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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Another book that I didn’t either love or hate. The book follows Rebecca, a mother of an adopted Chinese daughter who is trying to balance her career and motherhood, and Jasmine, a woman who has fled to the US from China looking for her daughter who was taken from her at birth. It’s suspenseful while also addressing important topics, like race, class, family structure and more.
My biggest complaint had to do with some errors in the book. The entire book, with the exception of the prologue and epilogue, takes place in 2007, yet the anachronisms kept popping up- using an iPad, watching videos on a cellphone, tons of texting. The fact that these things got by the editors is even more ironic since one of the main characters is an editor.
It’s a quick read and I flew through the last 2/3, though the first third literally put me to sleep on several occasions. Once you finish, I recommend going back and rereading the prologue as it ties everything up nicely.
My biggest complaint had to do with some errors in the book. The entire book, with the exception of the prologue and epilogue, takes place in 2007, yet the anachronisms kept popping up- using an iPad, watching videos on a cellphone, tons of texting. The fact that these things got by the editors is even more ironic since one of the main characters is an editor.
It’s a quick read and I flew through the last 2/3, though the first third literally put me to sleep on several occasions. Once you finish, I recommend going back and rereading the prologue as it ties everything up nicely.
Great book with good representation! Though at times a little bit heavy on the turned tables
Too many triggers infertility and adoption
thought this book would be about the leftover women issue in China because of the title - i didn’t read what it was about…
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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:
No
The gasps that I gasped while listening to this book. I spent so much of the book trying to empathize with Jasmine and feeling deep disdain for Rebecca. The way that everything tied together in the end, even with all of the surprises and shocking revelations, was almost heartbreaking. I cannot imagine the cultural hurdles that the women in this book faced, but the way that all of the characters were written blew me away. I really appreciated the writing and enjoyed reading this.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a page turning entertaining read and a testament to mothers, biological or not. However, the plot and all its twists and turns were a little unrealistic.
The opening was really effective for me - really made me feel for the characters in such a short time. I should’ve seen the twist coming but somehow didn’t. Really liked that Rebecca was complex/imperfect but still a character I wanted to root for. Pacing was a little rushed and some parts were predictable but it really sucked me in.