Reviews

Bliss Montage by Ling Ma

abbyj122's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.75

Breathtaking stories about a unique type of first-gen/immigrant experience where reality meets surrealism. 

enoughread's review against another edition

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

4.25

tallesttrees's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

4.5

cat_book_lady's review against another edition

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2.0

A montage for sure, but I wouldn't call them blissful since the stories centered around drugs, abusive boyfriends, and a search for an ever elusive identity as a second-generation immigrant from China. I think the market is becoming a bit oversaturated with these memoirs, or perhaps I am reading too many of them, but after awhile, the trope gets a bit tiresome. The writing style is good, and the stories are darkly poignant, but I just couldn't get into her stories.

emoser_9's review against another edition

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4.0

What a strange little collection of stories. Ling Ma's writing is certainly engaging and fun to consume

enjoysydneybri's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

3.25

gabstar94's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

tasteslikelemonade's review against another edition

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

5.0

moonrivernotes's review against another edition

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4.0

i have never read ling ma before, and safe to say, this was a perfect introduction. a collection of stories that are threaded through with several themes (the immigrant experience, trauma, abuse, complex desires, to name a few), and accentuated by ling ma's captivating prose, it held my attention from the beginning till the very end. would recommend to anyone looking for a collection of absurdist and surrealist short stories that handle complex topics as this seems to be something that this particular author excels at.

maddsienicole's review against another edition

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

3.5