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votesforwomen's review against another edition
3.0
Waffling between 3 and 4 stars.
There was SO MUCH to love about this book. We get to see the South between slavery and segregation (I mean, who actually writes about how the South was affected during the Gilded Age? We are LONG overdue for this sort of a book and I loved it), from the POV of a Chinese girl who was a natural-born American citizen! Like...I LOVE IT SO MUCH. Such a unique premise and unique perspective. Please write more books like this, my ladies.
And the whole Miss Sweetie column...oh my word. Jo's sass is something else and I loved every one of her columns. So Southern--sweet and yet BITING and it was brilliant. For not being from the South, as Lee admits in the acknowledgements, she nails Southern culture so well.
The reveals felt rushed, and I had a bit of a time keeping up with some of the side characters, but overall, the main plot and the main character hold this book together BEAUTIFULLY. Really good. Mostly clean (just a couple of bad words and a little mild suggestive content, as well as a couple of people talking about affairs). This is the kind of his-fic I enjoy.
3.5 stars, probably? SO GOOD THO.
There was SO MUCH to love about this book. We get to see the South between slavery and segregation (I mean, who actually writes about how the South was affected during the Gilded Age? We are LONG overdue for this sort of a book and I loved it), from the POV of a Chinese girl who was a natural-born American citizen! Like...I LOVE IT SO MUCH. Such a unique premise and unique perspective. Please write more books like this, my ladies.
And the whole Miss Sweetie column...oh my word. Jo's sass is something else and I loved every one of her columns. So Southern--sweet and yet BITING and it was brilliant. For not being from the South, as Lee admits in the acknowledgements, she nails Southern culture so well.
The reveals felt rushed, and I had a bit of a time keeping up with some of the side characters, but overall, the main plot and the main character hold this book together BEAUTIFULLY. Really good. Mostly clean (just a couple of bad words and a little mild suggestive content, as well as a couple of people talking about affairs). This is the kind of his-fic I enjoy.
3.5 stars, probably? SO GOOD THO.
itsjxssica's review against another edition
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
livmull's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
kecasey's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
shareen17's review against another edition
3.0
Unique story of a Chinese American girl living in the South during the late 1800s. Her safety depends on staying out of sight and unnoticed, but it is hard when she has a strong spirit and strong opinions.
lelands_library's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bshoreyfennell's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
telola's review against another edition
4.0
I found this to be so delightful and something that made me think of the South in a different way. The story was different because of the point of view of a young Chinese woman in the 19th century was something I have not read before.
The plot was good and moved along at a steady clip with no real slow down. I do not like authors who think they need to slow down to show character development. That is just not my thing. I want to get to know a character by how they react to something instead of being in their head constantly; The character's actions show more about them than their thoughts.
Jo Kuan was that sort of character who acted but also had her thoughts. She eventually had her fingers in many pies. That's great but is perilously close to a Mary Sue. That is why I gave it 4 stars not 5. She is good at everything she does with little work toward it to be the best the first try out. Also... a 17 year old giving advice... a little far fetched since 17 years isn't much life experience, especially giving advice to people who are married or to mothers with child rearing problems. Again, that's why its 4 stars.
Overall I recommend this!
The plot was good and moved along at a steady clip with no real slow down. I do not like authors who think they need to slow down to show character development. That is just not my thing. I want to get to know a character by how they react to something instead of being in their head constantly; The character's actions show more about them than their thoughts.
Jo Kuan was that sort of character who acted but also had her thoughts. She eventually had her fingers in many pies. That's great but is perilously close to a Mary Sue. That is why I gave it 4 stars not 5. She is good at everything she does with little work toward it to be the best the first try out. Also... a 17 year old giving advice... a little far fetched since 17 years isn't much life experience, especially giving advice to people who are married or to mothers with child rearing problems. Again, that's why its 4 stars.
Overall I recommend this!
ajacobs590's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0