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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
This was a fun little novella with the forthright and assertive Jade Yeo navigating life as a Malay immigrant to London. She makes a modest living as a writer, partly for the Oriental Literary Review run by her friend Ravi. When she writes a scathing review of a prominent English writer's latest work, she finds herself in the same social circles as said writer and interesting events ensue.
I actually enjoyed this much more than [b:Sorcerer to the Crown|23943137|Sorcerer to the Crown (Sorcerer Royal, #1)|Zen Cho|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1430239646s/23943137.jpg|43548024]. Jade and Prunella have a lot in common, particularly in their bull-in-a-china-shop social graces, but this one was without an analogue to the stuffy Zacharias from that book.
I actually enjoyed this much more than [b:Sorcerer to the Crown|23943137|Sorcerer to the Crown (Sorcerer Royal, #1)|Zen Cho|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1430239646s/23943137.jpg|43548024]. Jade and Prunella have a lot in common, particularly in their bull-in-a-china-shop social graces, but this one was without an analogue to the stuffy Zacharias from that book.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
A short, fun romance with an entertaining narrator. I’ve highlighted my favorite bits.
emotional
funny
fast-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
I enjoyed the funny, blunt voice of the protagonist, but thought the story moved a little too quickly (to be fair, it is under 30,000 words, so I don't know what I expected). Overall, I liked it (I read it in one short sitting) but didn't love it. I'd be willing to try some of Zen Cho's full-length novels, though!
2.75/5 stars because I see why one could enjoy this, but it just wasn't for me.
While I was really interested in the first part of the story, the more I got to read, the more this novella turned out not be to for me.
This story is set in the 1920's and about Jade Yeo, a writer from Malaya, currently living in London. She mostly writes essays and fashion reviews and sells them to magazines - like the Oriental Literary Review for which she writes a quite critical review of the latest book by Sebastian Hardie. She is thus invited to one of his parties, where she meets said, married, author. At first she isn't particularily fond of him but finds herself attracted enough to him that she decides to be adventurous and have a fling with him later on. But the fling has unforeseeable consequences for Jade and thus she finds herself in a predicament of loving one and having a child from another.
Zen Cho's novella is filled with sarcasm, a bit of tragedy and gives us a peek into the life of a young Asian woman, living in England, that allows us to see not only the current happenings but also the microaggressions and everyday racism that comes with that. One might describe this novella as historic romance, yet it is much more than that and I quite enjoyed that.
What I didn't enjoy as much, though, was the characters themselves. I know that in short stories the author doesn't have the time to explore and develop characters like in novels but Zen Cho's characters just fell flat for me - even though they had potential. I wish the author would've explored Ravi and Jade's relationship more, but as stated above, short stories rarely allow the author to explore relationships and characters well enough for me to feel for them. Perhaps that is only a me-problem, but perhaps it isn't. I have yet to read any other books from Zen Cho, so I am hoping that in her novels the author develops and explores the characters and stories more deeply.
While I was really interested in the first part of the story, the more I got to read, the more this novella turned out not be to for me.
This story is set in the 1920's and about Jade Yeo, a writer from Malaya, currently living in London. She mostly writes essays and fashion reviews and sells them to magazines - like the Oriental Literary Review for which she writes a quite critical review of the latest book by Sebastian Hardie. She is thus invited to one of his parties, where she meets said, married, author. At first she isn't particularily fond of him but finds herself attracted enough to him that she decides to be adventurous and have a fling with him later on. But the fling has unforeseeable consequences for Jade and thus she finds herself in a predicament of loving one and having a child from another.
Zen Cho's novella is filled with sarcasm, a bit of tragedy and gives us a peek into the life of a young Asian woman, living in England, that allows us to see not only the current happenings but also the microaggressions and everyday racism that comes with that. One might describe this novella as historic romance, yet it is much more than that and I quite enjoyed that.
What I didn't enjoy as much, though, was the characters themselves. I know that in short stories the author doesn't have the time to explore and develop characters like in novels but Zen Cho's characters just fell flat for me - even though they had potential. I wish the author would've explored Ravi and Jade's relationship more, but as stated above, short stories rarely allow the author to explore relationships and characters well enough for me to feel for them. Perhaps that is only a me-problem, but perhaps it isn't. I have yet to read any other books from Zen Cho, so I am hoping that in her novels the author develops and explores the characters and stories more deeply.
A fun short historical romance with what I assume is an unusual plot, Zen Cho's wonderful writing and wit shine very strongly here. Like all of her work, highly recommended to anyone who likes to enjoy things.
The Perilous Life of Jade Yeo is a novella about a young reporter's misadventures in England and beyond in the 1920s. It has strong romantic elements, which doesn't always work for me, but I picked it up based on very strong reviews from readers who, like me, aren't really romance readers. The results were pretty fun. Our heroine, Jade Yeo (who also goes by the name Geok Huay) is incredibly likable and has a great voice. I also liked the fact that the book wasn't afraid to deal with common romantic tropes (such as a love triangle) in atypical ways, making the novella an unpredictable read. I also appreciate how the author managed to tell the story of POC characters living in the 1920s and the reality of racism, while at the same times making the characters satisfactorily multilayered so they are no solely defined by this. There were certainly times where I felt that this novella probably would have been a stronger novel, as certain elements, such as emotional revelations, feel kind of rushed. But if you're looking for a fun little read, this inexpensive ebook is not a bad place to look.
i was incredibly invested. while reading this book, I screamed, “COME ON. TELL HIM. YES, YES, GO ON. DO IT.” well done