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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
As someone who's been to Shanghai before, I loved the setting, but I can't say the same of the characters or the book as a whole. More like a series of vignettes about related characters, and less a cohesive story. Nothing really compelled me to keep reading the book and the conceit of the stories going backwards in time didn't really add anything to the experience. None of the characters were that like-able, so I just had a feeling of being separated from their inner lives.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Really cool book concept. The idea of following one families story, and seeing how they’ve grown or changed is fascinating enough. But to see it in reverse is super interesting. We see where they end up and work our way back, with snapshots and piecing together what shaped their present day and futures.
At some points the narrative felt a little disjointed for my personal taste, and I found on occasions I’d get a little confused and reread bits to ensure I understood the story.
At some points the narrative felt a little disjointed for my personal taste, and I found on occasions I’d get a little confused and reread bits to ensure I understood the story.
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
What an impressive debut novel. Shanghailanders follows the Yang family: Mother and Father, Eko and Leo, and daughters Yumi, Yoko and Yukiko. Told in a reverse storyline, the timeline opens in the year 2040 and ends at the beginning of the Yang’s relationship; during the wedding of Eko and Leo in 2014. Along the way, through a series of remembrances, the flaws, secrets and complexities of each family member emerge.
The author beautifully explores marriage, falling in and out of love, and the secrets and betrayals of both parents and children that are a part of the foundation of any family.
Highly relatable and ubiquitous, I found myself quickly immersed in the story of the Yang family. The unique timeline gave the story depth and interest. The more intense and surprising secrets emerged later in the story and during the earlier years of the Yang’s relationship. I felt an appealing connection to the characters, story and writing. I enjoyed the perspectives of the nanny and driver as well.
I can’t say exactly what was missing for me in this story but I felt the ending was abrupt and I wasn’t done with the story. I still have some questions I wish were answered. But this does not take away from the fact that this is a beautifully written story that captivated me from page one.
Thank you to Spiegel & Grau Publishers, NetGalley and the author, Juli Min, for providing me with a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest review.
The author beautifully explores marriage, falling in and out of love, and the secrets and betrayals of both parents and children that are a part of the foundation of any family.
Highly relatable and ubiquitous, I found myself quickly immersed in the story of the Yang family. The unique timeline gave the story depth and interest. The more intense and surprising secrets emerged later in the story and during the earlier years of the Yang’s relationship. I felt an appealing connection to the characters, story and writing. I enjoyed the perspectives of the nanny and driver as well.
I can’t say exactly what was missing for me in this story but I felt the ending was abrupt and I wasn’t done with the story. I still have some questions I wish were answered. But this does not take away from the fact that this is a beautifully written story that captivated me from page one.
Thank you to Spiegel & Grau Publishers, NetGalley and the author, Juli Min, for providing me with a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest review.
emotional
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Exactly what I needed for my reading slump! Contrary to most of the reviews I liked the rewind aspect of this book. I wish the ending had led to more and that Shanghai was explored more. However, I enjoyed reading about each person and trying to understand them a little better. An excellent debut novel!
The reverse chronology of the book is very effective and not at all gimmicky. It helped to create a deeper understanding and that interesting perspective when, as a reader, you know more than the characters. It also made some of the characters more sympathetic but overall most of them were not (which hard for me as a reader).
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes