Reviews with content warning for Colonisation - The Storm We Made

This is a historical fiction novel set in colonized Malaya with a dual timeline (under British colonial rule and Japanese colonial rule). It follows the mom, Cecily, and how her actions had monumental consequences even though she herself was an inconsequential person. This is shown through alternating perspectives between herself and her three children and how each child faces tremendous challenges because of the societal changes and settings that Cecily's actions brought upon. Guilt is a major theme of this novel because Cecily cannot say that she was unwitting, she simply did not question as much as she should.

This book is meant to be slow. It's meant to linger on pain and suffering and really give us the time and space to examine all the ways in which we can hurt. The prose is stunning and, for the most part, it didn't feel unnecessary. It was well used and so evocative. Thematically, it addresses guilt, family, power dynamics, greed, morality and what it means to exist as a woman. I enjoyed the discussion of good and bad and how these are ultimately subjective terms.

There was a point at the end,

where I had wished we'd had a deeper insight into Abel's thoughts and feelings upon returning.

But ultimately, this is a book I can easily recommend once you've checked the content warnings.

Content Warnings

fkshg8465's review

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emotional informative sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Just barely a three. Wanted to like it more but I probably would’ve been better off DNFing it.

Content Warnings

danaaliyalevinson's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

Set against the backdrop of the Japanese occupation of

Malaysia, a Malaysian woman makes a fateful decision which changes the course of history and the lives of everyone she knows.

I really enjoyed this book. I tend to love historical fiction that centers fictional characters against the backdrop of world events, and while fictional, 1 always feel like it gives us a glimpse into how this massive world events may have affected real people. This book did not disappoint on this front; in turns towering and intimate, this is a beautiful portrait of shattered promises, family bonds, and the tides of history that hurl themselves at the barriers of safety people try to erect around themselves and their loved ones.

It is a multi-perspective book, and sometimes 1 tound the switches happening too quickly, just as I would settle into whatever storyline 1 was following in a particular chapter. And I felt some storylines converged at the end better than others. But it was still a really great read.

Content Warnings

craftyanty's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative sad tense 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? Yes

4.25

This book is a heavy read... lots of triggers warnings needed, but it really is excellent for a debut novel. The characters are well-written, and each of them faces their own personal struggles that come together to make this novel a very emotional read. In fact, this was almost a 5-star rated book for me, but the youngest daughter's character became less believable toward the end.
The audiobook narrator, Samantha Tan, was incredible! I will be looking for more books narrated by her to listen to.

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romonko's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book is a very well-written, immersive novel that examines a time that was not familiar to me. It is set in Malaya during WWII when Japan took it over from the British. JuJube and her family lost the life of privilege that they had during the colonization by Britain, and become a family that is scared, starving and that has lost hope and a family that had to fight for their existence under the Japanese. The novel is full of graphic and poignant moments and it examines themes like family, social status, unfriendly occupation, death and despair. The story is one that needs to be told, but I found it difficult to listen to. I did listen to this on audiobook, and this type of story does not lend itself to that medium as well as it should. I found that I had trouble getting through the story because of the graphic descriptions, and because I did not like any of the characters in it at all. I could not sympathize with Cecily as much as I wanted to. I couldn't understand JuJube and Cecily's younger daughter, Jasmine. The only character that I sympathized with was Abel, her son. The book illustrates clearly the consequences of keeping very dangerous secrets. The ripple effect works it way down through the entire family and all friends and acquaintances with dire consequences. The book is compelling and quite unforgettable, and grips the reader by the throat until you read the final, bitter words. .

Content Warnings

ailiscr32's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

3.5

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natalieba's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative 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

3.5

I ended up doing a combination of reading this on the page and listening to the audiobook, which I got from my library. The audiobook is well-narrated by Samantha Tan. The novel is told in dual timelines and tells a WWII story I was unfamiliar with - British-colonized Malaya in 1935 and the same area during the Japanese occupation at the end of WWII.

Much of the story is raw and almost hard to read - torture abounds and the author doesn’t shy away from drawing a detailed picture of what life was like for Malayans during the Japanese occupation. The family at the heart of the story has lived for years alongside trauma, pain, and terror, and it is impossible to read this story with any sense of hope - only the hope for survival. And is that even worth seeking out when so much has been destroyed? It was truly bleak.

I appreciate learning more about this (for me) uncovered aspect of WWII, knowing that these kinds of stories are no doubt happening in war-torn places today. But, despite claiming to touch on ‘pain and triumph’ (according to the publisher’s blurb), this novel seemed to only focus on pounding home the malicious, dark side of humanity. The blurb goes on to call the novel a ‘dazzling saga about the horrors of war’ and I don’t know how in the world the word ‘dazzling’ could be used to describe such a thing as war (or this book).

Content Warnings

alexisdoingok's review

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challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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