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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I did not love this as much as Chosen and the Beautiful but for reasons more to do with my reading experience than the book itself and I will not be elaborating further :)
challenging
mysterious
reflective
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:
Complicated
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Racial slurs, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol
Representation: AAPI (author and Characters), Queer, Sapphic, Lesbian, Gay, Latinix, Black, Disabled (Mobility), Immigrant, Elderly
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Magical. I love what Vo does and how she does it.
Luli Wei discovered movies at the end of the silent era and knew immediately she wanted to be a movie star. It didn’t bother her that there had only been a single Asian woman before her who had become a star. When a director took an interest in her while filming in her neighborhood, she, and her mother, were thrilled. He even told he’d make her a star, but not until she came of age, which was months in the future. While she waited, she learned – and she gave the last 20 years of her life to a former star for the information the woman could give her on how to survive the system. Somewhere along the way, she learned that the magic wasn’t only on the screen.
Vo has written a fascinating, multi-faceted, and powerful story of an outsider making her dreams come true no matter what the cost may be. Luli is a fascinating character who has the courage to face down the monsters who control the movie industry and do it her way.
Vo has written a slow-build story of an interloper who needs to be what she’s meant to be despite the obstacles standing in her way. Luli is a unique and carefully drawn narrator who cannot be made to fit into any stereotypes. This one of those books that lingers in your mind long after you’ve finished reading the book.
If you love either character-driven books and/or fantasy books, this is the book for you and should be put at the top of your to-be-read list.
My thanks to Tor Books and Edelweiss for an eARC.
Vo has written a fascinating, multi-faceted, and powerful story of an outsider making her dreams come true no matter what the cost may be. Luli is a fascinating character who has the courage to face down the monsters who control the movie industry and do it her way.
Vo has written a slow-build story of an interloper who needs to be what she’s meant to be despite the obstacles standing in her way. Luli is a unique and carefully drawn narrator who cannot be made to fit into any stereotypes. This one of those books that lingers in your mind long after you’ve finished reading the book.
If you love either character-driven books and/or fantasy books, this is the book for you and should be put at the top of your to-be-read list.
My thanks to Tor Books and Edelweiss for an eARC.