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barbsantos's review
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What a delightful quick read!
This book is a great take on historical fiction, it discusses difficult topics such as racism, segregation, and even how the suffragist movement in the US was racist with a hopeful but truthful lens.
The main character, Jo, is strong and determined. I loved her so much! I really hope we get a sequel so we can know what happened with Miss Sweetie.
This book is a great take on historical fiction, it discusses difficult topics such as racism, segregation, and even how the suffragist movement in the US was racist with a hopeful but truthful lens.
The main character, Jo, is strong and determined. I loved her so much! I really hope we get a sequel so we can know what happened with Miss Sweetie.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual assault and Gore
Minor: Child abuse
kayladaila's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
The Downstairs Girl tells the story of Jo Kuan, a Chinese American woman struggling to find her place in post-Civil War Georgia. Jo is employed as a servant for a wealthy family while she lives illegally in the basement of a struggling newspaper owner’s house. She decides to write an advice column to help her upstairs neighbor boost newspaper sales and give herself an outlet.
Stacey Lee seamlessly touches on so many themes over the course of The Downstairs Girl. My favorite was Lee’s handling of intersectional feminism. From Jo’s column to her involvement with the Women’s Rights movement, there is so much to unpack, and sadly, most of it still needs to be unpacked today.
The Downstairs Girl reminded me of Last Night at the Telegraph Club. It didn’t help that Emily Woo Zeller read the audiobook for both. However, they are both about young Chinese American women dealing with inter-generational conflict and discrimination. I think these books are worth looking at next to each other.
Stacey Lee seamlessly touches on so many themes over the course of The Downstairs Girl. My favorite was Lee’s handling of intersectional feminism. From Jo’s column to her involvement with the Women’s Rights movement, there is so much to unpack, and sadly, most of it still needs to be unpacked today.
The Downstairs Girl reminded me of Last Night at the Telegraph Club. It didn’t help that Emily Woo Zeller read the audiobook for both. However, they are both about young Chinese American women dealing with inter-generational conflict and discrimination. I think these books are worth looking at next to each other.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Abandonment and Infidelity
Minor: Death of parent, Hate crime, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Racial slurs, and Rape
jmsears08's review
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Sexism
jashanac's review
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
Moderate: Misogyny, Racial slurs, and Sexism
Minor: Sexual harassment
bookcheshirecat's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Sexism
bsteve24's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, and Violence
caidyn's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Wow, what a good book. I've had it on my TBR for a long time and decided to finally get to it this AAPI heritage month. And it was so fun. Sad at times, but overall light and enjoyable. That's all I can say about it, really. I'm on the Stacey Lee bandwagon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism
kikicochrane's review
adventurous
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Misogyny, and Infidelity
Moderate: Blood, Violence, and Bullying
kierscrivener's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.25
This is novel about a Chinese girl in 1890s Atlanta who spends her days as a lady's maid and her night's writing an advice column and creating change.
I really loved how this captured era, this was a time of extreme change around the world as women were lobbying for their rights and the world was being thrust into the modern era. I thought the conversation around race and feminism was amazing. Especially the Asian community is erased from many narratives especially historical.
My biggest complaint was that I thought that the supporting characters could use a lot of development and that the climax/end was too easily wrapped up. I would have liked it to be longer and maybe less easy. But that is me falling more on the realism than hopeful side of the spectrum.
Overall, a beautifully written and well developed world without a perfect execution.
If you are looking for diverse historical fiction I would recommend!
I really loved how this captured era, this was a time of extreme change around the world as women were lobbying for their rights and the world was being thrust into the modern era. I thought the conversation around race and feminism was amazing. Especially the Asian community is erased from many narratives especially historical.
My biggest complaint was that I thought that the supporting characters could use a lot of development and that the climax/end was too easily wrapped up. I would have liked it to be longer and maybe less easy. But that is me falling more on the realism than hopeful side of the spectrum.
Overall, a beautifully written and well developed world without a perfect execution.
If you are looking for diverse historical fiction I would recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, and Sexism
sexual harassmenttesshersh's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
a little predictable but all in all a fun read :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, and Xenophobia