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radio_4's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
knod78's review
3.0
Hmmmm to the ending, is all I have to say. I give this book 3.5 stars.
I won this book on the Goodreads giveaway. I really did like the book, but I also felt like I was missing something, like I'm hearing the account of this story third hand. There just seemed to be details missing for such a short book with lots of characters and the author spent too much time on other unimportant characters to full develop any of the main ones. I loved reading about what Chinese people went through (especially the art ones) during the cultural revolution and during the one baby household. I loved the description of Trout River and I felt like Momo's parents were wonderful. I wanted them as parents.
However, the ending??? WTF? I mean is that Dawn or Viridiana come to visit Junie or someone else? And speaking of Dawn, what was the point of her character seriously? I get the initial character plot of her and Momo, because she gave him classical music and the violin, which sets up Momo. But then, it said he never heard from her again. I expected to drop her character from the story all together. Yet, we got her story throughout the book. Though for what purpose? I didn't see how her story was essential to the plot unless she was the stranger at the end. Then, that poses another question if she was, how did she know about Junie? I mean Viridiana knew about the kid sort of, but Momo was a stranger to her. I just didn't get it. I thought Junie would be the main core of this story since the title reflected what she said to her grandpa, but she really wasn't.
All in all, I liked the book, but I didn't love it mainly because the ending and I felt like we wasted too much time on Dawn's character, characters that popped up in America and not enough time on Junie or Momo or Cassia. Very rushed ending too.
I won this book on the Goodreads giveaway. I really did like the book, but I also felt like I was missing something, like I'm hearing the account of this story third hand. There just seemed to be details missing for such a short book with lots of characters and the author spent too much time on other unimportant characters to full develop any of the main ones. I loved reading about what Chinese people went through (especially the art ones) during the cultural revolution and during the one baby household. I loved the description of Trout River and I felt like Momo's parents were wonderful. I wanted them as parents.
However, the ending??? WTF? I mean is that Dawn or Viridiana come to visit Junie or someone else? And speaking of Dawn, what was the point of her character seriously? I get the initial character plot of her and Momo, because she gave him classical music and the violin, which sets up Momo. But then, it said he never heard from her again. I expected to drop her character from the story all together. Yet, we got her story throughout the book. Though for what purpose? I didn't see how her story was essential to the plot unless she was the stranger at the end. Then, that poses another question if she was, how did she know about Junie? I mean Viridiana knew about the kid sort of, but Momo was a stranger to her. I just didn't get it. I thought Junie would be the main core of this story since the title reflected what she said to her grandpa, but she really wasn't.
All in all, I liked the book, but I didn't love it mainly because the ending and I felt like we wasted too much time on Dawn's character, characters that popped up in America and not enough time on Junie or Momo or Cassia. Very rushed ending too.
tirzah_d's review
emotional
reflective
sad
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
3.75
teresa42's review
4.0
This book kept me engaged throughout and I loved the characters. The ending was a surprise.
giter161's review
3.0
The way this book starts was a little deceiving because I thought it was mostly going to focus on the little girl’s life with her grandparents and then moving to America to adjust to living with parents she hasn’t seen in years. However this is absolutely not the storyline of this book. After the first 20 pages we delve far into the past into the growing up of each of her parents and their experiences in China during the Cultural Revolution. I’ve read a lot of books set during this period and this might be one of the weakest. I feel it really only hit it’s stride once her parents are in America reflecting on the ways their lives have changed or they have grown apart from their homeland and each other. Maybe my expectations were just wrong? The prose is very beautiful at times and one chapter stands out above all the rest about untranslatable words in Chinese told through short glimpses of one of the character’s first loves. This specific portion feels like it was written first and made me wish more of the book had this tone.
fermqs's review
2.0
We follow the story of Junie, her parents, and everybody that impacted their lives in one way or another in China and eventually in the US from the 60s until the 80s, going through the Cultural Revolution in China. Through the eyes of Momo and Dawn we follow how the music and art was affected and the ramifications in their lives. Through the eyes of Cassie, we see how a life can be forever altered through the doings of others. These aspects of the book, I loved. The way the author paints these stories and makes us feel everything is really something. There is a scene in particular that involves Junie's grandpa when he's building something special for her that I really loved.
However, there was a shift in the story when a certain character goes to the US and I felt completely disconnected from the book from this point on. Specially because I really disliked a lot of the decisions from this point and the direction the author took, specially by the end; I felt the author went for an emotional ending and I just wasn't engaged enough by then.
Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.
However, there was a shift in the story when a certain character goes to the US and I felt completely disconnected from the book from this point on. Specially because I really disliked a lot of the decisions from this point and the direction the author took, specially by the end; I felt the author went for an emotional ending and I just wasn't engaged enough by then.
Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.
margaretfrances's review
4.0
really came together at the end. i had no idea how the threads would connect but they did beautifully- if a little bit of extra saccharine prose snuck in at the last minute
alxdonaldson's review
emotional
sad
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? It's complicated
3.75
rachelmerry_'s review
4.0
I loved this book. The prose was beautiful, the story was well constructed, and the characters felt real. I love when an author can infuse such strong emotions into stories based on a real time and place, making you feel like you understand what it would’ve really been like.
My only issue with the book was that when the story jumps forward several years, some of the connections between characters and where they end up seem improbable, or at least poorly explained.
Some parts are difficult to read (cw for stillbirth specifically), but it is so well written and the themes of fate, music, and home will keep me thinking about this book.
My only issue with the book was that when the story jumps forward several years, some of the connections between characters and where they end up seem improbable, or at least poorly explained.
Some parts are difficult to read (cw for stillbirth specifically), but it is so well written and the themes of fate, music, and home will keep me thinking about this book.