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essjay1's review against another edition
5.0
Quite raw and a bit rushed but I really liked her writing. Very astute about growing up in a collision of cultures as a 1st generation child of immigrants. Great book, one to watch.
quirkyaquarian's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
2.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Emotional abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness
avamoon's review against another edition
2.0
Idk there wasn’t really much overarching theme and felt very muddled and confused in some places
rubyjohnson106's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
1.75
wasn’t bad but want good. personally wouldn’t read again but it was interesting to learn about how deep culture is for people, especially immigrants. the school could of chose a worse book so
juliette_27's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
2.5
honestly better than i was expecting. the writing was incredibly beautiful.
"she knew we were both going the way of the ghosts, except my ghosts were white living ones and hers were unknown." holy shit that hit hard.
transcendent's review against another edition
5.0
5 stars
I strictly read this book in public to ensure I wouldn't cry because it rubbed me open raw and bled me dry.
Alice Pung has a way with words that I deeply connected with, a form of worldbuilding that felt too real because those were the streets I walked not 2 years later, in the same Forges and Op shop clothes, a child following what now feels inevitable.
I wish I could say that I read this book as soon as I found out about it, but I put it off as much as I humanly could- until my Australian literature class- and I'm strangely glad because, in any other headspace, I would not have been able to finish this book. Now, not for any wrong reason, but because it was exactly what my childhood was like, though I don't think I'll ever feel this sense of finality that Alice has at the end of Unpolished Gem.
Thanks to my tutor for making me face my fears and getting me to read this book (not that it took much lol).
I strictly read this book in public to ensure I wouldn't cry because it rubbed me open raw and bled me dry.
Alice Pung has a way with words that I deeply connected with, a form of worldbuilding that felt too real because those were the streets I walked not 2 years later, in the same Forges and Op shop clothes, a child following what now feels inevitable.
I wish I could say that I read this book as soon as I found out about it, but I put it off as much as I humanly could- until my Australian literature class- and I'm strangely glad because, in any other headspace, I would not have been able to finish this book. Now, not for any wrong reason, but because it was exactly what my childhood was like, though I don't think I'll ever feel this sense of finality that Alice has at the end of Unpolished Gem.
Thanks to my tutor for making me face my fears and getting me to read this book (not that it took much lol).
chairmanbernanke's review against another edition
2.0
Decent writing and a strange attitude towards race and being Asian