Scan barcode
rljenn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Abortion
kshertz's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I read Pachinko first but this book is very similar in some ways. I really enjoyed learning these different members of a family tree. We learn every person individually and they make choices that are sometimes hard to understand and also realistic. You are invested, proud, disappointed and hurt in many different ways. It’s an excellent read
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, Death, Grief, Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Sexual content, Blood, and Addiction
justovereherereading's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book took some time to read, not because of its length but because of the depth of each character and the need to absorb each one.
There was so much prose in this book that could have been left out and the story would still have been told, but it wouldn’t have made the book what is it, a deep dive into the complexities of growing up and living cross culturally.
Overall it was a good read and I’m glad I stuck with it.
There was so much prose in this book that could have been left out and the story would still have been told, but it wouldn’t have made the book what is it, a deep dive into the complexities of growing up and living cross culturally.
Overall it was a good read and I’m glad I stuck with it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Abortion, Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction and Suicide attempt
Minor: Blood, Vomit, Toxic relationship, and Terminal illness
valandthegianttbr's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
WOW i have so many thoughts that are so jumbled up!!!
this book was a BEAST & it took me quite a bit of time to wade through it, even though i was definitely invested. there’s a ton of jumping around & small details that add to the overall message/vibe, but definitely make it a thick thick book. a lot of this definitely could’ve been cut, but then i don’t think it would’ve had the same “slice of life” or “window into someone else's life" feel!
this is a seriously character-driven novel & these characters…. sucked?? i say that with love & disdain lol every character was SO deeply flawed & every time i started rooting for someone, they immediately made some real bad choices. i appreciated the way the book didn't try to make us pity these characters, but instead just gave us a harshly realistic portrait of how exhausting & toxic people can be. the characters all (well mostly) had wells of goodness too, so there was some hope!! but the overall message was pretty bleak lol it was super interesting to have the 3rd person omnipotent pov too to get glimpses into so many people’s thoughts, it created a fascinating kaleidoscope of motivations & inner feelings that added a ton of depth to even mundane scenes
i hated how much infidelity there was in this book. it was triggering in how well the author describes what it feels like to have been cheated on, but i was also exhausted by the way EVERY RELATIONSHIP had some form of cheating in it. i get that our society sees infidelity as the absolute end of the world & the author was trying to send a message about love, lust, morality, etc but i was just so tired of it by the end. there are other things that wreck trust in relationships & that really was not explored at all.
the prose was so interesting in this one because it is not lyrical, sweeping, poetic, etc. in contrast, it's pretty austere & sparse. somehow though the story is still so emotionally evocative?? i was amazed by how many intense feelings came up for me in this book where the plot truly moves at a snail's pace & there are few flowery lines — so impressive!!
overall this book was a doozy but i’m glad i read it because it was a sharp commentary on wealth, class mobility, love, trust, desire, aspirations, and more. a super unique child of immigrants coming of age that i will definitely forget most of the details of but will hold on to so many of the feelings.
this book was a BEAST & it took me quite a bit of time to wade through it, even though i was definitely invested. there’s a ton of jumping around & small details that add to the overall message/vibe, but definitely make it a thick thick book. a lot of this definitely could’ve been cut, but then i don’t think it would’ve had the same “slice of life” or “window into someone else's life" feel!
this is a seriously character-driven novel & these characters…. sucked?? i say that with love & disdain lol every character was SO deeply flawed & every time i started rooting for someone, they immediately made some real bad choices. i appreciated the way the book didn't try to make us pity these characters, but instead just gave us a harshly realistic portrait of how exhausting & toxic people can be. the characters all (well mostly) had wells of goodness too, so there was some hope!! but the overall message was pretty bleak lol it was super interesting to have the 3rd person omnipotent pov too to get glimpses into so many people’s thoughts, it created a fascinating kaleidoscope of motivations & inner feelings that added a ton of depth to even mundane scenes
i hated how much infidelity there was in this book. it was triggering in how well the author describes what it feels like to have been cheated on, but i was also exhausted by the way EVERY RELATIONSHIP had some form of cheating in it. i get that our society sees infidelity as the absolute end of the world & the author was trying to send a message about love, lust, morality, etc but i was just so tired of it by the end. there are other things that wreck trust in relationships & that really was not explored at all.
the prose was so interesting in this one because it is not lyrical, sweeping, poetic, etc. in contrast, it's pretty austere & sparse. somehow though the story is still so emotionally evocative?? i was amazed by how many intense feelings came up for me in this book where the plot truly moves at a snail's pace & there are few flowery lines — so impressive!!
