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4.58 AVERAGE
4.58 AVERAGE
“Son, I know that you do not like your Chinese eyes, which are my eyes. I know that you do not like your Chinese hair, which is my hair. But can you understand how much joy your very existence brought to me?”
This sentence alone evoked so many emotions. If you are a child of immigrant parents who do not speak the native language, this story will hit you even harder than most.
reflective
sad
This was a very touching short story. Recommend
Omg this sorry was so good and almost made me cry and I love my parents so much omg
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
fast-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
emotional
reflective
last read: july 26, 2024
reviewed: sept 7, 2024
almost had me tear up. i've rarely felt a story this deeply. so powerful in something so little.
reviewed: sept 7, 2024
almost had me tear up. i've rarely felt a story this deeply. so powerful in something so little.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This short story is included in a list of books for a class I’m taking. It is a fantasy short story that explores a Chinese-American boy and his relationship with his mother. When he is very young, the boy doesn’t think much of his upbringing and his mother who can only speak Chinese and cook Chinese meals. It isn’t until a friend comes over that he realizes that his household is much different from traditional American households and begins to reject his mother and his Chinese heritage. The story continues to become sadder as the boy continues to reject his mother and is never able to rekindle their relationship before she dies. It isn’t until he finds a handwritten note she wrote to him that is folded into one of the origami animals she used to bring to life for him that the boy finally understands who his mother is and what her life is like before she was brought to America to marry his father.
Although this is a sad story, the idea that a mother has the ability to literally bring her origami creations to life for her son to have toys is really cool. The author made each animal have a personality and acted like the animal for which it was made into. He even made it realistic by including a paper shark who fell apart when put into water so the mother remade one out of tinfoil so it could actually swim. The imagination that was put into an otherwise very real life scenario made this story less sad, but still heartbreaking to see a boy who just wanted to fit in with the other American kids allow himself to push his mother away instead.
Although this is a sad story, the idea that a mother has the ability to literally bring her origami creations to life for her son to have toys is really cool. The author made each animal have a personality and acted like the animal for which it was made into. He even made it realistic by including a paper shark who fell apart when put into water so the mother remade one out of tinfoil so it could actually swim. The imagination that was put into an otherwise very real life scenario made this story less sad, but still heartbreaking to see a boy who just wanted to fit in with the other American kids allow himself to push his mother away instead.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Death of parent
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Racial slurs, Racism, Trafficking, Death of parent
Minor: Sexual violence