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bonkyboot's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Suicide, Rape, Death, and Self harm
baileyanabella's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Not a bad book, just not really my favorite type of story. This is a portrait of two characters lives, a deep look at the intricacies of their personalities. But I didn't find them particularly interesting or relatable characters, so this unfortunately just didn't hit for me. The setting was interesting and not one I've seen much of before so I did have fun with that and it kept me intrigued when the story didn't. Overall just left me feeling sad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Alcoholism, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, and Suicide
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual content
Minor: Animal cruelty, Self harm, and Animal death
kaddictwithapen's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Suicide, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Death, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Cultural appropriation
Minor: Toxic friendship, Racism, Self harm, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, War, and Violence
adoras's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Colonisation, Sexual assault, and Classism
clare72_reading's review
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-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
4.0
A coming of age story, well written with good pacing. I may have appreciated it even more if I've watched a couple of the films referenced, a Brecht play and known Chinese fairytales but that didn't stop me enjoying it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Suicide, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Abortion
bridget_h's review
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I thought the writing and structure of this book was great. However, the three main characters were all so one sided and there really wasn't anyone else to balance things out. It got tired at some point.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Xenophobia, Violence, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Self harm
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
River East River West opens with 14 year old Alva attending the wedding of her mother Sloane to their landlord, wealthy businessman Lu Fang. To say she’s not happy is an understatement. The story then unfolds in two timelines. We continue to follow Alva in Shanghai in 2007 and also follow Lu Fang’s backstory beginning in 1985 in Qingdao. Through their perspective we also learn a lot about Sloane. This book explores issues like identity, belonging, migration, class, coming-of-age and mother-daughter relationships, all things I enjoy. What makes this book stand out from the pack is that it does things that I have read less often, if at all. Top of the list is that it’s not the story of Asian migration to America and characters dealing with these issues there, but rather the reverse. For Sloane moved to China from the US, and Alva, who has an unknown Chinese father, has been raised there and never so much as visited the United States. This is a source of tension between the two with Alva wanting to at least visit America, or failing that to attend an international school, both things Sloan adamantly opposed. Alva eventually gets her way on the latter, which allows the author to shine a light on ex-pat communities in China. Suffice to say it’s not a pretty picture with rich people behaving badly; the condescending attitude shown to local Chinese being the least of the problems. The conspicuous consumerism was jaw dropping, as was the way teens were left to their own devices, and the casual racism and inherent belief in their superiority which seemed rife in the expat community, a community that lived very much in its own bubble and had limited contact with any Chinese beyond those they employed. This book offered me a fresh perspective on China in that it was set more recently- the 2007 storyline especially - and primarily in a large urban centre. It seems much of my reading on China has been focused on rural areas and on the period up to and including the Cultural Revolution. This book is one of the first I’ve read that explores Chinese rising economic fortunes, the reopening of the country to the west, and a more contemporary urban childhood. The characters are irritating at best, unlikeable at their worst but the payoff is getting to read less common perspectives, to see traditional tropes upended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Suicide
kirstym25's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Suicide and Child death
Minor: Emotional abuse
sarahsthoughtsonbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Child death, and Racism
Moderate: Racism, Alcoholism, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Child death, and Abandonment
bookreviewswithkb's review
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
thank you partner @bibliolifestyle and @williammorrowbooks for the gifted copy!
so. much. melancholy. this book is dark and gloomy. it’s a meditation on home, on a sense of belonging, on family and identity embedded within a historical context of China from the mid-80s through the great recession. i think the author is reaching for an understanding of the lengths we will go to in order to be seen, to feel wanted
all of the characters are unlikeable and some of the scenes made my skin crawl! this is not a book that made me cry, but it was emotional. it made me so uncomfortable and i think that was part of the point
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Sexual assault, and Alcoholism