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vaekay's review
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Heavy groomer/borderline pedophilic (maybe not-so-borderline pedophilic) content. Stuck in extremely gross, misogynistic mens' point of views for the majority of the book. Bounces from the POV of a 9 year old Tammy to an adult Tammy having sex with her fiancee then back to a childhood Tammy. Lots of casual racism towards Black and brown people of color as well as other Chinese people. I understand that the internalized Sinophobia/racism is a plot point of the book, but myself and my Chinese partner were very disturbed by it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Body shaming, Classism, Death of parent, Child abuse, Xenophobia, Animal cruelty, Blood, Car accident, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, and Fatphobia
Minor: Gun violence, Deportation, Injury/Injury detail, and Islamophobia
alexandracpedro's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
4.0
"Paper Names" by Susie Lou shares the life stories of flawed characters. No one is perfect in this story, just like no one is perfect in real life. A person can be both aggressive and caring, both self-centred and unprejudiced, both liar and penitent. The flaws make them relatable, the redeemable characteristics make them likeable.
This book is a portal. It gives insight into what it is like to live in China and also as Chinese immigrants in New York. Yet, it goes beyond that, too. The honesty of the scenes and feelings portrayed is so deep that it transcends countries and nationalities. It is about home: losing it when we leave, and finding (or creating) it again wherever we arrive.
"Paper Names" also speaks of coming to terms with one's past, and about how everyone, in their own way, has to go through that process sooner or later. Only then are we able to find ourselves beyond material desires or toxic relationships.
The writing is easy-to-read and -understand, but sometimes I would have loved to have been able to follow the story in a more linear fashion. This doesn't take away from the story, though, only from the reading experience. Unless non-linear timelines are a no-no for you, I would still recommend that you give "Paper Names" a go!
I received the ebook "Paper Names" by Susie Lou as an ARC, but this is my candid opinion. I am extremely thankful for having had the opportunity to read it and to now review it for you, hoping that more people enjoy this timeless story.
This book is a portal. It gives insight into what it is like to live in China and also as Chinese immigrants in New York. Yet, it goes beyond that, too. The honesty of the scenes and feelings portrayed is so deep that it transcends countries and nationalities. It is about home: losing it when we leave, and finding (or creating) it again wherever we arrive.
"Paper Names" also speaks of coming to terms with one's past, and about how everyone, in their own way, has to go through that process sooner or later. Only then are we able to find ourselves beyond material desires or toxic relationships.
The writing is easy-to-read and -understand, but sometimes I would have loved to have been able to follow the story in a more linear fashion. This doesn't take away from the story, though, only from the reading experience. Unless non-linear timelines are a no-no for you, I would still recommend that you give "Paper Names" a go!
I received the ebook "Paper Names" by Susie Lou as an ARC, but this is my candid opinion. I am extremely thankful for having had the opportunity to read it and to now review it for you, hoping that more people enjoy this timeless story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Murder, Death, Death of parent, and Racism
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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