Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan

9 reviews

scifi_rat's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Grief, Infidelity, Violence, and War

Moderate: Child abuse, Kidnapping, Confinement, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Death, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Racism, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Child death, Classism, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

Minor: Religious bigotry, Torture, Abandonment, and Excrement

bowbeforeloki's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad 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

This book was so emotionally driven.  I couldn't put it down but it broke my heart

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Gore, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, Murder, Pedophilia, Genocide, Child death, Colonisation, Addiction, Classism, Mental illness, Racism, Trafficking, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Medical content, Rape, War, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Xenophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Toxic relationship

sharu901's review

challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: War and Slavery

Minor: Rape and Torture

thrillofthepage's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Storm We Made is a beautifully written, yet heartbreaking historical fiction novel that takes place in the mid 1930s through the end of WWII in Malaya (present day Malaysia). The dual timelines offer a slow unfolding of the way decisions can impact lives for years. The multi-POVs of Cecily, Able, Jujube, and Jasmine provide an inside and unfiltered look into what life was like during both the British and Japanese occupation.  Vanessa Chan fully immerses her readers by writing about the devastation of colonization, occupation, and the horrors that come with it.  I was left in tears realizing the tragic full circle of our title, The Storm We Made. This book and its characters will stay with me for a long time. Please check TWs.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Slavery, Physical abuse, Rape, Classism, Colonisation, Violence, Death, Child death, and Confinement

Moderate: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Murder, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Deportation, Grief, Torture, Alcohol, Infidelity, Child abuse, and Racial slurs

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

happyknitter2020's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Absolutely tragic account of war, the significant abuse of young children & families, by those in control.

Observing a fictional family,  their friends & an exploitating lover, brought their horrific life experiences to life.  

Difficult to say you 'enjoyed' such a book, but definitely appreciate how this brings historical experiences to life & helps you to reflect on the current world wars & individuals experiences that are happening today.

The audio book was fantastic. Definitely recommend to others.

Thanks to Netgalley for letting me to listen to the audio book & provide this review.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, War, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Blood, Child abuse, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Murder, Emotional abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Rape, Pedophilia, Torture, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Death, and Slavery

rosarachel's review

dark emotional informative sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual violence, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Violence, Colonisation, War, Slavery, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Grief, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, and Rape

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Kidnapping

Minor: Torture, Pedophilia, and Trafficking

internationalreads's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative sad 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

3.0

This one didn’t quite work for me. The characters felt one-dimensional and like they were written for the white gaze. I appreciated the setting in WWII Malaya though, which we need more books about.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Slavery, Blood, Confinement, Gore, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Child death, Sexual content, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Racism, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexism, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Sexual harassment, Torture, Violence, War, and Vomit

jasminegalsreadinglog's review

challenging dark emotional informative tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan, a historical fiction, is a story of a family who is affected by the Japanese invasion of Malaya, currently Malaysia. It's a story of survival amid the knowledge that one evil was traded for another.

Set in the period 1930s and 1940s, this novel is Cecily's and her children's story. Alternating between timelines and characters, this book gives us a glimpse of both the British rule and the Japanese rule of Malaya during this period. 

This book is not an easy read by no means. But then, topics of colonialism, marginalization, and colorism are not supposed to be easy. Topics of slave labor camps, racial profiling, and child exploitation are handled this book. My heart literally broke into pieces for Jasmin and Yuki. Without expressing the emotions of these characters, the author has conveyed a lot because the reader is prompted to think.

Thank you, Simon Element, MarySue Rucci Books, for this book.

CW: Infidelity, Spying, SA, graphic description of child abuse, betrayal, starvation, death

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Blood, Sexual violence, Bullying, Violence, War, Kidnapping, Confinement, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Classism, Racial slurs, Infidelity, Animal death, Racism, Hate crime, Rape, Grief, Death, Cultural appropriation, and Colonisation

katrinaslibrary's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Grief, Kidnapping, Slavery, Genocide, War, Colonisation, Murder, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Rape, Trafficking, and Pedophilia

Minor: Racism

This book is set during the Second Sino-Japanese war where the Japanese Imperial Army committed war crimes, across Asia. Please be mindful that for some readers can be triggered by generational trauma.