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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
A lovely read told in a unique voice. I fell hard for Jade immediately and loved following her adventures in London. My one complaint (if I can call it that) is that it is so short - I would have loved to stay immersed in her world for a longer stretch. But every storyline is sufficiently fleshed out and resolved, so don't let the length alone steer you away.
Recommended to fans of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries.
Recommended to fans of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries.
A tiny barbed delight.
Jade Yeo is practical, clear-sighted (about almost everything that doesn't matter) and very very funny. The voice would be lost in a longer story, but this took less than an hour to read. Lots of lines to memorise for future use, and a story with a beginning, middle and happy ending.
Zen Cho now on auto-buy for me.
Jade Yeo is practical, clear-sighted (about almost everything that doesn't matter) and very very funny. The voice would be lost in a longer story, but this took less than an hour to read. Lots of lines to memorise for future use, and a story with a beginning, middle and happy ending.
Zen Cho now on auto-buy for me.
I read this for free on Zen Cho's blog and I loved it! 4.5 stars at least. I am not a romance reader but I have decided to dip my toes into that water, and this was a great (albeit perhaps too high a standard) introduction. Honestly it didn't seem any different from any other story - I guess relationships and their consequences were the A plot, but the actual romantic part was very brief. Is the definition of romance just that relationships are the A plot?? What is romance. Help me En Vogue I'm in too deep.
Anyway, I very much loved that it was POC-centric, that it rolled eyes and pointed fingers at colonialism, that it was hilarious, and that our heroine is a harsh and unromantic critic :)))) Plus a really positive mentally ill character and no qualms about various bullshit people have qualms about. Like, I might not ever find a romance better suited for me?
In closing, I have seen the cover image many times and not looked at it full size, and I thought she was holding a gun. It is not a gun. It is a mirror. Thank you for your time.
Anyway, I very much loved that it was POC-centric, that it rolled eyes and pointed fingers at colonialism, that it was hilarious, and that our heroine is a harsh and unromantic critic :)))) Plus a really positive mentally ill character and no qualms about various bullshit people have qualms about. Like, I might not ever find a romance better suited for me?
In closing, I have seen the cover image many times and not looked at it full size, and I thought she was holding a gun. It is not a gun. It is a mirror. Thank you for your time.
The Perilous Life of Jade Yeo by Zen Cho is a novella about a Chinese-Malaysian writer set in 1920s London (mostly).
This novella was another delightful read from Zen Cho. It's written as diary entires, for the most part, from Jade, who is living in London, far from most of her family. The only family she has nearby is an intolerable rich aunt who Jade would rather avoid. Jade is making a living in London by writing articles for magazines and journals. The story really begins when she writes a scathing review of a well-known author's book.
As far as problems (and perils) go, Jade's seem to be mostly born out of her desire for adventure and new experiences. And mostly they are more inconvenient than insurmountable. Either way, Jade's attitude towards them and her turn of phrase make this a delightful read. I have seen Zen Cho's writing compared to Gail Carriger's and, while it is is of course not quite the same, I agree that Cho's work would appeal to fans of Carriger's.
I enjoyed The Perilous Life of Jade Yeo a lot. In fact, shortly after finishing it, I started listening to Cho's novel, Sorcerer to the Crown, and bought her short story collection, Spirits Abroad. That's how much I want to read as much of her stuff as I can. I highly recommend Cho's work to all fans of historical fantasy. In the specific case of The Perilous Life of Jade Yeo, I recommend the novella to fans of historical fiction, particularly set in the 1920s. I'm not sure I'd call this a capital-R-romance, but it does have a romantic storyline and I think it would appeal to readers who also enjoy that genre. It's not spec fic — which is what I usually read — but I didn't even notice until I was tagging it after I'd finished. Make of that what you will.
5 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
This novella was another delightful read from Zen Cho. It's written as diary entires, for the most part, from Jade, who is living in London, far from most of her family. The only family she has nearby is an intolerable rich aunt who Jade would rather avoid. Jade is making a living in London by writing articles for magazines and journals. The story really begins when she writes a scathing review of a well-known author's book.
As far as problems (and perils) go, Jade's seem to be mostly born out of her desire for adventure and new experiences. And mostly they are more inconvenient than insurmountable. Either way, Jade's attitude towards them and her turn of phrase make this a delightful read. I have seen Zen Cho's writing compared to Gail Carriger's and, while it is is of course not quite the same, I agree that Cho's work would appeal to fans of Carriger's.
I enjoyed The Perilous Life of Jade Yeo a lot. In fact, shortly after finishing it, I started listening to Cho's novel, Sorcerer to the Crown, and bought her short story collection, Spirits Abroad. That's how much I want to read as much of her stuff as I can. I highly recommend Cho's work to all fans of historical fantasy. In the specific case of The Perilous Life of Jade Yeo, I recommend the novella to fans of historical fiction, particularly set in the 1920s. I'm not sure I'd call this a capital-R-romance, but it does have a romantic storyline and I think it would appeal to readers who also enjoy that genre. It's not spec fic — which is what I usually read — but I didn't even notice until I was tagging it after I'd finished. Make of that what you will.
5 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
I loved this book! It was hilarious and charming and so nice to see the subversions of both the Orientalist tropes common in Western Literature and romance-y tropes.
I'm so glad Zen Cho published a book of short stories right after I finished reading this. It means I can snuggle in for more of her wonderful prose.
I'm so glad Zen Cho published a book of short stories right after I finished reading this. It means I can snuggle in for more of her wonderful prose.
I used to be a good girl and that was uncomplicated, but I thought complicated would be more interesting than safe.
Sometimes you encounter a work of fiction at exactly the right time you need to read it. After hearing about this novella in an article by Sunil Patel, I decided to give it a try, and I'm so glad I did.
Within the first few pages, I was delighted by the sharp voice, historical writing style, and witty characterization. I became invested in Jade's affairs quickly, and found myself rooting for her happiness. This story wasn't some shallow romp either. In Jade and her travails, the author takes a distinctly feminist look at the nature of love and sex without compromising the historical setting. I enjoyed the diverse set of characters and attitudes, as well.
Finally, there was this line which I adored:
You can't ever tell people you think you are pretty. Even if you are pretty you have to flutter and be modest. Fortunately here nobody thinks I am pretty, so my thinking I am pretty is almost an act of defiance; it makes me feel quite noble.
Can't wait to go and read Zen Cho's other works.
Sometimes you encounter a work of fiction at exactly the right time you need to read it. After hearing about this novella in an article by Sunil Patel, I decided to give it a try, and I'm so glad I did.
Within the first few pages, I was delighted by the sharp voice, historical writing style, and witty characterization. I became invested in Jade's affairs quickly, and found myself rooting for her happiness. This story wasn't some shallow romp either. In Jade and her travails, the author takes a distinctly feminist look at the nature of love and sex without compromising the historical setting. I enjoyed the diverse set of characters and attitudes, as well.
Finally, there was this line which I adored:
You can't ever tell people you think you are pretty. Even if you are pretty you have to flutter and be modest. Fortunately here nobody thinks I am pretty, so my thinking I am pretty is almost an act of defiance; it makes me feel quite noble.
Can't wait to go and read Zen Cho's other works.
It's been ages since I've read a book written in diary entries, but that's what I grew up on so this was a rather nostalgic experience for me (I mean, it's like the Dear America series but exploring more adult parts of one's identity and also set in England). I wasn't sure if I was going to like the way the book ended so I was a bit anxious reading it despite the nostalgia factor, but ultimately I did like it. It's not really what I would consider a romance, but it is romantic. I enjoyed it for what it was, though I really want to know what happens next.