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kiwichill's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Child abuse, Confinement, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Self harm, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, Grief, Sexism, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Racial slurs, and Bullying
jacs63's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It's a brilliantly written, sad and frightening book, that is actually so scary, I couldn't sleep for a bit after finishing reading it late last night.
With the whole mess that the USA has become over the years, E.G. You can't get an abortion in some states, even if you are a 10 year old rape victim; You can shoot someone without asking any questions, if they come onto your property; Police killing people instead of just arresting them; You can have a gun in Florida, without having to be trained or have any checks done on you or your mental health; Mass shootings; etc etc etc, what this book talks about could happen. Very easily in some States.
It has a dystopian feel but it could be set today.
Any writer that make me ugly cry when someone is saying goodbye to a AI doll has got to be some kind of writing genius.
The ending was what you would expect the main character to do.
It's a heart-breaking novel that looks at misogyny; racism; the outlandish expectations of parenting etc. I didn't love Frida, but I got her.
Probably not everyones 'cup of tea' but it was definitely mine.
Graphic: Abandonment, Mental illness, Death, Dysphoria, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Misogyny, Suicide, Miscarriage, Sexism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, and Racism
yhteunice's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This is a heavily plot-driven story about a mother, Frida Liu, who has a terrible day and made a mistake that led her to be separated from her child, later be part of a system the government made for bad mothers. The main themes of the story is the struggle of motherhood and her "coming-to-be" of her Chinese roots. The way society created a structured and constrictive system of the high standards and expectations of how mothers should be. Creating an unjust perspective that mothers have to be a robot to their children.
It is frustrating to see the instances of it and reading it makes my blood boil (which means the book did a good job expressing the unethical & suffocating standards a mother should pursue). However, the pacing of the book is unnecessarily long. The point has been stated, and it keeps being repeated, making the growth seems rushed and difficult to understand. The transitioning of one scenario to another is not smooth and does not give the reader (or me lol) time to take in a particular arc or chapter.
Over all, the premise of the book and the theme are interesting and great for today's society. It's just that the execution was confusing, and it does not sit right with me. However, since it is the first book Ms. Chan has even written. I give more understanding towards it.
I rated this book 2.5/5 stars (2/5 stars since it's the only option lol). Would I recommend it to someone? Yes, /only/ if they'd want to understand the difficulties of motherhood. And it is also great for group readings to have many discussions. But other than that, this book does not give me the spark to necessarily recommend it directly. Do I think it could be written better? Absolutely.
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Child abuse
Moderate: Cursing, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, and Violence
Minor: Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Grief, Kidnapping, Eating disorder, Mass/school shootings, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Classism, Death, Dementia, Dysphoria, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail
carolynlovesbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Grief, Dysphoria, Classism, Death, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Racial slurs
Minor: Infidelity, Child abuse, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Toxic friendship