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readingtomydogs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I really enjoyed Ghost Music, and read along as I listened to the audiobook. This book is what I call "delightfully weird." I liked the main character's exploration of her role in her marriage, who is she as an artist and as a person in general, and the dissociative episodes where she is surrounded by mushrooms. I liked the storyline of the mysterious Bai Yu, and I don't know if I totally "got it," but it gave me pause over what was real and what was in the main character's head. There were overarching themes of grief, keeping secrets, and motherhood. It was a very enjoyable read, I would read this author again.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Suicide
gretel7's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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
I received this from Netgalley.com.
A .. "novel of art and expression, grief and survival, memory and self-discovery" .. Song Yan is lonely and searching for answers.
Like Song Yan, I can relate to loneliness and the need to have a purpose in life. Although the writing is very good, I'm not a huge reader of magical realism and felt confused by the imagery in this story and frustrated by the ending.
3☆
A .. "novel of art and expression, grief and survival, memory and self-discovery" .. Song Yan is lonely and searching for answers.
Like Song Yan, I can relate to loneliness and the need to have a purpose in life. Although the writing is very good, I'm not a huge reader of magical realism and felt confused by the imagery in this story and frustrated by the ending.
3☆
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
nicolepaul_ine's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
emmalouisereads's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This is a very mysterious book that leaves you with more questions than answers. The writing is quite lovely.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Suicide
kari_f's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“He made me see true simple fact that we are not tied down to this world; we are in pursuit of it.”
This book, a blend of magical realism and literary horror, left me with many questions… but much like the main character by the end, I felt okay with the not knowing. I’ve found over the last few years that I really the occasional bizarre book that involves a gradual descent into madness or existential breakdown, and this book fits well into that category.
There is not a lot of action; instead the main character travels along a path of self-reflection, where we don’t always know what is reality and what is part of her surreal fever-dream-esque fantasy life. Readers may leave the story asking themselves what they just read, and for me that feeling is perplexing and enjoyable! And those are often the stories that I continue to think about long after they’re over.
I think that the audience may be a sort of niche one for this type of book, but if you’re into stifling environments and slow descents into madness (like The Death of Jane Lawrence or Our Wives Under the Sea), you may enjoy it as much as I did!
Thanks so much to RB Media and Netgalley for this advanced copy!
This book, a blend of magical realism and literary horror, left me with many questions… but much like the main character by the end, I felt okay with the not knowing. I’ve found over the last few years that I really the occasional bizarre book that involves a gradual descent into madness or existential breakdown, and this book fits well into that category.
There is not a lot of action; instead the main character travels along a path of self-reflection, where we don’t always know what is reality and what is part of her surreal fever-dream-esque fantasy life. Readers may leave the story asking themselves what they just read, and for me that feeling is perplexing and enjoyable! And those are often the stories that I continue to think about long after they’re over.
I think that the audience may be a sort of niche one for this type of book, but if you’re into stifling environments and slow descents into madness (like The Death of Jane Lawrence or Our Wives Under the Sea), you may enjoy it as much as I did!
Thanks so much to RB Media and Netgalley for this advanced copy!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Mental illness
Minor: Suicide
amobrien's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.
Ghost Music is surreal and haunting in the best ways. Yu's writing is beautiful. I just know this book will stick with me for a long time. I highly recommend it!
Ghost Music is surreal and haunting in the best ways. Yu's writing is beautiful. I just know this book will stick with me for a long time. I highly recommend it!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death