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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
This is the first novel by the author of "Night Tiger," which got a lot of attention last year, and in some ways I like it even better. Yangsze Choo is from an ethnic Chinese family from Malaysia, educated in the U.K. and living in the U.S., and she spins original fantastical, readable, beautiful novels with roots in her culture's folklore. This is apparently being made into a series in Mandarin; I'll have to track it down and view it.
I'm not sure why anyone would call this a teen novel though the heroine-narrator is a young Chinese-Malay girl who is betrothed to a wealthy dead man against her will. She comes from a once-wealthy family that is down on its luck but retains prestige, which is why her father is willing to consider the match. Meanwhile, she longs for the dead man's handsome live cousin. She leaves her body and travels through the spirit world trying to find a way out of the marriage, trying to understand the effects of the world of the dead on the world of the living, and to unravel the complicated murders that have led to her current situation. Along the way she seeks to meet the spirit of her long-dead mother and finds surprising allies who lead her to a surprising choice. I just loved this novel!
I'm not sure why anyone would call this a teen novel though the heroine-narrator is a young Chinese-Malay girl who is betrothed to a wealthy dead man against her will. She comes from a once-wealthy family that is down on its luck but retains prestige, which is why her father is willing to consider the match. Meanwhile, she longs for the dead man's handsome live cousin. She leaves her body and travels through the spirit world trying to find a way out of the marriage, trying to understand the effects of the world of the dead on the world of the living, and to unravel the complicated murders that have led to her current situation. Along the way she seeks to meet the spirit of her long-dead mother and finds surprising allies who lead her to a surprising choice. I just loved this novel!
3.5
I really enjoyed the first third and last third of this. The middle third, when Li is in the lands of the dead fell rather flat for me -I'm not sure why as that part was just as well written and descriptive as the rest. But I found it a bit boring, and was happy when the story returned to the real world.
And I loved Er Lang. And Li's horse :)
That said, overall I did enjoy this and will certainly look for her next novel!
I really enjoyed the first third and last third of this. The middle third, when Li is in the lands of the dead fell rather flat for me -I'm not sure why as that part was just as well written and descriptive as the rest. But I found it a bit boring, and was happy when the story returned to the real world.
And I loved Er Lang. And Li's horse :)
That said, overall I did enjoy this and will certainly look for her next novel!
3.5 stars. Thanks to the Netflix release, I was finally pushed to read this after letting it languish on my to-read pile for 5 years.
This book may have been narrated by Li Lan, but the real protagonist is Malacca. The descriptions of the port city at the cusp of the 20th century are vibrant and immersive. You truly get a sense of the mosaic Malaysia was by that time, particularly the sociocultural changes. There is some light romance (and a love triangle, natch), but I was pretty much here only for Li Lan's adventures through the afterlife.
Based on the trailer I get the feeling that the show on Netflix takes a very different direction with the story, so I appreciate having read this first.
This book may have been narrated by Li Lan, but the real protagonist is Malacca. The descriptions of the port city at the cusp of the 20th century are vibrant and immersive. You truly get a sense of the mosaic Malaysia was by that time, particularly the sociocultural changes. There is some light romance (and a love triangle, natch), but I was pretty much here only for Li Lan's adventures through the afterlife.
Based on the trailer I get the feeling that the show on Netflix takes a very different direction with the story, so I appreciate having read this first.
Ghost Bride was tough to put down. I was intrigued from the start, and it had lots of twists and turns to keep me flipping pages.
While Li Lan was a little annoyingly naive at times, Choo developed her well, and the side characters were wonderful supports. I think my only complaint is some of the relationships seemed to go from 0 to 60 with very little explanation/development. I'd still absolutely recommend it.
While Li Lan was a little annoyingly naive at times, Choo developed her well, and the side characters were wonderful supports. I think my only complaint is some of the relationships seemed to go from 0 to 60 with very little explanation/development. I'd still absolutely recommend it.
I WANT THIS BOOK TO BECOME A MANHWA BY YUN MI-KYUNG!!!! NDJSUEBDISBSU4BRISYWVDJ *______*
I was hooked from the first page! “The Ghost Bride” is full of mystery and intrigue, and as Oprah put it it, it’s a “fantastical, ghost-and-murder mystery...the sumptuous world of Chinese emigre culture and the love that flows under it all—the kind so full of longing, that pages practically sigh as you turn each one.”
There was so much suspense and tension, relief that only brought more doubt and confusion, and yet questions increased as the book continued. It’s such a cool insight into this unturned part of Chinese culture, long forgotten or rarely heard of—ghost marriage. More interestingly was the world afterlife, brought to life by Choo’s brilliant writing style and detailed descriptions. She is an imaginative writer and it’s even more impressive this being her first novel.
I look forward to whatever else she writes in the future. I highly recommend this novel to lovers of romance stories, historical fiction buffs, and any who appreciate a culturally-infused tale.
There was so much suspense and tension, relief that only brought more doubt and confusion, and yet questions increased as the book continued. It’s such a cool insight into this unturned part of Chinese culture, long forgotten or rarely heard of—ghost marriage. More interestingly was the world afterlife, brought to life by Choo’s brilliant writing style and detailed descriptions. She is an imaginative writer and it’s even more impressive this being her first novel.
I look forward to whatever else she writes in the future. I highly recommend this novel to lovers of romance stories, historical fiction buffs, and any who appreciate a culturally-infused tale.
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Murder
Probably a 3.5. I liked it, though I prefer the author's other book, The Night Tiger, more.
I found the first half of this book a bit slow and repetitive, but I really liked the second half. The second half is more focused on the supernatural elements and the afterlife and had more suspense. The afterlife and underworld was really interesting and I would love to read more about that or have the author return to that world. The Chinese and Malay customs and beliefs along with the author's own inventions created something really intriguing. I loved many of the characters, and would recommend this to anyone looking for a supernatural romance or supernatural historical fiction.
I listened to this as an audiobook and would definitely recommend that version for anyone interested. The author narrates and she is fantastic!
I found the first half of this book a bit slow and repetitive, but I really liked the second half. The second half is more focused on the supernatural elements and the afterlife and had more suspense. The afterlife and underworld was really interesting and I would love to read more about that or have the author return to that world. The Chinese and Malay customs and beliefs along with the author's own inventions created something really intriguing. I loved many of the characters, and would recommend this to anyone looking for a supernatural romance or supernatural historical fiction.
I listened to this as an audiobook and would definitely recommend that version for anyone interested. The author narrates and she is fantastic!