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annieboj's review against another edition
2.0
the plot feels like an afterthought and i’m not entirely convinced jing-nan actually had any emotions about julia at all ?? i went into it not knowing anything about taiwan so i appreciated the information about it but most of it didn’t seem to help contextualize the story very much
nessieread's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
jessedamon's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
2.5
kimberlyp's review against another edition
challenging
informative
mysterious
reflective
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
kfrench1008's review against another edition
4.0
Full disclosure: I know Ed Lin and he is, like his author bio says, a real stand-up kinda guy. That said, I completely enjoyed this book. A departure from his Robert Chow series (which began with what I think is Lin's best book, This Is a Bust), this one follows a young man in Taipei trying to figure out both his future and the reason behind the death of his high school girlfriend. A lot of background is given on Taiwan, but it never detracts from the story. Terrific characters and a great read which really intensified towards the end.
deadnberried's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this book up at a library book sale thinking it was going to actually involve ghosts or the supernatural, but it does not. (The sale was crowded, the books not really organized, so I just snatched some things that looked interesting without researching plots)
The edition I picked up was an unedited galley, so I'm not sure how much it changed from the edition I read to the final. I found the story fairly slow moving, bogged down with lengthy asides about Taiwanese culture, especially involving those of native/Chinese/Japanese lineage, which didn't really figure into the mystery at hand: Who murdered Jing-nan's fiance?
The main character's main defining characteristic is that he's been really into Joy Division since discovering them in middle school, and he references this interest a lot, but the music/lyrics/themes from the music or the history of the band also have no bearing on the plot. Basically this author talked about several 'guns on the table', and then left them sitting there. Luckily he doesn't exacerbate this tendency by also making the book lengthy.
It was a meh read, mainly valuable because of what you learn about Taiwan along the way.
The edition I picked up was an unedited galley, so I'm not sure how much it changed from the edition I read to the final. I found the story fairly slow moving, bogged down with lengthy asides about Taiwanese culture, especially involving those of native/Chinese/Japanese lineage, which didn't really figure into the mystery at hand: Who murdered Jing-nan's fiance?
The main character's main defining characteristic is that he's been really into Joy Division since discovering them in middle school, and he references this interest a lot, but the music/lyrics/themes from the music or the history of the band also have no bearing on the plot. Basically this author talked about several 'guns on the table', and then left them sitting there. Luckily he doesn't exacerbate this tendency by also making the book lengthy.
It was a meh read, mainly valuable because of what you learn about Taiwan along the way.
evilyn's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
gemmahenrynovels's review against another edition
5.0
A nice easy read for a foreigner travelling through Taiwan. I started reading upon my arrival in Taipei and finished up the day I left Hsinchu City. I loved the complexity and internal monologue of the main character and found the pacing made me want to keep reading. I also loved reading about a place visited by characters in the book, only to visit them myself not long after. Perfect read for my holiday.
peachberrypie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.0