Reviews

Bangkok Wakes to Rain by Pitchaya Sudbanthad

mashedpotato's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I liked the second half way more than the first. In the first half I really struggled to remember all the characters.

jerrylwei's review against another edition

3.0

I found this novel hard to follow. There are too many disparate stories and characters — or at least the characters should be better developed. The novel as an elegy to Bangkok gets lost in some of these stories.

The author’s style is at times beautifully lyrical and at times insipidly simple. There is no narrative rhyme or reason for this as far as I could tell.

The best story line is that of the two sisters, whose themes speak to the love of home, the pain of siblings alienated, and the traumas of losing a loved one fighting a dictatorship.

josiahbmay's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

ailbhereads's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

athoughtfulrecord's review against another edition

hopeful mysterious reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

4.0

annieg's review against another edition

reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

thenovelmaura's review against another edition

I was trying to listen to this on audio and I couldn't get invested in any of the storylines. The writing style felt very sterile. After reading a few reviews from people who finished it, I don't think this book is a good fit for me.

roisinsreading's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious reflective tense

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

rebeccagrnwd's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

jaredpence's review against another edition

3.0

I really liked this book, but the disjointed storylines was hard to get into, especially because I often felt disconnected from the characters--like I didn't understand their motivations.