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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated
Super good book. Characters had immense dimensions and complexities. Super hard to take one side. all perspectives are fair and considered. Puts a lot of relevant issues in question like cultural representation and motherhood
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief
Moderate: Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Abortion, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury
I absolutely loved the writing style of this book. The perspective was ever-changing from first person to third but never felt confusing; it truly added to the story. The plot reminded me of a less-scandalous “Big Little Lies,” but has a place for teen and adult readers.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don't know what to say about this book that hasn't already been said.
I nearly finished this book in an entire day which says so much about how it immediately captures you and takes you into it's world. You just want to see it through to the end and you have to. Every page leads you to the next, every chapter perfectly paced. The drama ramps and ramps until the breaking point and explodes. You come away thinking no one will ever be the same yet everyone will move on. Because everyone will have to.
The way the third person POV is really creatively done. It allows everyone a say in the narrative. Whenever you get a thought, it's immediately complicated by the thoughts and motives of the other characters. You think but what next? who's in the right? and Ng doesn't answer. Just like in real life: the rich and wealthy stay that way and sometimes people never know the whole story. Heartbreaking but real. The characters in this world seem like stereotypes at first but a complicated, multi-generational plot adds depth you don't even see coming.
There were multiple times while reading I had to stop just to shout at the ceiling, argue with characters, and debate the larger contexts and underlying meanings of everything is. How life isn't fair, how kids should be protected, how "racism is over" masks something much deeper and darker.
By the last page I came away with so many thoughts and feelings that I had to sit in the dark in complete silence just to contemplate everything I had read.
Mia is somewhat the Manic Pixie Dream Girl of the plot. She is given much personal thought and exploration but is seen as a savior by everyone in the book. Even characters she doesn't explicitly talk to and interact with (spoiler for ending) solidified by the ending leaving every main character with a "lesson" going forward that each character seems to take to heart even not having known or cared about her It's a tiny, minor critique in the grand scheme of things. It can even be explained away by the perspectives of the other characters: Mia is seen as tiny and insignificant to these wealthy people yet their lives revolve around her.
I nearly finished this book in an entire day which says so much about how it immediately captures you and takes you into it's world. You just want to see it through to the end and you have to. Every page leads you to the next, every chapter perfectly paced. The drama ramps and ramps until the breaking point and explodes. You come away thinking no one will ever be the same yet everyone will move on. Because everyone will have to.
The way the third person POV is really creatively done. It allows everyone a say in the narrative. Whenever you get a thought, it's immediately complicated by the thoughts and motives of the other characters. You think but what next? who's in the right? and Ng doesn't answer. Just like in real life: the rich and wealthy stay that way and sometimes people never know the whole story. Heartbreaking but real. The characters in this world seem like stereotypes at first but a complicated, multi-generational plot adds depth you don't even see coming.
There were multiple times while reading I had to stop just to shout at the ceiling, argue with characters, and debate the larger contexts and underlying meanings of everything is. How life isn't fair, how kids should be protected, how "racism is over" masks something much deeper and darker.
By the last page I came away with so many thoughts and feelings that I had to sit in the dark in complete silence just to contemplate everything I had read.
Mia is somewhat the Manic Pixie Dream Girl of the plot. She is given much personal thought and exploration but is seen as a savior by everyone in the book. Even characters she doesn't explicitly talk to and interact with (spoiler for ending)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Racism, Gaslighting
Minor: Cursing, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Abortion, Toxic friendship
What a helluva book - I knew that both the book and the TV series were getting rave reviews so I did have pretty high expectations going in. And I honestly thought that this was a really well written crime novel, but it goes so far and beyond that. I have read Everything I Never Told You which I also loved so I knew that this would have the same depth and complexity.
The strongest facet of this book is the characterisation - the story shows you a 3D effect of each persons strengths and flaws to the point that you can go from loving a character, to hating them, and back again in the space of a chapter. This is also a book that makes you question your morals, and what you would do in an impossible situation, even more so given that these choices revolve around children. At the heart of it this is really a story about mothers and children, and the deep seated love and fear that play a round of tug of war inside you.
I also need to mention the almost creepy, but expertly described community, which sets the landscape for this book. It has an almost Gatsby sense of feeling, where the community is it’s own character in the showcase of the rich and entitled residents. It highlights the poverty of the outlying characters fighting against it, and the symbolism of the birdcage description of Elena was very fitting.
Absolutely stupendous book, and I cannot wait to read the next novel by this author.
The strongest facet of this book is the characterisation - the story shows you a 3D effect of each persons strengths and flaws to the point that you can go from loving a character, to hating them, and back again in the space of a chapter. This is also a book that makes you question your morals, and what you would do in an impossible situation, even more so given that these choices revolve around children. At the heart of it this is really a story about mothers and children, and the deep seated love and fear that play a round of tug of war inside you.
I also need to mention the almost creepy, but expertly described community, which sets the landscape for this book. It has an almost Gatsby sense of feeling, where the community is it’s own character in the showcase of the rich and entitled residents. It highlights the poverty of the outlying characters fighting against it, and the symbolism of the birdcage description of Elena was very fitting.
Absolutely stupendous book, and I cannot wait to read the next novel by this author.
emotional
mysterious
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
emotional
mysterious
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
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
Good but also a little boring. Nothing all that exciting happened which is what I kept waiting for.
