Reviews with content warning for Transphobia - Small Beauty

"The fragrant smoke fills the house, awakening ghosts and calming her mind. She stands unmoving, watching the smoke curl from the small glowing ember. She raises the incense to her face and, holding it in front of her with arms outstretched, she bows from the waist three times. Nai Nai had taught her this. One bow for the heavens. One bow for the earth. One bow for the ancestors."

This is a gorgeously-written little book, on the whole melancholic and bleak but also capturing an understated hopefulness and joy, that powerfully examines loss, trauma, healing, family relationships, and the intricacies of being a descendent of immigrants and of being a trans woman of colour. I loved that the relationship between two cousins is at the heart of this story, as that's not a dynamic I've come across too often in books, and one I really enjoyed here. This book just has so many interesting things to say, and I definitely feel it's one you could read multiple times and get new things out of it each time around.

For me, this book would've benefitted a lot from being maybe 50-100 pages longer and containing a few more sections set in the present day, as I found myself struggling to comprehend the amount of time that was passing and what was actually happening to Mei in the present. Generally it does well of saying a lot in a short word count, but I do think it would've been even better had it just gone into that bit more depth and rounded out the story more. There's also one element of the plot that really did not make sense to me and that I personally don't feel needed to be included.

Despite these criticisms, though, I did truly appreciate and get so much out of this book that I'd highly recommend it, and I do hope the author writes more in the future.

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noahsingh's review

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slow-paced

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

4.0

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asiantomato's review

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1.25

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thewordsdevourer's review

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

small beauty is an understatedly melancholic read whose pervading sense of subtle desolation is compounded by the narrative structure where the reader's aware that most of the main character mei's loved ones will be gradually gone. it's a book w/ short-lived yet lovable characters, and a story abt anger, guilt, family, and queerness that's nicely written.

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maxgdy's review

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emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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