Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Ghost Forest by Pik-Shuen Fung

20 reviews

bookishmillennial's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad tense 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
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial

I don't have the words yet, but this book deeply moved me amidst my own grief, and I highly recommend it. 

This was recommended to me by my friend @maddysbookopinions on Instagram <3 

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liadh's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.5


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muddymind's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This is such a beautifully heartbreaking story about grief, forgiveness, tradition/culture, generational trauma & ultimately love. I think anyone with complicated familial relationships would really gain something for reading this book. 

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mel_baldock's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75


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thewordsdevourer's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.25

ghost forest is an elegy to the author's deceased father and a meditation on family. it's a sparse book both in form and content, but also a remarkably relatable one esp in regards to the asian family dynamics, things both said and unsaid, mourning for family lost, and fung's attempts - and failure - to learn more abt her family members as full, fleshed out individuals. it's like seeing my own life imprinted in this book. 

there are moments where the truth of the author's words are so searing it brings me to tears, or so astonish me for the mere fact that another human feels the same way i do. while this book's emotional impact subtly ebbs and flows and there isnt much of a plot, it def serves as a great reminder of the fleetingness of life  and the preciousness of the time remaining.

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katievh's review against another edition

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emotional reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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amandalorianxo's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

This is a book you can read in literally one sitting or if you choose to listen to this via audio, only four hours of your time. Either way, this is worth reading. A lot of immigrant families (speaking from personal experience) tend to have a difficult time expressing love with their words, choosing actions or quality time rather than communicating. Our narrator, who is nameless, is trying to understand the grief she feels and the east vs west differences since moving to Canada after leaving Hong Kong. She relies on mom and grandma to help guide her confused feelings. The chapters are Uber short and sometimes veer a little off track from the re-telling of the past but will linger with you for a while even after you close the book. 

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typedtruths's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0


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rynicolereads's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-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

4.5

Have you ever read a novel that feels so real you're convinced it's a memoir? Ghost Forest was like that for me. It's a coming-of-age story about life, loss, love, and grief—and apparently (lol) it's fiction. It is uniquely written (both in actual writing style and the memoir-like feel) and incredibly emotional. Emma (@bookstagr.em) yelled at me to read this small, powerful book, and now I'm yelling at all of you to read it, too! 

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adelineania's review

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emotional reflective 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

4.0


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