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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
I rather liked this book, but in finding something to say that isn't just a summary, I am having trouble because I think I was well-served going into this only knowing that it's a supernatural story based in Malay/Chinese superstitions and myths.
So, if you like that kind of thing or it intrigues you, give this a shot for a quick read (if you like Amy Tan's work including the Men Suck Death to Men bits, you're going to like this).
A pleasant, satisfying read overall, though I wish some things had been fleshed out a little more.
So, if you like that kind of thing or it intrigues you, give this a shot for a quick read (if you like Amy Tan's work including the Men Suck Death to Men bits, you're going to like this).
A pleasant, satisfying read overall, though I wish some things had been fleshed out a little more.
adventurous
mysterious
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
Such a unique setting, filled with vivid descriptions and a huge variety of characters. The descriptions of food were mouth watering. You will get hungry reading this book!
I don’t know why, but I was expecting this to be much more of a standard historical fiction. It definitely was not! But I still really enjoyed it. It felt like a combination of The Bear and the Nightingale and Spirited Away. So much fun!
I don’t know why, but I was expecting this to be much more of a standard historical fiction. It definitely was not! But I still really enjoyed it. It felt like a combination of The Bear and the Nightingale and Spirited Away. So much fun!
This book is like a set. It LOOKS gorgeous, but if you're not in the exact right angle, you see that everything is flat, covered in weird bits of tape and other drab accoutrements, and ready to break the first time anyone examines it too closely. Also like a set, the performance is what brought it to life.
CONTENT WARNING:
Things that were wonderful:
-The setting. It felt so rich. Friends who have been to Malaysia said it felt just like walking down the street, but with more formal clothing.
-The mythology. I loved learning more about how Malay and Chinese traditions discuss ghosts, the afterlife and curses. So very fun.
-The audiobook. The author reads this herself and...wow. I'm not sure I'll add her to my "must read" list, but she can read me the damn grocery circular and I'd probably rate it 2 staars.
Things that were a hardship:
-Li Lan. The main character is OBNOXIOUS. It might be authentic, to have a young woman who is sheltered, motherless, entitled, and whose father is a drug addict, but spending hours upon hours with this chick was like a babysitting job from hell (jokes because half of this book is basically IN hell!) Also, girl's incredibly vain and basically the definition of a thot.
-The romance. I never like romances, but this one was especially icky with a love triangle and three people who I don't think are ready to be with anyone, let alone each other. Enjoy supernatural couples therapy, y'all.
Writing and storycrafting. So much repetition, so much filler, and so much "I don't know why I did this but here I go doing it anyways!" for plot purposes. It was annoying that we didn't have a story to tell in this beautiful stage.
2 stars because the set dressing was pretty and Hell was better than the rest. 1 extra star because I wouldn't have finished it without the narration, it was that good.
CONTENT WARNING:
Spoiler
Fat shaming, misogyny, slut shaming, loss of a loved one, death in general, substance useThings that were wonderful:
-The setting. It felt so rich. Friends who have been to Malaysia said it felt just like walking down the street, but with more formal clothing.
-The mythology. I loved learning more about how Malay and Chinese traditions discuss ghosts, the afterlife and curses. So very fun.
-The audiobook. The author reads this herself and...wow. I'm not sure I'll add her to my "must read" list, but she can read me the damn grocery circular and I'd probably rate it 2 staars.
Things that were a hardship:
-Li Lan. The main character is OBNOXIOUS. It might be authentic, to have a young woman who is sheltered, motherless, entitled, and whose father is a drug addict, but spending hours upon hours with this chick was like a babysitting job from hell (jokes because half of this book is basically IN hell!) Also, girl's incredibly vain and basically the definition of a thot.
-The romance. I never like romances, but this one was especially icky with a love triangle and three people who I don't think are ready to be with anyone, let alone each other. Enjoy supernatural couples therapy, y'all.
Writing and storycrafting. So much repetition, so much filler, and so much "I don't know why I did this but here I go doing it anyways!" for plot purposes. It was annoying that we didn't have a story to tell in this beautiful stage.
2 stars because the set dressing was pretty and Hell was better than the rest. 1 extra star because I wouldn't have finished it without the narration, it was that good.
slow-paced
adventurous
mysterious
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
Love the historical backdrop, the mythology, the characters. Just loved it.
I wanted to like this book. Really, I did. While the premise was interesting, I agree with others that the execution was poor. Li Lan is not particularly likable...she's often dense and oddly erratic in her inner prose. Outside characters say she is smart, but the author never proved this.
Other characters, particularly the two love interests, were paper thin in their characterizations. I still don't understand how she came to like, let alone love, Love Interest B. Dialogue between Li Lan and Love Interest B was frequently wooden and painfully awkward at times (That last kiss scene? *awkward turtle*).
The prose had its beautiful moments. Colors, sounds, and images were vividly described, which I think made the poorly built characters stand out to me more in contrast. It's like Choo had this wonderful world built in her head and not all of it made it onto the page. Occasionally, she would interrupt interesting prose to insert exposition about Malay dress, customs, and history, which I found frustrating.
Anyways, I don't particularly recommend this book. Some have made the argument that this reads like YA, but this truth of the matter is that I've read YA romance/historical fiction/fantasy novels that are better.
Other characters, particularly the two love interests, were paper thin in their characterizations. I still don't understand how she came to like, let alone love, Love Interest B. Dialogue between Li Lan and Love Interest B was frequently wooden and painfully awkward at times (That last kiss scene? *awkward turtle*).
The prose had its beautiful moments. Colors, sounds, and images were vividly described, which I think made the poorly built characters stand out to me more in contrast. It's like Choo had this wonderful world built in her head and not all of it made it onto the page. Occasionally, she would interrupt interesting prose to insert exposition about Malay dress, customs, and history, which I found frustrating.
Anyways, I don't particularly recommend this book. Some have made the argument that this reads like YA, but this truth of the matter is that I've read YA romance/historical fiction/fantasy novels that are better.
An entertaining and romantic page-turner about a young woman in British Malaya who gets involved with a variety of spirits and encounters in an amusingly bureaucratic afterlife.