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tracithomas's review against another edition
3.0
I was pretty not into this book. The writing is good but I was never really hooked into the characters or story. I liked the strong female leads and the immigrant gaze on America. I just never got there with the book as a whole.
amandaexe's review against another edition
I have a confession to make. I started reading this book in September of 2020. It's now January of 2021, and I've only got through 30% of it. I don't understand why, honestly, when I first started it I was enjoying it, but I put it down and just didn't feel like coming back to it at all. When I finally did a couple of weeks ago, I found myself spacing out constantly, barely skimming through the words just to get through the chapter faster. And I honestly don't think I should continue if I'm finding it so much of a chore right now. I'll just put this down as a not for me book, because it honestly wasn't bad, it was well written, the story was even interesting at the start, it just lost me along the way, for some reason.
miszjeanie's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks to Ballantine books for a free e-ARC of this novel. Hua’s debut novel follows a young Chinese woman, Scarlett as she arrives America to birth the child she conceived with her wealthy, married lover. When she gets unexpected news about her child, she flees the fancy maternity “hotel” she’s at, with a pregnant teenager in tow.
This book is very unique — the plot and the masterful way the author ties many characters together creates enough drama to keep you flipping pages. A River Of Stars examines immigration, family and love in a way that I personally haven’t read yet.
If you’re on the look out for a book with lots of Asian food, interesting characters and wildly entertaining sequences, you’re likely to enjoy this novel!
This book is very unique — the plot and the masterful way the author ties many characters together creates enough drama to keep you flipping pages. A River Of Stars examines immigration, family and love in a way that I personally haven’t read yet.
If you’re on the look out for a book with lots of Asian food, interesting characters and wildly entertaining sequences, you’re likely to enjoy this novel!
mindfullibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
PHENOMENAL! I am kicking myself for waiting so long to read it - WHY DID I WAIT? The ferocious power of a mother’s desire to provide a better life for her child combined with the struggles of immigration to America, fascinating details about Chinese culture and female friendships, all set in the teeming neighborhood of San Francisco’s Chinatown - I can barely describe this one except to say that it exceeded all of my expectations. Hopeful against all odds with the tiniest hint of suspense, this book will stick with me for a long long time.
katiez624's review against another edition
5.0
Scarlett is being sent to California so that her illegitimate child will have an automatic advantage in life, an American citizenship. She meets the women at Perfume Bay and seizes a rare opportunity to make her own way in this foreign country.
This story took many unexpected turns. I thought it would primarily be about Scarlett's experience at Perfume Bay, but that was only a brief section of the story. Scarlett and Daisy venture out and must try to make a life for themselves and their babies with no resources. They are resourceful, resilient, and compassionate mothers, and they represent the general Asian-American mindset.
I wasn't satisfied with the ending being so but I enjoyed the journey the book took us through. There were many Asian vs American cultural disparities that I could identify with through my parents' immigration experience.
This story took many unexpected turns. I thought it would primarily be about Scarlett's experience at Perfume Bay, but that was only a brief section of the story. Scarlett and Daisy venture out and must try to make a life for themselves and their babies with no resources. They are resourceful, resilient, and compassionate mothers, and they represent the general Asian-American mindset.
I wasn't satisfied with the ending being so
Spoiler
"happily ever after,"readingwithhippos's review against another edition
4.0
This book was stressful to read because the setup is so dire: Scarlett Chen is pregnant and living in Los Angeles with other Chinese moms-to-be. She was sent there by her boss, who is also the father of her child. He has only daughters with his wife, but when he finds out that Scarlett is having a boy, he wants his son to be born on American soil. When Scarlett finds out her baby is not the much wished for male heir after all, she makes a desperate escape in the maternity home’s van, with a pregnant teenage stowaway in the back. There are comic moments here, and some of the scenes even have a cinematic quality to them (I’m thinking specifically of a scene in which one very pregnant woman chases another around a rest stop parking lot), but Scarlett’s plight felt very real to me and I was deathly worried about her throughout. This book has important things to say about immigration, poverty, and women’s agency to control their own lives.
gracetxgao's review against another edition
emotional
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
3.5
liaautumn's review
emotional
inspiring
slow-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
3.25
meimeililylil's review against another edition
4.0
Well written, plot progressed kind of slowly without much suspense, but enjoyable read nonetheless
cook_memorial_public_library's review against another edition
4.0
A 2018 staff favorite recommended by Andrea. Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sriver%20of%20stars%20hua__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=gold