Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Four Treasures of the Sky by Jenny Tinghui Zhang

43 reviews

0124eliza's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated

4.5

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

rebcamuse's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

Set against the backdrop of the Chinese Exclusion Act, Four Treasures of the Sky is a heartbreaking story of Daiyu, a young Chinese girl who longs to be a calligraphist, but who encounters the worst of humanity, very far from home. There are moments of extreme beauty, particularly when Daiyu calls upon the lessons of calligraphy to face obstacles: "The inkstone asks for destruction before creation--you must first destroy yourself, grind yourself into a paste, before becoming a work of art." (307) Zhang illuminates Daiyu's "coming of age" within a tragedy, but the saving grace is Daiyu's own growth as a person. It is an important narrative that reflects the experience of far too many Chinese immigrants in the United States, and unearths a history that has been too often squelched.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

banpoulami's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

A tremendous amount of grief written and weaved so beautifully into a work of art. Unlike anything I’ve read before. 

A note to read the acknowledgements of this book, if you don’t usually! It adds a layer that is extremely valuable to the experience of the story.

I can’t in good conscience say you will have fun but the writing is worth the pain and heartache. But I was sobbing uncontrollably at the end, so reader, be warned.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

martinjen98's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

emmachinami's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

4.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

mollz12's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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? No

4.5

This book was intense the whole way through. I don’t want to give the ending away but it is not happy. The character tries over and over again to succeed. 
I loved this book and yet was so torn to not want to read the ending. It was hard to see someone just be beaten down. It’s a beautiful read and the author really studied what happened to Chinese Immigrants and Slaves back in the 1800’s. What a sad world they lived in and as white people continue to make people of color suffer in. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

swen20's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional informative 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? It's complicated

5.0

As someone who didn’t know much about the Chinese Exclusion Act, this book was informative and impactful. A tough read but something I will be recommending to everyone I know.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

fkshg8465's review

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced
  • 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

5.0

Beautifully written, a story that needed to be told. Will be gifting a copy to my niece. Worth reading through how the author decided to write this story. Historical fiction that probably happened to many Chinese women and Chinese citizens. Need to acknowledge it of part of US history too.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

lcg527's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark informative sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

3.5

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

softbun's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings