Reviews tagging 'Injury/Injury detail'

Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen

5 reviews

shannahtan's review against another edition

emotional hopeful fast-paced

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

3.25

I have a soft spot for this book because it reminded me of Chinese Youth Camp. I heard a lot about Loveboat! I do think it was odd that Ever was going to Loveboat when her parents were in Fuijian China. Maybe I skimmed over how they are Taiwanese. I do think all the pinyin was odd for Taiwan since we generally learn bopomofo. Also, they used the simplified version of 愛 at points. Maybe that was an accident. 

For the plot, I wanted her to be with Xavier because I feel like she had more deep conversations with him and overall, spent more time with him than with Rick? I also really didn’t like Sophie’s revenge plot. It was messed up that she shared Ever’s nude photos & that’s really unforgivable. She also lied to Ever about Xavier’s gifts and her relationship with him. Absolutely bananas that the resolution was Ever saying she was wrong too. It wasn’t the same at all. 

I feel this book was way too dramatic. Jenna’s depression made Rick stay with her until he realized he loved Ever. But, he’s a “good guy” because he just almost kissed her not actually kiss her?! Also, the car accident with her dad before she performs bo staff in the talent show on basically a sprained ankle and dislocated shoulder was ridiculous.

I do love how Ever finds herself and focuses on what she wants in life rather than doing what her parents want or doing the complete opposite. I also appreciate and can relate to rejecting your Asian side growing up in the United States then visiting Taiwan and falling in love with that Asian side of yourself. Also, experiencing life as a majority visually over a minority. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm

courtnoodles's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Violence, Sexual content, Vomit, and Infidelity

Moderate: Medical content, Sexual assault, Bullying, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Racism

Minor: Racial slurs and Blood

princessm's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Body shaming, Chronic illness, and Classism

heatherjchin's review against another edition

DNF at 60% — 50% then 10% at the end. 

I got through half this novel before reading some reviews and spoilers because I had to see if all the guesses I had for the story trajectory and character development would come true and yup, they would. And actually ended up worse than I’d imagined. So I jumped to the end and decided to count this as a full Read here to give myself credit for reading through what turned out to be a trope-filled, caricature-heavy, shallow, problematic relationships on all levels, and unrootable-for protagonist novel. 
The author does a good job with capturing the headiness and messiness of adolescence and young adulthood, and the emotional struggle between personal and parental dreams, but I couldn’t get past the framing of a lot of toxic relationship dynamics and decisions as just mistakes, excusable, not needing accountability or even to be taken seriously.

I also feel like readers who are not from the Chinese American and Asian American communities would find this more entertaining than many of us who live with the weight of these stereotypes daily.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Car accident, Cursing, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Blood, Classism, Mental illness, and Sexual content

internationalreads's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Racism, Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Blood, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Mental illness, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia