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jnl_dayton's review against another edition
3.0
This was a fascinating look at two worlds I knew nothing about: Korean immigrants and parents of autistic and disabled children. All the characters lie about everything. Slowly the truth comes out. Although part takes place in a courtroom (author is a lawyer), it is not really what I'd call a courtroom drama. It is more about the characters and their lies and motivations and internal debates and finally deciding to tell the truth.
mokbrennan's review against another edition
2.0
Not a very compelling mystery, and it was seriously marred by a deep seated ableist attitude that disabled people are a burden on their parents.
brokenrecord's review against another edition
4.0
This is not a genre I tend to read a lot of, but I ended up enjoying this a lot (granted, I do tend to be into courtroom/legal dramas, so I guess it shouldn't be too surprising that I got into this). It was very well-written and sucked me in pretty much immediately. The mystery was interesting, and I didn't guess exactly what had happened before it was revealed. I'm not sure how I feel about how autism was treated here (such as how the protestors of the treatment were basically just saying that autistic people don't need to be "cured," but they only ever seem to be depicted in a negative light, or how the book seems to have more sympathy for the caretakers of the autistic children than the children themselves at times), and I don't feel informed enough to say one way or another, which is why I didn't rate this any higher. I'd like to see reviews from more people on the autism spectrum to weigh in on that element. But this was definitely written well enough that I'd check out more from Angie Kim in the future.
courtneyindc's review against another edition
4.0
Very layered, complex story of motherhood, sacrifice, crime, race, privilege, and disability. This was so much better than I anticipated. I recommend!
mroot's review against another edition
4.0
Very entertaining. Read this in less than 24 hours for a book club discussion.
pipergothier's review against another edition
4.0
3.5. Pretty good, can’t really fault it but just not totally my speed. I think the author could’ve used more description of the setting to get into the characters’ heads to make the book feel more immersive and move faster.
nicolemardell's review
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
michelleneer's review against another edition
3.0
Had trouble getting into the book at first. But, it picked up and I could appreciate the writing and layers of the mystery and see why it was enjoyable for many.
I had trouble with the portrayal of medicine/science (or else this would have been 4.5 for me) as it was clear this was written with misconceptions about autism, ableism, and treatments (felt like a mom spent too much time on forums/webmd and not just due to characterization).
I had trouble with the portrayal of medicine/science (or else this would have been 4.5 for me) as it was clear this was written with misconceptions about autism, ableism, and treatments (felt like a mom spent too much time on forums/webmd and not just due to characterization).
katielovesbooks134's review against another edition
3.0
Scribd audio. I thought the premise was good, but the execution was a little tedious. I enjoyed the interview with the author and the editor. The author is an attorney with 3 kids, 1 (or more) of which is special needs. Her favorite scenes to write were the courtroom scenes. I just felt it ran a little long and the narrative was a little lackluster.
kanncarlson's review against another edition
3.0
This book dragged for me. I had a hard time getting invested in the book, its characters and plot. I have had a lot going on and so didn't have as consistent of an opportunity to consume audio content as I normally do so maybe that disconnected experience contributed? This book is mostly a court-room drama to uncover what happened in a recent act of apparent arson in which many people were injured. For some reason, I just never felt super connected to these characters or their stories despite the fact that serious and troubling things happened to each of them. I felt lukewarm throughout the book and still feel that way now.