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elliott_the_clementine's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Body horror, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Racism, Murder, Death, Grief, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Abandonment, Medical trauma, and Medical content
bessadams's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Xenophobia and Racism
Moderate: Child abuse and Animal death
Minor: Death of parent, Death, and Sexual content
cnlarge's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Child abuse, Murder, Bullying, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Racism, Animal death, Racial slurs, and Death of parent
sehenry20's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, and Abandonment
Moderate: Murder and Child abuse
carefulfearanddeaddevotion's review
- 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
3.5
I've started using the CAWPILE rating system (I love formulas) and was surprised that I rated this as highly as I did. I think we all know that I prefer characters over plot, and these characters were so insufferable and weird for a large majority of the book. Still, they, and the plot, were really interesting and I could not put this book down! The writing was at times confusing and hard to follow. Leo Chao, and to a lesser extent, all of his sons, skeeved me out. Annoyed at James
Still, there was something so captivating about this book and these characters and I couldn't look away.
Graphic: Death of parent, Xenophobia, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Sexual harassment and Classism
alisonvh's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Infidelity, Alcohol, Death, Abandonment, Bullying, Murder, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death
hellosarahpham's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, and Murder
ukponge's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Xenophobia, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Infidelity
pun1sher's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Xenophobia, Racial slurs, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Death of parent, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Murder
Possible dog eating, nervous breakdown, emotionally abusive parental figurewngwendy's review
- 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? Yes
3.0
no, no i do not
This book was an interesting read, it tackles the anxiety that early generations of Asian Americans deal with and intra-generational trauma. The book is a weird mix of Chinese culture and racial stereotypes, this does make me wonder who the target audience is for this book. I would also classify this book more as a mystery with a tint of familial horror.
I cannot speak on the Asian American experience, but as a person of Chinese descent, I did relate to some parts of the story. These were mainly the issues of losing the ability to speak mandarin and some of the family dynamics described in the book. However, some parts of the books really went into racial stereotypes and felt hugely exaggerated, these parts made me feel a bit cliché and could've probably benefited from sensitivity readers.
This arc was provided to me by netgalley
Graphic: Xenophobia, Racism, Racial slurs, and Murder
Moderate: Hate crime and Animal cruelty
Minor: Child abuse