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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
3.5 stars -- The premise is intriguing (boy's illegal immigrant mother goes missing, he's adopted), and it shines a light on an issue that you might not otherwise be aware of. I struggled to find the boy sympathetic, especially as a young man, and that affected my enjoyment of the novel. I really appreciated his perspective on music, though. I also found the mother a much more interesting character -- I was happy for the parts of the novel from her perspective.
so good - so sad and realistic. lots to ponder with this one
My mom recommended this one, but I wasn't quite as convinced. It was a good story about the complexities of identity, adoption, and assimilation, but the immigration aspect seemed appended almost as a footnote. Also, the well-intentioned white liberal failings were painful to read, probably for being so realistic.
This isn’t supposed to be an easy read and it’s not. It’s worth the time.
emotional
medium-paced
Really enjoyed the style of her writing -- kept me engaged throughout.
emotional
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
dark
emotional
reflective
absolutely fucking amazing. i don’t know if i’ve ever read a mother like polly, who has a desire not just for a fulfilling life but one that specifically does not include her son - something i imagine many parents feel but is never really expressed. the blurb makes it sound like she’s self sacrificing and strong in the face of adversity - and she is, but that’s only one side of her, which makes her fascinating and more nuanced, whole, human.
deming/daniel is also so well-drawn. in many ways, the spiritual successor to another great flop era king, the goldfinch’s theo, though of course with the unique pressures and confusion of immigration and adoption.
even kay and peter functioned well as grimly humorous Extremely Liberals (sort of a <i>Get Out</i> I Voted For Obama kind of thing), though they were the only part of the book that felt a little flatter. but not enough to really give me any pause - this was an excellent, excellent read.
i actually found this book because of my grandmother’s book club list, and i owe them all a thank you.
deming/daniel is also so well-drawn. in many ways, the spiritual successor to another great flop era king, the goldfinch’s theo, though of course with the unique pressures and confusion of immigration and adoption.
even kay and peter functioned well as grimly humorous Extremely Liberals (sort of a <i>Get Out</i> I Voted For Obama kind of thing), though they were the only part of the book that felt a little flatter. but not enough to really give me any pause - this was an excellent, excellent read.
i actually found this book because of my grandmother’s book club list, and i owe them all a thank you.
I wish I could give it 3 1/2. There were parts of this I really, really liked. Some of the prose was just stunning. Overall though I felt like the characters were developed but not entirely believable - the addiction plotline, the husband in China, etc. The parts about what it must be like to be an non-white adopted child in an adopted family and the parts about being an illegal immigrant did feel real and powerful, however.
Wasn't enthralled with this but it's been a couple of months since I finished it and I keep finding myself thinking about it so maybe should have given it 4 stars. Or I should write a letter to Goodreads to request the ability to give half star ratings
I thought I would love this book. I was wrong. The writing is horrendous. Details about characters drop in out of nowhere. I forced myself to finish this book since I was 30 pages in when I realized that the writing and pacing wasn’t getting any better. The two main characters are sooo hard to like because they are so hard to understand or know on any level. The indie rock descriptions made me cringe and shake my head so hard. Ugh. I don’t know what anyone saw in this book other than the promise of a good story but a failed execution. Avoid!