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tjlcody's review against another edition
5.0
Pretty good!
More than anything else I was interested in the way the author subtly addressed the consequences of spending your whole childhood in an orphanage. They've done studies on how children who are raised in residential facilities are affected by the lack of one-on-one attention and affection and bonding that they would receive elsewhere, with parents, extended family, or foster families.
Yun was a great example of that: Not a sociopath by any means, but she clearly has trouble bonding with others and empathy. Won't spoil it, but the author really does a great job showing where her disconnect is by contrasting her POV with Luli's.
More than anything else I was interested in the way the author subtly addressed the consequences of spending your whole childhood in an orphanage. They've done studies on how children who are raised in residential facilities are affected by the lack of one-on-one attention and affection and bonding that they would receive elsewhere, with parents, extended family, or foster families.
Yun was a great example of that: Not a sociopath by any means, but she clearly has trouble bonding with others and empathy. Won't spoil it, but the author really does a great job showing where her disconnect is by contrasting her POV with Luli's.
strawberriemochi's review against another edition
2.0
This book had a very interesting plot, at first, but it went downhill very fast with the fact that none of the characters are fleshed out and we couldn't understand their motivations. Luli's chapters were boring and monotonous. I was a little more fond of Yun, though I was still disenchanted with the way she thought and acted. In some parts, it felt like she was only written to drive the plot, not to be a character with real wants and goals.
I'm also unhappy with the way the book ends. Luli and Ma don't own Yun, or her baby. So, so much could have been avoided if Luli let Yun make decisions about her own body and child. The orphanage system is not good by any stretch, but it's better than growing up with mother who doesn't love you and never wanted you.
I'm also unhappy with the way the book ends. Luli and Ma don't own Yun, or her baby. So, so much could have been avoided if Luli let Yun make decisions about her own body and child. The orphanage system is not good by any stretch, but it's better than growing up with mother who doesn't love you and never wanted you.
sienna_gutsell's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
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
2.75
ralovesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This YA novel tells the story of two teen girls who are friends in modern-day China. They were both raised in an orphanage, and they work at a factory together. However, one of the girls is in a relationship with a man who’s rumored to sell women and children, and they are both in considerable danger with essentially no support system. I appreciated this story because it broaches human trafficking without a (what I would consider typical) sex trafficking plotline. It’s about how poverty removes choice, and what look like poor “decisions” from the outside are really more like necessities when you have no options. It’s well written for a teen audience, and it has great entry points for follow-up discussions.
greenej's review against another edition
3.0
This Young Adult novel tells a harrowing story of two female factory workers in China amidst the country's robust capitalism, exploitation of workers, and stringent controls on reproduction. During the one-child policy, unsanctioned child birth is penalized with heavy fines and lack of citizenship. The situation leads to illegal selling of unwanted babies. The novel explores the ways working-class women are caught between an unforgiving government, families, and employers. Human trafficking, of brides as well as babies, becomes a major theme. When one of two friends in the novel becomes involved with someone purported to be a human trafficker, and then pregnant by him, much suspense ensues. The story moves at a quick pace. Young Adult books are not my favorite genre, but it is great to see such a poignant novel exploring these themes.
elleryh2820's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
3.0
tholmz's review against another edition
emotional
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
pinkstarpainter's review against another edition
5.0
This one made me feel things. It's not my usual genre. There's no blood, guts, or gore here. But it's beautiful.
purpleviolin91's review against another edition
4.0
Quick read. Always interesting to read about another culture even in a book that is fiction. What these two girls go through is terrifying and horrifying. I have heard that China has made some improvements but it still a different World for poor and/Or orphaned girls in China vs the USA or similar.