allows us to connect with them.
I love the possitive ending, how she hints at emotional growth and evolution and wish I could continue on that journey with the characters, especially Lydia. I loved the epiphany she had at the lake and would have loved to see the woman she became as she took her like back into her own hands but I know the writing wouldn't have the same impact had the story continued.
Looking forward to reading more by this author.
sm_readsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This is a novel about a Chinese American family living in 1970s small-town Ohio. Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee, and her parents are determined that she will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue.
But when Lydia’s dead body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together is destroyed, tumbling them into chaos.
Rating: 4/5
if you're looking for a quick read that will keep you on the edge of your seat while reading it, definitely pick up this book.
I enjoyed this book, but also didn't love it completely.
The writing style got confusing for me in terms of how it switched the characters point of views and changed from past to present without warning. It was easy to follow, but still caught me off guard.
This book was way beyond what I was first expecting when I checked it out, and branched out in so many directions as we follow the families' lives after and before the death of Lydia. The storytelling was amazing and I had so many suspicions about what actually happened to Lydia.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fast paced and suspenseful novels, you won't be disappointed!
But when Lydia’s dead body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together is destroyed, tumbling them into chaos.
Rating: 4/5
if you're looking for a quick read that will keep you on the edge of your seat while reading it, definitely pick up this book.
I enjoyed this book, but also didn't love it completely.
The writing style got confusing for me in terms of how it switched the characters point of views and changed from past to present without warning. It was easy to follow, but still caught me off guard.
This book was way beyond what I was first expecting when I checked it out, and branched out in so many directions as we follow the families' lives after and before the death of Lydia. The storytelling was amazing and I had so many suspicions about what actually happened to Lydia.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fast paced and suspenseful novels, you won't be disappointed!
steffany's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-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
4.25
kirstenrose22's review against another edition
5.0
Bleak and heartrending, in a lovely way. I love the way this casts back to the previous generation for the explanation of the psychology of the present-day characters.
savy_sol's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
hannahkell's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
larilaris's review against another edition
5.0
4,75 ✨
i love how the title of this book is literally engrained in the entire narrative. it’s all about people that just assuem things. things are never said or talked it out, miscommunication at its peak, and then, after lydia dies, lots of things will continue being untold.
all throughout this book i felt physically uncomfortable for the kids. hannah, the poor girl, learned how to be invisible, knowing she was never wanted. nath, the poor boy, i don’t know how he grew up not envious of lydia to the point of breaking down earlier. and lydia, she had it worst. being the centre of gravity, holding your family together after a traumatic event. literally erasing herself to reassure her inner child her mother would stay, her father would smile. by the end, girly was dissociating and didnt even notice. just really really sad, and all i could think was “i hope i am not a mother like marilyn” that even tho she meant good, she was too blind to notice how fake everything grew to be.
celeste ng did an amazing job at building the narrative. i particularly enjoy the way she transits between the characters pov (in third person!), mid chapter, mid sentence even. brilliant. what a debut.
(yet, it did not hit me as hard as “little fires everywhere” did, hence the rating not being five)
i love how the title of this book is literally engrained in the entire narrative. it’s all about people that just assuem things. things are never said or talked it out, miscommunication at its peak, and then, after lydia dies, lots of things will continue being untold.
all throughout this book i felt physically uncomfortable for the kids. hannah, the poor girl, learned how to be invisible, knowing she was never wanted. nath, the poor boy, i don’t know how he grew up not envious of lydia to the point of breaking down earlier. and lydia, she had it worst. being the centre of gravity, holding your family together after a traumatic event. literally erasing herself to reassure her inner child her mother would stay, her father would smile. by the end, girly was dissociating and didnt even notice. just really really sad, and all i could think was “i hope i am not a mother like marilyn” that even tho she meant good, she was too blind to notice how fake everything grew to be.
celeste ng did an amazing job at building the narrative. i particularly enjoy the way she transits between the characters pov (in third person!), mid chapter, mid sentence even. brilliant. what a debut.
(yet, it did not hit me as hard as “little fires everywhere” did, hence the rating not being five)
dee_readz's review against another edition
4.0
Listened via audiobook and liked it but didn't pay as much attention as I would have had I been reading. Still a good story and really made me examine some relationships in my life and reaffirms the idea that you really have no idea what other people are going through (even those closest to you). Also brought me right back to my years of teenage angst. Will hopefully read a hard copy in the future.
queenbethie's review against another edition
4.0
Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet.
What a way to start a book. Lydia is a teenager, the middle of three children in a mixed-race family (Asian and Caucasian)of the 60s and 70s. The book is an exploration of why and how Lydia is dead. This isn't a murder mystery or suspense novel, it is a delicate emotional and social investigation of the family, so carefully done that you feel you are a secret member of the family, watching it all unfold, sometimes knowing, and other times not, what is about to happen and what the untold things are. It is definitely worth your time.
What a way to start a book. Lydia is a teenager, the middle of three children in a mixed-race family (Asian and Caucasian)of the 60s and 70s. The book is an exploration of why and how Lydia is dead. This isn't a murder mystery or suspense novel, it is a delicate emotional and social investigation of the family, so carefully done that you feel you are a secret member of the family, watching it all unfold, sometimes knowing, and other times not, what is about to happen and what the untold things are. It is definitely worth your time.