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joannemae's review
emotional
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? Yes
3.5
First gen immigrant oldest daughter type beat
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Death of parent
christineazopf's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Xenophobia
hilaryreadsbooks's review
3.0
Lives collide in unexpected ways in Susie Luo’s PAPER NAMES. Tony, a Chinese-born engineer turned Upper West Side Manhattan doorman, makes a heroic rescue when one of the building’s famous residents is mugged. Oliver, a handsome white lawyer, witnesses the rescue and, upon meeting Tony’s daughter, Tammy, begins to teach her piano—a relationship that continues into Tammy’s adolescence and adulthood. Tammy herself, a first-generation American, is stubborn, bold, and independent; traits that clash with Tony’s memories of a stern and sometimes violent upbringing at the hand of his own father.
Parental expectations, inherited trauma, immigrant narratives, silence in love—these are all themes in PAPER NAMES I resonated with a lot. The book plays with coincidental intertwining in a way I found interesting; in many ways, the plot took twists I didn’t expect but came together at the end in a shocking conclusion. I don’t think PAPER NAMES had the same emotional impact on me as other books I’ve read with similar themes; it’s hard to pin down exactly why. Perhaps it was in part due to including so much of Oliver, whose presence brings a lot into the discussion of whiteness and power, but maybe takes away attention from Tammy’s emotional connection with her father.
[Thanks to the publisher for a gifted copy]
Parental expectations, inherited trauma, immigrant narratives, silence in love—these are all themes in PAPER NAMES I resonated with a lot. The book plays with coincidental intertwining in a way I found interesting; in many ways, the plot took twists I didn’t expect but came together at the end in a shocking conclusion. I don’t think PAPER NAMES had the same emotional impact on me as other books I’ve read with similar themes; it’s hard to pin down exactly why. Perhaps it was in part due to including so much of Oliver, whose presence brings a lot into the discussion of whiteness and power, but maybe takes away attention from Tammy’s emotional connection with her father.
[Thanks to the publisher for a gifted copy]
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Child abuse, Murder, Death of parent, and Adult/minor relationship
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