Reviews - The Storm We Made

1.59k reviews for:

The Storm We Made

Vanessa Chan

3.9 AVERAGE

chidan60640's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

stephjones71's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

leahbrown's review against another edition

2.75

sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I found myself disappointed and disillusioned theoughout the book, though not in the way I imagine most readers were.

The jacket cover promised tension, the author’s note promised hope, and the 334 pages brought neither. This book was incredibly slow paced, and with 4 separate perspectives, it seemed that nothing happened, because no one character was afforded enough pages. There were limited character arcs, and I felt disjointed throughout each storyline. Admittedly, some of my confusion stems from my limited knowledge on malaya and the war. I can typically rely on the author to supply at least some of that.

I tried to root for Cecily, then tried to root for anyone, and this seemed like the type of story that even the characters hardly rooted for themselves. If the jacket premise and the author’s note had alluded to this, I don’t think I would have been so frustrated. But I felt like there was false advertising.

viiic's review against another edition

4.0

dark sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Loveable characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

maggsewilson's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This book is thrilling, heartfelt, and complicated. I loved following a family and how they were individually affected by both colonialism and war. I enjoyed the book flipping back and forth between pre-war and active war time, and how that affected the hopes, dreams and ideologies of the people living through it. I really enjoyed the female perspective of the book, and how complicated the main character is- she’s so flawed, but her intent is so fierce and admirable.