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joshlynjavier's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
3.75
...suddenly it was clear to me why we don't remember what it was like to be born -- because it would give us too much insight into what it will be like to die. to be present for your own birth was suicide. to know the true wonder of suddenly existing was to know the fear of suddenly ceasing to exist
it was only much, much, much, much later that i understood and accepted that my parents paid for me to be free. all of it, i realized, had to be paid for by someone.
told through the perspective of young daughters of chinese immigrants growing up in new york city, these anecdotes represent the tumultuous and vehement feelings associated with being caught between two unknowns - where you come from and where you are, and the pressure to bloom in an environment that rejects your roots.
although the seven different girls each have their own unique hardships and conditions, a common theme of yearning for home, love, and understanding is present. forced to raise themselves and often left to their own devices, they each develop an independence and hardness that's common for the immigrant experience, shaping their personalities and concept of love and pain. it's the abundance of love and joy that can be found, even in the absence of basic needs. it's finding that you still love the sour fruit in the presence of sweeter.
jenny zhang is distinguished with the ability to write incredibly beautiful and poignant prose, contrasted with the hilarious, fresh, and sometimes disturbing voices of adolescence. as a child of immigrants, there are so many aspects of these stories that really resonated with me.
the range of experiences, circumstances, familial relationships, and personality was really impressive. i only wish that there was more distinct qualities to help distinguish the stories, but regardless very glad i picked this up!
fantasynovel's review against another edition
5.0
Reading this book is like touching a live wire. I truly think Jenny Zhang is one of the best writers alive today. Her prose is so electric, so surprising. She captures something about familial relationships and life itself that few authors manage to do. I love this book so so so so so so so so much.
xtie's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 rounded up? Painfully triggering in places but ultimately I don’t regret picking this up. The interconnections between the stories however felt a little clichéd (sorry), and some stories felt better baked than others.
tishywishy's review against another edition
2.0
I was super excited to read this book. I went to an author's talk where Jenny read an excerpt and I was sold!
The book, told from the view of young daughters of Chinese immigrant families, explores the complex world of being a first born generation or coming to America and adjusting to its cultural climate. It delves into housing, ghettos, bullying, sibling relationships, domestic violence, emotional abuse, and much more. Jenny uses wit, intense sarcasm and very graphic descriptions. The stories jump from one girls experience to another and all of them are linked. It was not an easy book to read - I tried reading it twice and finally stopped at 70%. Sometimes the stories diverge too quickly or the characters may come across as sharp and almost impossible to connect with. No two stories are the same but the desperation and drive to "make it" is always there. An interesting set of short stories but it became too slow and impersonal for me.
The book, told from the view of young daughters of Chinese immigrant families, explores the complex world of being a first born generation or coming to America and adjusting to its cultural climate. It delves into housing, ghettos, bullying, sibling relationships, domestic violence, emotional abuse, and much more. Jenny uses wit, intense sarcasm and very graphic descriptions. The stories jump from one girls experience to another and all of them are linked. It was not an easy book to read - I tried reading it twice and finally stopped at 70%. Sometimes the stories diverge too quickly or the characters may come across as sharp and almost impossible to connect with. No two stories are the same but the desperation and drive to "make it" is always there. An interesting set of short stories but it became too slow and impersonal for me.
febrfebrfebr's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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? Yes
4.5
hazel_oat's review against another edition
1.0
this was thoroughly unpleasant to read. every other page i was thinking “why don’t i put this down already?” but for some reason i continued. glad i didn’t spend any money on this one.
grayssuh's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
lizawall's review against another edition
5.0
omg I loved this so much, I can't believe I never wrote a review for it! I feel like Jenny Zhang is a water sign, and I just tried to google her birthday to find out but I couldn't find her sign just the fact that she is basically the exact same age as me, which honestly I would have guessed she was younger bc her writing has a real youthful spirit, but also it makes sense she would be pretty much exactly my contemporary bc this writing really evoked my childhood beyond imagining. Like literally I forgot for 25+ years what it felt like to be a child and then these stories brought it all back. I keep thinking about how wet they are, and Sour Heart seems like an appropriate title in a sense of like sour candy, like sour patch kids or something just so mouth-watering. And omg I remembered this podcast I love, Why Are People Into That had an interview with her called Why Are People Into Fluids and please just listen it's so good: https://medium.com/the-establishment/why-are-people-into-fluids-b996a48d9ea1.