1.61k reviews for:

The Storm We Made

Vanessa Chan

3.9 AVERAGE

dark slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
dark emotional sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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

4.5 ⭐ on 🎧

Pretty sure this book ripped my heart out and then stomped on it for over the course of 10 hours.

There is so much privilege in being raised in learning WWII history in a US-centered educational environment. This book was eye opening to the experienced in modern day Malaysia during Japanese occupation and expertly crafted to show how inextricably linked colonialism and WWII were--rather than everything being because Hitler invaded Austria. Definitely a must read for anyone looking to expand their world history view!
challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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
emotional reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
challenging dark informative sad slow-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
challenging informative sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

At times quite a challenging read, this novel told the story of WWII from the point of view of the people of Malaya, as British rule was overthrown and the locals had to learn to live under the Japanese.

With a dual timeline we see how regular housewife Cecily became a spy for the Japanese, falling in love with the Japanese general who groomed her.

Her teenage son is kidnapped and taken to work as a prisoner on the Burma railway; her oldest daughter serves the Japanese in a tea room; the family tries hard to protect the younger daughter by dressing her as a boy and hiding her away for hours at a time in the basement, so keeping her away from work in a "comfort station", or brothel full of child prostitutes.

I didn't find the characters as well-rounded as I would have liked, but the descriptions were vivid and the history distressing.

A writer to watch, I think

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