Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
Joy is a painfully ignorant character and the first half of the book is almost unbearable because of her stupidity. However, the character and plot development, along with the neatly wrapped up ending create a really incredible book. worth reading and recommending. even joy becomes a lovable and redeemable character by the end of the story. every character is developed in such intentional realism and Lisa See puts so much care in maintaining the integrity of a character’s core essence, no matter how much they develop and change throughout the story.
Not really my favorite of the trilogy, but still a very interesting read. I have to admit that I didn't know much about Communist China and found the history very interesting.
I really liked this... Not as much as Shanghai Girls (moves slower and Mao's China isn't as colorful as Shanghai & LA Chinatown)... But still a wild ride. Loved the characters, the depth of emotions, and the cultural/historical references.
Lisa See is extremely talented. Her storytelling is outstanding. Her writing is solid. I recently read Shanghai Girls and Dreams of Joy and was very impressed. Although some of the characters got on my nerves (really my only complaint), I am still thinking about this book a few days after I completed it. I recommend Lisa See's work overall and I do recommend the Shanghai Girls pair of books. The historical fiction is rich, accurate (from what I can tell), and full of life.
Thank God Lisa See gave us a satisfying ending to the stories of Pearl and May Chin. I listened to the audiobook for both this book and its predecessor, which both were read wonderfully by Janet Song, and I can't believe how quickly I listened to this book. See is a riveting author who knows how to maintain your attention, only getting better at doing so throughout the tale of these two sisters. Most of my review of this book would just echo the one I wrote for Shanghai Girls so if you're interested in a more elaborate review, please refer to that one.
The one new thing that really intrigued me in this book was learning more about "Red China." We are so caught up in our own abundances and accomplishments that we fail to learn much about the histories we are not apart of. I'm fascinated by the look into communist Chinese culture and resistance against it, and this was not a subject I had previously given much thought. See also does an excellent job of continuing the important themes of sisterhood, motherhood, and womanhood altogether.
If there is one criticism I have of this series, it is how juxtaposed the strong and well-rounded women are versus the men. Even the men in this series that are decent humans (and there aren't a lot) don't have the depth that any of the women do... Maybe that's just a reflection of real life ;) I only wished for more depth in their characters because I was so rooting for every woman to have a true love--even Joy, who I disliked for a good portion of this novel until motherhood had her growing on me. Also, I missed May in this novel. She is an excellent and complex character just like her jei jei (I think, but don't say.) Ha! I love how many times in both books Lisa See uses that expression. People do have a tendency to lean into their personal sayings.
All in all, Shanghai Girls and its sequel Dreams of Joy have become true favorites of mine over the past few weeks I've been reading them and I'm so excited to recommend them to friends!
The one new thing that really intrigued me in this book was learning more about "Red China." We are so caught up in our own abundances and accomplishments that we fail to learn much about the histories we are not apart of. I'm fascinated by the look into communist Chinese culture and resistance against it, and this was not a subject I had previously given much thought. See also does an excellent job of continuing the important themes of sisterhood, motherhood, and womanhood altogether.
If there is one criticism I have of this series, it is how juxtaposed the strong and well-rounded women are versus the men. Even the men in this series that are decent humans (and there aren't a lot) don't have the depth that any of the women do... Maybe that's just a reflection of real life ;) I only wished for more depth in their characters because I was so rooting for every woman to have a true love--even Joy, who I disliked for a good portion of this novel until motherhood had her growing on me. Also, I missed May in this novel. She is an excellent and complex character just like her jei jei (I think, but don't say.) Ha! I love how many times in both books Lisa See uses that expression. People do have a tendency to lean into their personal sayings.
All in all, Shanghai Girls and its sequel Dreams of Joy have become true favorites of mine over the past few weeks I've been reading them and I'm so excited to recommend them to friends!
I did not feel that this stood up to its prequel Shanghai Girls.
As someone with a special interest in this period of history, as well as an awareness of how much misinformation is spread intentionally as political anti-China propaganda, I felt that the sources that See used to craft this narrative were perhaps not the most reliable.
That aside, I felt the pacing of this novel was off and the character development didn't quite live up to its sequel. By the second half, I was slogging through it just to see if it would eventually redeem itself. Also, I found the character of Joy to be a little one-dimensional.
As someone with a special interest in this period of history, as well as an awareness of how much misinformation is spread intentionally as political anti-China propaganda, I felt that the sources that See used to craft this narrative were perhaps not the most reliable.
That aside, I felt the pacing of this novel was off and the character development didn't quite live up to its sequel. By the second half, I was slogging through it just to see if it would eventually redeem itself. Also, I found the character of Joy to be a little one-dimensional.
dark
emotional
fast-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:
No
More of the historical fiction goodness that keeps me reading Lisa See, but also slightly more terrible than her other books. The plot was predictable and in some places completely ridiculous. I've also come to the conclusion that LS is not a good writer; her protagonists sound exactly the same (aside from their "ideals," perhaps, Peony, Pearl, and Joy are pretty much identical.) I think there are a lot of important themes lying beneath See's language--the importance of friendship, the will to survive, mother-daughter relationships, etc.--but her writing frustrates me to the point that DoJ verged on unreadable.
dark
emotional
tense
fast-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
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
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