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iphigenie72's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
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
4.5
wendys_lit's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
oof! this was good, and then it was okay, and then it was good again...i had trouble keeping this on, for some reason. it may have been the audiobook choice i did with it? i feel like the narrator was certainly trying to give a dramatic performance but it came off a little...less authentic?! not sure how to describe that!
the story of a girl being kidnapped, and trying to find her way back to her home, through dark, traumatic events and mysterious new faces, that i enjoyed. however, the characters fell flat here and there. i was never fully captured by them, and so my interest in the plot wavered from time to time and felt as if i was dragging on. while i appreciate the author's note and a story of chinese citizens in america during this time, neither the prose nor the characters left much for me to be attached to.
THAT BEING SAID...it's still a decent read! when the book had me, it had me. dai is incredibly strong girl, who's circumstances were awful and bleak, but managed to maintain will to survive throughout it all. i learned a little bit of history, too, which is always fun for me.
the story of a girl being kidnapped, and trying to find her way back to her home, through dark, traumatic events and mysterious new faces, that i enjoyed. however, the characters fell flat here and there. i was never fully captured by them, and so my interest in the plot wavered from time to time and felt as if i was dragging on. while i appreciate the author's note and a story of chinese citizens in america during this time, neither the prose nor the characters left much for me to be attached to.
THAT BEING SAID...it's still a decent read! when the book had me, it had me. dai is incredibly strong girl, who's circumstances were awful and bleak, but managed to maintain will to survive throughout it all. i learned a little bit of history, too, which is always fun for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
mitskacir's review against another edition
5.0
The writing in this book was absolutely beautiful. The sentences themselves were full of imagery and flowed with the story, but never sacrificed the story line or characters for the sake of poetry. The author ties together the past, present, and mythical narratives to create a fluid, introspective, and perceptive character. I loved the main character's practice of calligraphy and how she uses it to understand herself and others around her (especially the way she writes the name "Swallow" and how it changes throughout her life). This book is brutal in many many ways, but the author and the characters fill it with beauty.
mlander's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Rape
Moderate: Death, Trafficking, Violence, and Racial slurs
Minor: Kidnapping
licelotd's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
insearchofsheila's review against another edition
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
3.75
😭
ecox180's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
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? No
4.0
beautifully written yet so devastatingly tragic. details a young girl who is kidnapped from China and sold into prostitution in San Francisco, and her journey from there into the Midwest as the Chinese Exclusion Act is coming into action. I loved the theme of identity, alongside the usage of Chinese calligraphy throughout. A piece of Chinese-American history I had no idea about, so I’d highly recommend to historical fiction lovers.
sylszt's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
sanrodsara's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0