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theoceanrose's review
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Violence
Moderate: Rape, Death, Death of parent, Child death, and Blood
Minor: Infidelity and Sexual assault
weyheyitsrachel's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is so perfectly imperfect. The characters are distinctly flawed, the situation the country of Malaya and the world is in is messy and tragic, and the effects of these events are even messier.
From the start, I knew I would love this book. I appreciate the author's note at the beginning, the timeline of events in Malaya, and there was even a map! Little extras like that already make this book stand out from other historical fiction books I've read.
The way this story is told is so unique. It follows a mother and her three children, and we get POVs from those four characters PLUS a POV of the mother set in the past. Each chapter felt like little stories to me, and it made for a quick read. We get glimpses into the mother's past, which I loved. Her past explains so much and is pertinent to her character arc. And the POVs of the children really tied this book together. We got a clear family dynamic because of that, and it really made me see how war breaks families apart and how they cope with it.
Although this story was heartbreaking and tough to read at points, it was so beautifully written. I am mindblown that this is a debut! Vanessa Chan, this is a masterpiece and I hope you will share more stories with the world.
From the start, I knew I would love this book. I appreciate the author's note at the beginning, the timeline of events in Malaya, and there was even a map! Little extras like that already make this book stand out from other historical fiction books I've read.
The way this story is told is so unique. It follows a mother and her three children, and we get POVs from those four characters PLUS a POV of the mother set in the past. Each chapter felt like little stories to me, and it made for a quick read. We get glimpses into the mother's past, which I loved. Her past explains so much and is pertinent to her character arc. And the POVs of the children really tied this book together. We got a clear family dynamic because of that, and it really made me see how war breaks families apart and how they cope with it.
Although this story was heartbreaking and tough to read at points, it was so beautifully written. I am mindblown that this is a debut! Vanessa Chan, this is a masterpiece and I hope you will share more stories with the world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Rape, and Sexual violence
kay_bee33's review
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, War, Grief, Child death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Addiction, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Death, Colonisation, and Rape
magicshoes's review against another edition
challenging
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I’m glad I read it, but there’s some graphic descriptions of child abuse I wish I’d been warned about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Child death, Child abuse, War, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault
mrlzbth's review
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Fire/Fire injury
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