overall this book was a doozy but i’m glad i read it because it was a sharp commentary on wealth, class mobility, love, trust, desire, aspirations, and more. a super unique child of immigrants coming of age that i will definitely forget most of the details of but will hold on to so many of the feelings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
shkim378's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Sexual content
Moderate: Addiction
ainereads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
Bit hard to get into but beautifully told, showing the struggles of going through your twenties and not knowing your purpose or direction in life, flawed main character who makes frustrating but realistic decisions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Infidelity, Rape, Misogyny, Addiction, and Violence
Moderate: Abortion and Domestic abuse
machenn's review against another edition
reflective
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Death, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
annikjakober's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
3.75
I understand why the reviews for this one are polarizing. Personally, I loved the writing style and that the reader got insight in so many different characters. Lee intertwines many plottlines of multiple families throughout New York, and thereby writes so graphic which makes this novel so addictive. The plot is very different from Patchinko, so it's hard to compare them. I disliked the portrayal of women in this book, as most of them were making terrible decisions (all the time) and acting unreasonable. Meanwhile, every male character in this book seems to be focused on sex only. Besides unrealistic portrayals of luxury and university degrees (who has a magna cum laude in economics and cannot handle money and acquires dept as a hobby?!), I really enjoyed the diverse character descriptions and the brilliant writing style. This book reads like a fun and witty soap opera.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, and Infidelity
Moderate: Addiction and Child abuse
Minor: Abortion and Miscarriage
semeyers's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a nearly 600 page book that I found myself not wanting to end! This novel definitely reads like a soap opera. It is dramatic, full of twists, lots of sex, but very dark. Near humorless. It is a slice of life novel for sure, by the end almost nothing is resolved.
I loved the main character, contrasting to most of the reviews that I read! Casey's struggles with her background and family, debt, religion, and relationships were relatable to me. Even her coming to terms with her own selfishness and need to ask others for help, despite wanting to be as independent as possible, spoke to me. Casey spends most of the novel striving to be independent, but constantly ends up falling back on others - receiving money from family, living rent free with friends, bosses, and boyfriends, and calling in favors to get jobs or more commission. It was an interesting juxtaposition and I think an accurate world view for someone so young (we follow Casey from ages 22-26ish).
Lee also does an amazing job with the background characters. Each person has a clear place in the novel and each becomes a fully fleshed out character with a layered personality and development by the end. Several of them (Leah and Ella, mostly) nearly become co-main characters in their own right.
What I did not love about the novel is echoed in many other reviews - the sex becomes tiresome. It seems every relationship hinges on sex. Every marriage that is unhappy is due to the lack of sex. Every relationship ends because someone cheats. A number of relationships *start* because someone cheats. Even in the only happy relationship that makes it through the entirety of the book, one of the spouses cheats and the other accepts it as part of the deal. The only truly happy/healthy relationships either take place off the page (George's) or one spouse has passed before the novel even begins (Joseph's). This had me begging for just one happy relationship by the end. Writing wise, there were also some blips. The perspective would sometimes shift from one paragraph to the next and the structure of some descriptions were confusing, but overall it didn't affect my read much.
Overall, though, I do highly recommend this book! I didn't love it as much as I loved Pachinko, but I still really liked it.
I loved the main character, contrasting to most of the reviews that I read! Casey's struggles with her background and family, debt, religion, and relationships were relatable to me. Even her coming to terms with her own selfishness and need to ask others for help, despite wanting to be as independent as possible, spoke to me. Casey spends most of the novel striving to be independent, but constantly ends up falling back on others - receiving money from family, living rent free with friends, bosses, and boyfriends, and calling in favors to get jobs or more commission. It was an interesting juxtaposition and I think an accurate world view for someone so young (we follow Casey from ages 22-26ish).
Lee also does an amazing job with the background characters. Each person has a clear place in the novel and each becomes a fully fleshed out character with a layered personality and development by the end. Several of them (Leah and Ella, mostly) nearly become co-main characters in their own right.
What I did not love about the novel is echoed in many other reviews - the sex becomes tiresome. It seems every relationship hinges on sex. Every marriage that is unhappy is due to the lack of sex. Every relationship ends because someone cheats. A number of relationships *start* because someone cheats. Even in the only happy relationship that makes it through the entirety of the book, one of the spouses cheats and the other accepts it as part of the deal. The only truly happy/healthy relationships either take place off the page (George's) or one spouse has passed before the novel even begins (Joseph's). This had me begging for just one happy relationship by the end. Writing wise, there were also some blips. The perspective would sometimes shift from one paragraph to the next and the structure of some descriptions were confusing, but overall it didn't affect my read much.
Overall, though, I do highly recommend this book! I didn't love it as much as I loved Pachinko, but I still really liked it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Infidelity
Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Infertility, Abortion, Fatphobia, and Death
aliciamcclintic's review against another edition
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Abortion, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Toxic relationship