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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I wanted to DNF then i got into it then the last quarter was a slug for me to get through. Totally get why the story had to be told but I found it boring and then I just didn't care about any of the characters anymore.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A multi-generational story of a Chinese American family, following May, a scientist who escapes Mao's cultural revolution; her daughter Lily who lacks purpose and marries into a wealthy white pharmaceutical family; and her white-passing grandson Nick as he comes of age and sets his own life purpose. The book was slow to start, with the first section (Lily's) being frustrating due to her listlessness and self-hatred. I liked her, Nick, and the book more as Nick's section picks up, though early signals make the central tension between the characters self-evident. I like how the story came together in the third section (May's) despite the abrupt, yet slightly hopeful ending. Khong touched on interesting topics of intergenerational trauma, conflicting identities, and the ethics of genetic manipulation but the execution didn't fully work for me because I wasn't emotionally attached to the characters.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes