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emg3's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Murder and Sexual assault
Moderate: Domestic abuse
vezreads's review
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Murder, and Blood
aidymoose's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Rape
lilifane's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
First of all, this is definitely not YA. I don't even know why I thought it was? And then after a lighthearted and funny beginning, the story gets pretty dark and intense and violent. But also in a good way. I really liked the characters, the protagonist was very relatable, the dynamics between her and the ghost hilarious. The writing style, especially the dialogues, might need some time to get used when you're not the child of immigrants. But since I am, it felt familiar (even if the languages are totally different in my case).
Loved the atmosphere and how ghosts, spirits and gods played such a big part in the plot and every day life of the characters. Also, loved the themes that were explored in a raw and brutal way. Like having an identity crisis, being torn between your family and your own life, coming out to a traditional Chinese family, violence against women, sexism, generational trauma, unresolved hate and revenge. But there are some hard scenes towards the end, so I recommend checking trigger warnings.
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Homophobia, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Racism, Police brutality, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Kidnapping, Cancer, Medical content, and Outing
Minor: Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Murder, Outing, Car accident, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Terminal illness
sapphic_book_dragon's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Murder
The sexual violence is attempted but horrific and hits you without warning in the last few chapters. Nothing before it has prepared for it to suddenly happenbek_p87's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Violence and Murder
yazzy_annalise's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
The story really focuses on Jess, her struggles, and obviously the Black Water Sister (the main story plot), but there are a lot of off hand mentions of things that were instrumental to the story, but weren't expanded upon. As well as, ALL the focus was on Jess. Thinking back to the large cast of characters, some of them weren't needed to move the story along or in the story at all, there function could have be carried out by someone else more established in the plot. After reading the story and thinking over a couple of days, I have so many questions to the author about the decisions she made writing this book. I am thinking back to all the plot points and I feel like many were rushed.
However, Zen Cho has a writing style that I really liked and kept me engaged throughout the whole book. It did take a little getting used to (because not everyone speaks English as a first language), but I do think that made the story true to life. It was a necessary and important aspect of the story and I probably would have found it strange if it was not written that way. I liked the way Zen Cho resolved the Black Water Sister, and at the same time I wish there was more meat to the closure of that chapter for Jess. All of the fear and haunting that the Black Water Sister did of Jess and then suddenly gone.
Ultimately, I would recommend this book because it is so different and I don't think many people have read a book with Malaysian and Chinese myth basis. But, I really do wish that there was more world building and a longer timeline to the story.
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Murder, Rape, and Sexual violence
gellyreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Homophobia
leannanecdote's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Murder, Gore, Violence, Racism, Grief, Xenophobia, Blood, Body horror, and Religious bigotry
kurumipanda's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia, Murder, Kidnapping, Cancer, Domestic abuse, and Drug abuse
Minor: Car accident, Classism, and Racism