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starrysea98's review against another edition
5.0
first of all, i did not know that during reconstruction, chinese people were imported to america to replace black people as slaves. why isn't this more common knowledge?
stacey lee has written a beautiful and heart-wrenching story. jo is a brilliant character, someone whose eyes i definitely enjoyed seeing the world through. she is whiplash smart and brave - i love her wordplay so much! her miss sweetie columns are definitely incredibly entertaining and clever. the rest of the characters are wonderful as well - i love the camaraderie between jo and noemi and also old gin and jo's bond. ("Parent always recognises child's voice." I TEARED UP).
i did see the twist coming but the way it went down was quite emotional and sad so i didn't feel it was too predictable. i think the way the loose ends of the story are tied together is very good - the legend old gin tells jo is a perfect analogy for the ending scenes of the book.
i also think this is one of the first novels that i read where the author doesn't make a big deal that the main character is chinese. sure, there are a few references to chinese culture here and there (turtle egg still makes me crack up; it definitely sounds better in chinese) but there isn't anything else to show jo is chinese. which makes sense because she is born in america but also because CHINESE PEOPLE ARE JUST ORDINARY PEOPLE. i've read too many books where the author basically tries to remind you the character is not white every few sentences that it just gets tiring. plus, you don't see a white main character being forced to explain themselves at all. also, i'm glad there aren't any (typical chinese) stereotypes of strict parenting or parents forcing their daughters to be seen and not heard. old gin doesn't restrict jo from doing whatever she wants or stop her from writing her miss sweetie articles. i found this really meaningful because not all chinese people are portrayed as they really are in popular media.
the racism/segregation in the book drives me mad not only because it's really unfair to those who aren't white but also because... these things are still pretty relevant in today's society! how depressing is it that we're only marginally better than those who lived a little over a century ago? of course, i admit this book is historical fiction and not all of it is fact but the streetcar segregation act is real and existed up till 1964. that's only 50 years ago! kudos to stacey lee for including this in her book because as a non-american, i admit i have no clue about most of american history (actually, most history but well) and i think it's the mark of a good historical fiction novel when i actually get up and go research the events that happened in the book which is what happened here. there is also a brief summary of historical events in the author's note at the back of the book which i found interesting as well.
i really enjoyed this book and i'm looking forward to any other books the author has written!
stacey lee has written a beautiful and heart-wrenching story. jo is a brilliant character, someone whose eyes i definitely enjoyed seeing the world through. she is whiplash smart and brave - i love her wordplay so much! her miss sweetie columns are definitely incredibly entertaining and clever. the rest of the characters are wonderful as well - i love the camaraderie between jo and noemi and also old gin and jo's bond. ("Parent always recognises child's voice." I TEARED UP).
i did see the twist coming but the way it went down was quite emotional and sad so i didn't feel it was too predictable. i think the way the loose ends of the story are tied together is very good - the legend old gin tells jo is a perfect analogy for the ending scenes of the book.
i also think this is one of the first novels that i read where the author doesn't make a big deal that the main character is chinese. sure, there are a few references to chinese culture here and there (turtle egg still makes me crack up; it definitely sounds better in chinese) but there isn't anything else to show jo is chinese. which makes sense because she is born in america but also because CHINESE PEOPLE ARE JUST ORDINARY PEOPLE. i've read too many books where the author basically tries to remind you the character is not white every few sentences that it just gets tiring. plus, you don't see a white main character being forced to explain themselves at all. also, i'm glad there aren't any (typical chinese) stereotypes of strict parenting or parents forcing their daughters to be seen and not heard. old gin doesn't restrict jo from doing whatever she wants or stop her from writing her miss sweetie articles. i found this really meaningful because not all chinese people are portrayed as they really are in popular media.
the racism/segregation in the book drives me mad not only because it's really unfair to those who aren't white but also because... these things are still pretty relevant in today's society! how depressing is it that we're only marginally better than those who lived a little over a century ago? of course, i admit this book is historical fiction and not all of it is fact but the streetcar segregation act is real and existed up till 1964. that's only 50 years ago! kudos to stacey lee for including this in her book because as a non-american, i admit i have no clue about most of american history (actually, most history but well) and i think it's the mark of a good historical fiction novel when i actually get up and go research the events that happened in the book which is what happened here. there is also a brief summary of historical events in the author's note at the back of the book which i found interesting as well.
i really enjoyed this book and i'm looking forward to any other books the author has written!
mrspinkhairedchristian's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
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
jackienelson's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
mysterious
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? No
3.5
zigzag11's review against another edition
3.0
Slow for the first half, but picked up in the second half. Well written and researched, and the characters were well drawn as well. 3.5 stars
bailey1214's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I loved Jo Kuan’s voice. I also thought the writing was often very beautiful. I enjoyed learning about what life might have been like for Chinese-Americans in the south in the late 1800s. The cast of characters was interesting and charming.
sodiana's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
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? No
3.75
laflormorada's review against another edition
4.0
Forthright Jo Kuan is living in the wrong time. She's a no-nonsense, hardworking, clever and sometimes very opinionated Chinese-American girl living in 1890's Atlanta. To put it mildly, she doesn't really fit in. Despite the fact that she was born in Atlanta, speaks English AND has a southern accent to boot, to most people she will always be "other". When she is forced to leave her dream job as a hat maker's assistant, her best option is to serve as a lady's maid to the wealthy and cruel Caroline Payne (her childhood playmate and tormentor). To make matters worse, her only safe haven could be discovered if she doesn't find a way to help her "roommates" save their floundering newspaper business. Then she has the brilliant idea to pen an advice column and "Miss Sweetie" is born. She just didn't know how much happiness... and trouble... it would bring.
This dramatic tale set in the Old South after Reconstruction has a lot going on, but somehow it works. It's just the right mix of coming-of-age, sweet romance and a treatise on race/racism/gender. The heroine is a saucy, witty, likeable character who knows her lot in life but doesn't accept it wholeheartedly. Her tale was intriguing to me because although at times it didn't seem entirely believable, it still brought to light a perspective that has been mostly forgotten or lost to history. I had no idea that Chinese immigrants took over working on plantations after slavery and that many later moved and settled in southern cities. There are probably so many stories that could be told about this time and so much history I have yet to learn. The period details, the sharp and funny thoughts of "Miss Sweetie" and the heart-wrenching story of Jo's life and family made this story shine. The romance was pretty good too ;) A recommended read.
This dramatic tale set in the Old South after Reconstruction has a lot going on, but somehow it works. It's just the right mix of coming-of-age, sweet romance and a treatise on race/racism/gender. The heroine is a saucy, witty, likeable character who knows her lot in life but doesn't accept it wholeheartedly. Her tale was intriguing to me because although at times it didn't seem entirely believable, it still brought to light a perspective that has been mostly forgotten or lost to history. I had no idea that Chinese immigrants took over working on plantations after slavery and that many later moved and settled in southern cities. There are probably so many stories that could be told about this time and so much history I have yet to learn. The period details, the sharp and funny thoughts of "Miss Sweetie" and the heart-wrenching story of Jo's life and family made this story shine. The romance was pretty good too ;) A recommended read.
steph01924's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars. Great historical, the romance was a bit ista-love for me (I mean, there's a few reasons why I get SOME of it, but overall it could've been much stronger as the two characters barely had any time together). Still, like most of Stacey Lee's books, romance is NOT the main component, and the rest is simply lovely. I walked away feeling like I learned something about US and Chinese immigrant history, and I always love when a fiction book can impart real knowledge!
erin_0130's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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? N/A
4.5