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lilifane's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
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
4.0
I was in the mood to read a light-hearted YA Fantasy between two very intense books and thought this would actually be perfect. LOL! Nope.
First of all, this is definitely not YA. I don't even know why I thought it was? And then after a lighthearted and funny beginning, the story gets pretty dark and intense and violent. But also in a good way. I really liked the characters, the protagonist was very relatable, the dynamics between her and the ghost hilarious. The writing style, especially the dialogues, might need some time to get used when you're not the child of immigrants. But since I am, it felt familiar (even if the languages are totally different in my case).
Loved the atmosphere and how ghosts, spirits and gods played such a big part in the plot and every day life of the characters. Also, loved the themes that were explored in a raw and brutal way. Like having an identity crisis, being torn between your family and your own life, coming out to a traditional Chinese family, violence against women, sexism, generational trauma, unresolved hate and revenge. But there are some hard scenes towards the end, so I recommend checking trigger warnings.
First of all, this is definitely not YA. I don't even know why I thought it was? And then after a lighthearted and funny beginning, the story gets pretty dark and intense and violent. But also in a good way. I really liked the characters, the protagonist was very relatable, the dynamics between her and the ghost hilarious. The writing style, especially the dialogues, might need some time to get used when you're not the child of immigrants. But since I am, it felt familiar (even if the languages are totally different in my case).
Loved the atmosphere and how ghosts, spirits and gods played such a big part in the plot and every day life of the characters. Also, loved the themes that were explored in a raw and brutal way. Like having an identity crisis, being torn between your family and your own life, coming out to a traditional Chinese family, violence against women, sexism, generational trauma, unresolved hate and revenge. But there are some hard scenes towards the end, so I recommend checking trigger warnings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Homophobia, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Racism, Police brutality, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Kidnapping, Cancer, Medical content, and Outing
Minor: Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Murder, Outing, Car accident, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Terminal illness
kurumipanda's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Jess is already dealing with the stress of meeting her family’s expectations, hiding her secret girlfriend, and job hunting, when she realizes she’s also being haunted by her dead grandmother. Solid story with grounded characters and relationships, a tense supernatural plot, and a good balance of humorous and heartfelt moments. Some dialog felt slow, some themes felt thinly incorporated, and a couple plot points seemed to trail off, but these seem to fit with the realism of the setting and resolution.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia, Murder, Kidnapping, Cancer, Domestic abuse, and Drug abuse
Minor: Car accident, Classism, and Racism
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