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bisexualbookshelf's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The narrative follows Lucy and Sam, two orphaned siblings navigating a harsh and unforgiving landscape in search of a place to call home after the death of their father. Zhang's prose is as raw and unyielding as the wilderness through which Lucy and Sam traverse, echoing the emotional terrain they must navigate.
One of the most striking aspects of Zhang's storytelling is her portrayal of the immigrant experience and the toll it takes on individuals and families. Through Lucy and Sam's journey, she skillfully unpacks the complexities of identity, the struggle for survival, and the sacrifices made in the pursuit of a better life.
Zhang's exploration of masculinity, particularly through the lens of immigrant and marginalized communities, is both nuanced and revelatory. She challenges traditional notions of masculinity, exposing its often violent manifestations while also highlighting its capacity for tenderness and resilience.
The novel's thematic breadth is vast, touching upon issues of environmental justice, colonialism, and the legacy of exploitation that continues to haunt the American landscape. Zhang's prose is imbued with a deep reverence for the land and its mysteries, underscoring the interconnectedness of nature and humanity.
This book is not merely a story; it is a meditation on memory, belonging, and the enduring bonds of family. Zhang's narrative unfolds with the grace of a myth, weaving together Chinese symbolism and reimagined history to create a haunting and unforgettable tale.
How Much of These Hills Is Gold is a masterpiece that lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned. It is a work of profound beauty and depth, offering readers a glimpse into characters grappling with the weight of their pasts and the promise of an uncertain future. This is another must-read recommendation for my diverse lit-fic lovers and anyone seeking a poignant exploration of the immigrant experience in America.
📖 Recommend For: Advocates of Environmental Justice, Explorers of Intersectional Identity, Critics of Capitalist Exploitation, Fans of Brit Bennett’s The Vanishing Half and Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner.
🔑 Key Themes: Intergenerational Trauma, Immigrant Experience, Gender Identity Exploration, Cultural Displacement, Family Bonds, Environmental Exploitation, Colonial Legacy, the Myth of the American Dream.
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse, Racism, Gore, and Alcoholism
Minor: Murder, Sexual harassment, Violence, Child death, Bullying, and Animal cruelty
The child death content warning is specifically in regards to a stillbirth.mighty_lizard_queen's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
The book is very good for the first part, but once the father is buried I think it lost its way a little bit. I suppose the father was supposed to be redeemed but I didn't buy it. The ending was also unsatisfying and felt disconnected to the earlier parts of the book.
Graphic: Animal death, Deadnaming, Grief, Trafficking, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Bullying, Blood, Outing, Animal cruelty, Racial slurs, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Sexism, Racism, Pregnancy, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Death of parent, Classism, Physical abuse, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Gun violence
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Racism, Grief, Blood, Death of parent, Gore, Death, and Classism
Moderate: Gun violence, Misogyny, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Racial slurs, Violence, Colonisation, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Excrement, Self harm, Sexual content, Vomit, and Rape
quiettalker'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? It's complicated
3.5
Moderate: Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Death, Child death, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, and Racism
Minor: Rape, Child abuse, Animal death, Slavery, Violence, Animal cruelty, and Gun violence
tetedump's review
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, Racism, Gore, Domestic abuse, Transphobia, and Xenophobia
jialianyang's review
- 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: Cursing, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Death, Eating disorder, Blood, Excrement, Racism, Violence, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Gun violence
Moderate: Rape, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
jlmreader's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Moderate: Death, Gore, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Sexism, Racism, Colonisation, Murder, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
solenekeleroux'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
5.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Death of parent, Racism, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Genocide, Pedophilia, and Transphobia
gobblebook's review
- 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
4.0
Lucy and Sam are young teenagers when their parents both die. At the beginning of the book, all we know is that their parents are Chinese, and the siblings must find somewhere safe to live. The book unfolds slowly, eventually revealing details of their parents' lives as immigrants and gold prospectors, Lucy's experiences at school, and the deaths of their parents.
The book is told primarily from Lucy's point of view. Sam is an enigmatic and interesting character, both to Lucy and to the reader. Sam was born and raised as a girl, but upon their mother's death, started dressing and acting as a boy. The author carefully avoids using pronouns at all to talk about Sam. The bond between Lucy and Sam is very strong, and Lucy loves Sam no matter what Sam's gender presentation is, and never really questions it, knowing that Sam is going to do things Sam's way.
The characters are interesting, and the story is compelling, but the writing is uneven. There's a jarring section that is told by the ghost of their father - it seems like the author could have found a more graceful way to include the parents' backstory. The first few chapters have some incredibly disgusting details that also don't make much logistical sense (the siblings cut up their father's corpse and put it in a trunk, which they strap to the back of a horse, and the corpse rots and parts of it keep falling out of the trunk - there are so many things wrong with this that I don't know where to begin, but mostly I want to know what kind of trunk closes so badly that body parts can fall out of it).
Despite the uneven writing, this is a good story about the quest for a place to belong, and it's important to get another perspective on the experience of the Western.
Graphic: Gore
katrina_and_the_page's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Gore, Death, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual content, Murder, and Xenophobia
Minor: Abandonment, Bullying, and Child death