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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Some books are meant for discussion & THE STORM WE MADE by Vanessa Chan and narrated by Samantha Tan is absolutely one of those.
If you are not a fan of reading the synopsis, I hear you, but I would recommend reading just this part:
Spanning years of pain and triumph, told from the perspectives of four unforgettable characters, The Storm We Made is a dazzling saga about the horrors of war; the fraught relationships between the colonized and their oppressors, and the ambiguity of right and wrong when survival is at stake.
This is not a happy story. It is a story of what war does. It is an important story that shows how people are used and thrown away, how people want to be involved in something bigger than themselves yet for their own glory, how the innocent pay the biggest price. This would be included in my category of not "enjoyable" but vital. These are stories that deserve to be heard and witnessed. As a westerner, this is a story that enlarges my view of WWII and how it may impact current tensions in southeast Asia. History matters and we learn best through narrative. I was glad to listen to the audio of this: it was a perfect medium for me to engage this story. Tan embodied the multiple perspectives well.
I really had a difficult time engaging with the main character of this story. Cecily is a woman whose choices are predetermined in narrow channels who falls victim to a seduction that brings total destruction. While I wanted to develop a connection with her, I simply could not. The stories of her children were heartbreaking and much more engaging, though also brutal to read. I think it all mattered, however, to show what can happen when war comes. Ultimately a solid ⭐⭐⭐⭐.
I would recommend this story, though be aware of the heavy content. It may take breaks to get through, and if you have a group like @bookfriendsbookclub to discuss it with, I highly suggest you do so. It helped me immensely. Thank you guys for choosing a meaty book and if anyone else would like to join the author chat on February 10th, let them know! I am very excited to hear more from @vanjchan about this book!
If you are not a fan of reading the synopsis, I hear you, but I would recommend reading just this part:
Spanning years of pain and triumph, told from the perspectives of four unforgettable characters, The Storm We Made is a dazzling saga about the horrors of war; the fraught relationships between the colonized and their oppressors, and the ambiguity of right and wrong when survival is at stake.
This is not a happy story. It is a story of what war does. It is an important story that shows how people are used and thrown away, how people want to be involved in something bigger than themselves yet for their own glory, how the innocent pay the biggest price. This would be included in my category of not "enjoyable" but vital. These are stories that deserve to be heard and witnessed. As a westerner, this is a story that enlarges my view of WWII and how it may impact current tensions in southeast Asia. History matters and we learn best through narrative. I was glad to listen to the audio of this: it was a perfect medium for me to engage this story. Tan embodied the multiple perspectives well.
I really had a difficult time engaging with the main character of this story. Cecily is a woman whose choices are predetermined in narrow channels who falls victim to a seduction that brings total destruction. While I wanted to develop a connection with her, I simply could not. The stories of her children were heartbreaking and much more engaging, though also brutal to read. I think it all mattered, however, to show what can happen when war comes. Ultimately a solid ⭐⭐⭐⭐.
I would recommend this story, though be aware of the heavy content. It may take breaks to get through, and if you have a group like @bookfriendsbookclub to discuss it with, I highly suggest you do so. It helped me immensely. Thank you guys for choosing a meaty book and if anyone else would like to join the author chat on February 10th, let them know! I am very excited to hear more from @vanjchan about this book!
dark
emotional
informative
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
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Blood, War
Vanessa Chan's The Storm We Made just didn't do it for me, and I am in the minority as most people seem to love this book. I had to to force myself to read to page 100. It's like Colleen Hoover decided to write about the Japanese occupation of Malaya (today's Malaysia) during WWII: it's two-dimensional history that shocks the reader and does not invite them to think too deeply about it. Alternating between 1935 and 1945, the story follows the point of view of four members of the Alacantra family: Cecily and her three children. Cecily, a bored housewife tired of British occupation, is lured in by the "Asia for Asians" movement and betray her husband and family to become spy for the Japanese who promise liberation. Years later, under the brutality of Japanese occupation, she is full of guilt as she witnesses how it impacts her children's lives-- most notably her son, who has been kidnapped and brutalized by Japanese soldiers. There are many reasons why this book is off-putting for me. First, the characters are flat, unlikable, and lack development and complexity; all felt like a caricature, even the descriptions of the Japanese soldiers are over-the-top in their evilness. Their acts of brutality read like spectacle and are clumsily conveyed. The writing, unsurprising based on my criticisms already, is basic and rarely used for effect, and I became more preoccupied with seeking out variations in her sentence structure than reading for narrative. For a work of historical fiction, there was some modern terminology and ideas used in it that did not feel authentic to the past. It was obvious that someone from 2024 wrote this book. Keeping the POV splintered and focused each character's experiences takes away space from deeper exploration of important themes. I wanted a more in-depth look at the "Asia for Asians" movement promised by Japan. How would someone who wants her country to be rid of colonization ally herself with another colonist nation? By 1935 Japan occupied Taiwan, Korea, and Manchuria. What lead to this cognitive dissonance? This book is heavy on horrors, light on ideas.
I recommend Tess Uriza Holthe's When Elephants Dance, Richard Flanagan's The Narrow Road to the Deep North, and Min Jin Lee's Pachinko instead.
I recommend Tess Uriza Holthe's When Elephants Dance, Richard Flanagan's The Narrow Road to the Deep North, and Min Jin Lee's Pachinko instead.
I cannot even begin to say how much I loved this book. I think so many times we forget the heartache and struggles that happened in times long past.
Told from the viewpoint of a mother and her children in Japanese dominated Malaysia during WWII, you see how many different choices cause so many cascading events.
Told from the viewpoint of a mother and her children in Japanese dominated Malaysia during WWII, you see how many different choices cause so many cascading events.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It’s extremely hard to rate this book. But I recommend everyone to give it a try.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My husband and I will be visiting Malaysia in a few weeks, and I thought it would be appropriate to read THE STORM WE MADE by Vanessa Chan. This novel offers a deeply emotional exploration of the Alcantara family's life during the brutal Japanese occupation of British-colonized Malaya in 1945. Cecily, the matriarch haunted by past decisions, grapples with guilt as her family faces peril. The narrative skillfully unfolds through the perspectives of Cecily and her three children, offering a poignant portrayal of their struggles, sacrifices, and the blurred lines between right and wrong in the pursuit of survival. Chan's eloquent prose vividly captures the characters' bravery and torment, delivering a touching tale of family, loss, and the grim realities of war. THE STORM WE MADE is a beautifully written, impactful saga that resonates with the complexities of human relationships and the enduring spirit of survival amid unimaginable challenges.
emotional
informative
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