Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford

14 reviews

ari613's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

Incredible! I was enthralled from page one, and would have read this in a day if I didn't have to work. The characters were all compelling and complex, despite how none of them have the space for development that a character who was the sole focus of the whole book would. 

The premise of the epigenetic memory/trauma treatment was fantastical, but not just "magic" or "religion," which I thought worked really well. I found it more fun to imagine a cool scientific discovery from the future than just wand waving or magic from the heavens. (Don't get me wrong, I love fantasy, but this poked a different part of my thoughts lol). 

I loved the variety of the womens' stories and lives, and the alternating chapters for different characters was extremely well done. The author also did a good job of showing little parallel details (e.g. rainstorms at the end of one character's chapter into one's at the beginning of another character's) that highlighted the connection without feeling like it was assuming the reader was dumb and needed to be told explicitly. 

As I was reading, I was amazed at the depth of cultural knowledge, and was curious about the author's background, because either they had done a TON of research or they had chinese heritage/connections. It turns out the author does have some Chinese heritage, and I think that his insights and those little details really added depth and heart to the book that so many simply couldn't. 

Enjoyed the resolution. It all kind of sped up at the end, but I think that was intentional to show a character's desperation, and I was overall pleased with the ending. I was left with little questions about some of the characters, but not in a bad way, and not in a way that affected plot at all. I just wanted to get their whole stories because I loved them! 

I agree with other reviewers that I wish we'd gotten more of Greta's story. I feel like hers was a little rushed, and definitelythe most heartbreaking.

I feel like the Sam literally moving away in a day was unrealistic, and while i know the point was for every character to be traumatized, that one felt forced just a tad.

Side note....

Was Yao Han really there as Afong died, or was that not real? Also, was Dorothy actually affecting her ancestors' realities? Like, John did have the picture in Faye's original timeline so??? But also, it didn't change outcomes. I'm thinking maybe she was resolving those core aches but not changing their overall life path? 

Maybe I'm dumb lol.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Death, Pregnancy, Racism, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Rape

Minor: Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury

laguerrelewis's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.25

This was a moving novel about what we inherit, good and bad, from our ancestors—particularly mothers to daughters. Using a procedure based in real world science but amped up just a bit, we get to explore the hopes, dreams, and cycles of trauma along an ancestral line, and the way this story ends is a truly beautiful response to our ever-growing awareness of generational trauma. This book would be perfect for a book club, as it invites deep introspection and personal engagement.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Pandemic/Epidemic, Vomit, Child death, Grief, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Racism, Medical content, Mental illness, Rape, Blood, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Self harm, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, War, Bullying, Classism, Forced institutionalization, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

readingbrb's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Racism

Moderate: Pregnancy, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, and Rape

Minor: War and Death of parent

zosiablue's review

emotional hopeful 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

4.0

Lovely (and a bit breathless) book about inherited trauma, with a light sci-fi bent. Really makes you wish we accepted and understood more about epigenetics - how much could we heal ourselves and future generations if we understood the trauma didn't start with us? There were multiple POVs and they weren't always balanced - the frame story was the tightest, but I want the others to feel as important as the author thought they were. Regardless, a comforting way to think about life and I'm glad I read it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Mental illness, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, and Classism

Moderate: Suicide, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, Grief, Rape, and Pregnancy

apworden's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

3.75

not sure I am comfortable with how Dorothy overdosing solving everyone’s problems could be interpreted by someone in a similarly stressful situation

otherwise, a beautiful book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racism, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, War, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Ableism, Domestic abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Confinement, Deportation, Pregnancy, Grief, Body horror, Blood, Death, Bullying, Child death, Death of parent, Hate crime, Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and Colonisation

jedore's review

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.25

Karma is more like a suitcase. You have to be unafraid to open it up and look at what's inside, to unpack the things you do not need. Karma is the climate of the past which shapes how much leeway we have in the future.

Well, this was a wonderful multi-generational ride and an excellent introduction to the concept of epigenetics. It’s a combo of historical and futuristic fiction, as well as magical realism.

It took a bit longer to get totally pulled in to the story because of the multiple characters, but it’s well worth the extra effort. 

Spanning from the early 1800s to the late 2000s, the stories of the women of the Moy family are heartbreaking. The concept of trauma being passed down to future generations becomes completely believable when you read about multiple generations simultaneously. I have no doubt that most of the immigrants and all African-Americans are impacted by this awful phenomenon.

Highly recommend this one for those seeking pleasure and evolution!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Classism, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Grief, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Slavery

Moderate: Outing, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Deportation, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pandemic/Epidemic

torturedreadersdept's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Classism, Death, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Vomit

Moderate: War and Xenophobia

Minor: Self harm and Forced institutionalization

permanme's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Pregnancy, War, Lesbophobia, Xenophobia, Racism, and Sexism

chrisljm's review against another edition

challenging sad slow-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

3.0

This was written well but I’m not sure how I feel about taking a real life person and writing a fictional story about her, especially when her story (real and fictional) is filled with so much trauma. I was only able to find one other review from a Chinese person, so I really wish there were more Chinese people who have read/reviewed this. 

Also, just in case there is anyone else out there who will have a similar experience to me, THEY ARE NOT SPEAKING CANTONESE IN THIS BOOK, IT’S TOISANESE 😭 I was losing my mind because I know Cantonese but was unfamiliar with Toisanese, but I’ve since learned it’s because they’re used interchangeably and prior to the 1960s Toisanese was the dominant language spoken in Chinatowns.

Another thing, this part of the blurb was the reason why I decided to read this book, “A stranger is searching for her in each time period. A stranger who’s loved her through all of her genetic memories,” but it was so misleading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, Sexism, Slavery, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Toxic relationship, Death, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Medical content

Moderate: Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Grief, Forced institutionalization, War, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Fire/Fire injury, Cancer, Abandonment, Murder, Suicide, Blood, Death of parent, Classism, Bullying, Vomit, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity

Minor: Racial slurs, Self harm, and Colonisation

threadsof_kate's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Death, Homophobia, and Adult/minor relationship