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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence
adventurous
dark
reflective
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
dark
emotional
funny
tense
slow-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
Jess hadn’t planned to come back to Malaysia with her parents, but as her job prospects aren’t looking good anyway she might as well spend time with her family. That is, her living family. She wasn’t expecting to hear a voice in her head once setting foot in Penang, and even less for the voice to be her recently-deceased, estranged grandmother, but apparently the old woman has some scores to settle, and a god may or may not be involved in the process.
This magical realism / urban fantasy / ghost story held a lot to love. I really enjoyed the picture of Malaysian contemporary society depicted by Zen Cho. It felt very real and tangible, and as the author stated in her recent Tolkien lecture (you can watch that on YouTube), the weight of religion and folklore isn’t a way to make this book a mythical fantasy novel, but very much a reality for people living in Penang today.
The portraits of Jess’s family were delectable, especially her grand-mother and her aunt who are very judgmental but ever so funny (not always funny to Jess, though) and I particularly enjoyed how the author dealt with languages, since there are at least 3 languages spoken throughout the book (English, Hokkien and Cantonese, the last two translated into English except for a couple of words here and there) but the transitions are very smooth.
There were some touching discussions on grief as well as family legacy, loyalty and expectations. On the whole it was a multi-facetted book with feet firmly rooted in reality, but hints of the supernatural and brushes with the local mafia.
Rep: Malaysian lesbian MC.
CW: s3xual assault, murder.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Cancer, Sexual assault
adventurous
mysterious
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
Black Water Sister is about a lot of things, but mostly intergenerational trauma and secrets in a crazy Asian family. Jess, our narrator, is split between many identities, primarily a very normal American girl with a useless photography degree from an elite university and a girlfriend who's becoming a long-distance situationship, and daughter of Malaysian-Chinese immigrants who's long attempt at the American dream has finally crashed and burned, and who could never stomach having a lesbian daughter.
Crashing at her aunt's house, trapped in a maze of family obligations in a country where she barely speaks Hokkien and doesn't know anyone who matches her Americanized parts would be bad enough, but a ghost is whispering in her ear. Ah Ma, her recently deceased mother's mother, isn't a cookies and milk grandmother (or whatever the Malaysian kindly comfort food cuisine was). Ah Ma was a gangster, a medium of deeply unpleasant goddess, and she needs Jess to close out a little unfinished business by protecting a temple from development by getting in the face of the fifth wealthiest man in Malaysia.
There's a lot to like about this book. Jess's mother in particular is a character, entirely insane and entirely well-realized. I'm just a white dude, but I'm aware of the "my crazy Asian mother" microgenre, and this is one of the best. The supernatural components, ghosts and gods and mediums, hit well. The touristy exoticism of Malaysia is also well-drawn, or at least appear so, since I've never been.
But the sub-plots never really achieve a true unity of purpose, and I found Jess a little frustrating as a protagonist, alternating between strong-willed cunning and feckless incompetence arbitrarily. Don't get me wrong, this is a good novel, but there's a gap I can't put my fingers on.
Crashing at her aunt's house, trapped in a maze of family obligations in a country where she barely speaks Hokkien and doesn't know anyone who matches her Americanized parts would be bad enough, but a ghost is whispering in her ear. Ah Ma, her recently deceased mother's mother, isn't a cookies and milk grandmother (or whatever the Malaysian kindly comfort food cuisine was). Ah Ma was a gangster, a medium of deeply unpleasant goddess, and she needs Jess to close out a little unfinished business by protecting a temple from development by getting in the face of the fifth wealthiest man in Malaysia.
There's a lot to like about this book. Jess's mother in particular is a character, entirely insane and entirely well-realized. I'm just a white dude, but I'm aware of the "my crazy Asian mother" microgenre, and this is one of the best. The supernatural components, ghosts and gods and mediums, hit well. The touristy exoticism of Malaysia is also well-drawn, or at least appear so, since I've never been.
But the sub-plots never really achieve a true unity of purpose, and I found Jess a little frustrating as a protagonist, alternating between strong-willed cunning and feckless incompetence arbitrarily. Don't get me wrong, this is a good novel, but there's a gap I can't put my fingers on.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An absolute 10/10! A super unique and enjoyable read!! This is a story that has something for everyone including complex, fun, and sweet family dynamics, family secrets, mysteries galore, spirits, gods and goddesses, possession, crime, cultural exploration, confrontation of social issues, the conflicts between the rich and poor, as well as a myriad of personal struggles regarding family, relationships, self worth, and belonging. It also has a strong and well written main character! Jess (the mc) is such a complex yet relatable person who I adore and who had me rooting for her in every area of her life. I just love her so much!! Even the supporting characters are complex and flawed people (and entires) who are still extremely loveable in the end. I don’t quite know how to explain how captivating and unique this story is and what made it stand out to me (it might have just been everything about it) so it’s hard for me to describe just how much and why I loved this book as much as I did so all I’ll say READ THIS BOOK!!!
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
I really liked this book. It was contemporary but had fantasy/mythology elements with ghosts and gods. Jessamyn is closeted and back in Malaysia with her parents when she starts being haunted by her dead grandmother she never met. The book was interesting early, slowed down a little in the middle, but really picked back up at the end. It was definitely a very unique story with a bunch of stunning imagery and fun twists.