Reviews tagging 'Rape'

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

36 reviews

kappafrog's review

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dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad 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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dorothea03's review

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emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

It was a lot different than I thought it was going to be going into it. It felt almost like a collection of short stories but the characters related to one another. I really enjoyed it. It made me look back and think about different things in my life and I definitely cried at the end. 

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ashleysbookthoughts's review against another edition

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challenging emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Disclaimer: my library only had this book on audio and I don’t do well with fiction on audio. This one was particularly difficult for me because of the shifting timelines and perspectives, which I would have found less confusing in print. However, I looked up a character list (thanks, Cliff Notes!) that helped my brain keep track. 

So, this was not the right format for me to experience a book like this. Because it was audio, my brain at times felt like that Charlie Day meme, trying to figure out which character was related to which (we get stories from the mothers and daughters of the Joy Luck Club). 

BUT! Despite all of my confusion and extra brain power, this book made me FEEL things. One advantage of the audio is I think it made the stories (particularly the mothers in China) feel more real, as if I was sitting with them as they told me about their lives. The book packs an emotional punch. I definitely recommend it. I wish I’d had a physical copy, though. 

CW: miscarriage, abortion, homophobia, rape, war, death of parent, death of child, drowning, infidelity, divorce 

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kstericker's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0


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hollymich's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

The Joy Luck Club contains beautiful, captivating, and heartwrenching stories about the early lives of four women in China. It is difficult to conceptualize the hardship they each faced at such young ages; their strength truly is inspiring. It felt so intimate being invited into the Joy Luck Club, observing the deep, familial bond that these women have nurtured in America. They each attempt to impart their wisdom and lessons to their daughters, but their meaning is lost in translation across cultural and language barriers. It was lovely to see how these mother-daughter duos eventually connected as the daughters became adults themselves. 

This book will certainly leave you with a warm feeling

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counciloffrogs's review against another edition

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emotional reflective fast-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

5.0

This reflection on mother-daughter relationships and the turmoil they can experience is beautifully written. It clearly shows the humanity of families and the shortcomings and misinterpretations that can complicate relationships. I absolutely loved this book. 

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amelianotthepilot's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

a collection of stories about the Chinese American experience touching on immigration, generation gaps, sexism, racism, and more

really well written interesting stories

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inke410's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75


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allthebooks36's review

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4.0


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jaec11's review

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

4.0

A sweet story about family in an Asian household 

I found the format a little confusing, likely because I was listening to the audiobook, but it was still sweet and enjoyable 

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