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4.58 AVERAGE
4.58 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Racism, Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Death
Minor: Animal death, Xenophobia
This made my heart sink to the bottom of my stomach. A main character I related to but yet wanted nothing to do with. He was ignorant on who he was, I thought this was going to be about finding himself, but by the time he could it was too late.
Family secrets suck and this story shows you why.
Family secrets suck and this story shows you why.
A beautiful magical realism story about a man and his mother. Written in a language that just flows, the story captivates you and at the end leaves you with some troubling questions about your relationship with your parents.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
sad
Oh my heart! This story will pierce your heart. I have no words....
Great story with a very good eye towards Chinese immigration and US culture.
All that said, if you're looking for an easy read that is precision-designed to be a tear-jerker, this'll do it just fine. I kinda feel this story is a 3, but I'll give it the extra star for making me feel like the piece of shit son that I am.
Spoiler
I liked the semi-"magical" aspects, although I wish they weren't so easy to write off as imagination. And I doubly love the, let's say, "twist" involving the blank side of the Xmas paper, but felt that actually reading the mother's letter was a bit too forced, a bit too manipulative. I wish there were more nuance, maybe. More of Jack's reactions to what his mother wrote, and less of his mother literally spelling everything out on the page.All that said, if you're looking for an easy read that is precision-designed to be a tear-jerker, this'll do it just fine. I kinda feel this story is a 3, but I'll give it the extra star for making me feel like the piece of shit son that I am.