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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
More like 3.75 stars probably. Excellent writing. Interesting way to tell as story. Or a series of stories really. Backwards in time.
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
2.75/5⭐️
This debut was a hard one for me to rate.
Centering around the seemingly perfect, wealthy Shanghai Lang family of 5 (parents Leo and Eko; daughters Yumi, Yoko and Kiko) and the high and low points in their lives (both personally and as a group). The story is told in a regressive timeline (2040-2014) and includes snippets/chapters from each family member’s life. It’s a story about marriage, about parenting, about siblings and about those people who come into their orbits during certain periods of their lives.
The regressive nature of the story was a unique presentation and an angle to showcase each character’s background/motivations, but going backwards through time in 5+ persons’ lives at times was confusing/disorienting. I’ll be honest. I had a difficult time relating to any member of this family, which in turn made it a hard story to get through. The family dynamics were depressing but also difficult at times to have much sympathy for. I found them a bit arrogant, cold and mostly unfeeling as individuals and in their interpersonal relationships. And I’m not overly fond of books that end abruptly with no real tie-up/denouement.
The writing style was perfectly fine, but in the end this one just wasn’t what I had hoped for/expected.
My thanks to NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau for providing the free early arc of Shanghailanders for review. The opinions are strictly my own.
This debut was a hard one for me to rate.
Centering around the seemingly perfect, wealthy Shanghai Lang family of 5 (parents Leo and Eko; daughters Yumi, Yoko and Kiko) and the high and low points in their lives (both personally and as a group). The story is told in a regressive timeline (2040-2014) and includes snippets/chapters from each family member’s life. It’s a story about marriage, about parenting, about siblings and about those people who come into their orbits during certain periods of their lives.
The regressive nature of the story was a unique presentation and an angle to showcase each character’s background/motivations, but going backwards through time in 5+ persons’ lives at times was confusing/disorienting. I’ll be honest. I had a difficult time relating to any member of this family, which in turn made it a hard story to get through. The family dynamics were depressing but also difficult at times to have much sympathy for. I found them a bit arrogant, cold and mostly unfeeling as individuals and in their interpersonal relationships. And I’m not overly fond of books that end abruptly with no real tie-up/denouement.
The writing style was perfectly fine, but in the end this one just wasn’t what I had hoped for/expected.
My thanks to NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau for providing the free early arc of Shanghailanders for review. The opinions are strictly my own.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
An super interesting book told in reverse from 2040 to the 2010’s. I wanted more details about each character but I liked that we got to learn about the consequences and results of choices that were made but backwards. A bit more detail and description of Japan, Shanghai and Paris would have been nice to just add more to the story. This was a quick listen on audio that kept you engaged the entire listen!
emotional
medium-paced
The characters were not very likeable and their flaws were things I couldn't get past to enjoy the book.
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Minor: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Dementia