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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this review is just going to keep getting updated from time to time because i don't know how to articulate just how much this book means to me in one single session, so i'm spreading it out as i return to it over and over again :')
a short review: When I first cracked open the book back in April, I was immediately captivated by the vivid temporality of its setting: from the daily rhythms that the characters go through, to the protagonist’s struggles that mirrored mine so closely that I nearly forgot I was reading a story that wasn’t just meant for my eyes. I mean, how often do you get to see yourself at the heart of a book? On a narrative level, the way Zen deftly handles the book’s intertwining themes of family, queerness, and diaspora while taking us on a brilliantly paced and at turns downright eerie story about a woman who has the literal ghost of her grandmother living rent-free in her head is nothing short of masterful. As a reader from Malaysia, I can’t tell you how exceedingly rare it is for me to truly see the nuances of my life represented in the fiction that I read, which is why I’m always caught so off guard by the earnestness and authenticity of Zen Cho’s Malaysian-influenced stories. And while I have deeply enjoyed what I've read of Zen's ouevre so far, I personally reckon that Black Water Sister may just be her best work yet.
pre-review: i haven't logged into goodreads for fucking forever because of my final college sem but i'm here to tell you that if this book isn't on your TBR yet, you need to add it now
a short review: When I first cracked open the book back in April, I was immediately captivated by the vivid temporality of its setting: from the daily rhythms that the characters go through, to the protagonist’s struggles that mirrored mine so closely that I nearly forgot I was reading a story that wasn’t just meant for my eyes. I mean, how often do you get to see yourself at the heart of a book? On a narrative level, the way Zen deftly handles the book’s intertwining themes of family, queerness, and diaspora while taking us on a brilliantly paced and at turns downright eerie story about a woman who has the literal ghost of her grandmother living rent-free in her head is nothing short of masterful. As a reader from Malaysia, I can’t tell you how exceedingly rare it is for me to truly see the nuances of my life represented in the fiction that I read, which is why I’m always caught so off guard by the earnestness and authenticity of Zen Cho’s Malaysian-influenced stories. And while I have deeply enjoyed what I've read of Zen's ouevre so far, I personally reckon that Black Water Sister may just be her best work yet.
pre-review: i haven't logged into goodreads for fucking forever because of my final college sem but i'm here to tell you that if this book isn't on your TBR yet, you need to add it now
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved how specific the setting was; it made me miss Malaysia, and Penang for sure. I wasn't always gripped by the revenge quest but I think it was a matter of pacing. Enjoyed the book anyway.
Entertaining enough, but ultimately felt pretty hollow
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
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
mysterious
tense
fast-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
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Great characterization and plot, also quite funny! Didn’t quite stick the ending for me
3.5 Stars
I know it’s literally in the blurb, but I was still shocked when the grandma turned out to be a crime lord lol.
It’s really funny and kinda heartwarming to see a crime lord grandmother ghost and a granddaughter bicker and fight for control over one body. It’s really nice to read about different flippant gods in a cultural setting other than Greek. The portrayal of Asian parents here is also spot on. The struggle of loving your parents, but knowing that they’d never really accept you for who you really are because of their culture, is something that hit hard in this book.
When I first read the ending, I was like ugh, another violence/revenge-is-bad story, but when I saw how it was meant to end the suffering of the wronged person themselves to let go, I changed my mind a little.
All in all, I like the atmosphere of this, and there’s a lot of action, but it didn’t have a super tight grip on my interest, just a mild one. A fun read to pass the time.
I know it’s literally in the blurb, but I was still shocked when the grandma turned out to be a crime lord lol.
It’s really funny and kinda heartwarming to see a crime lord grandmother ghost and a granddaughter bicker and fight for control over one body. It’s really nice to read about different flippant gods in a cultural setting other than Greek. The portrayal of Asian parents here is also spot on. The struggle of loving your parents, but knowing that they’d never really accept you for who you really are because of their culture, is something that hit hard in this book.
When I first read the ending, I was like ugh, another violence/revenge-is-bad story, but when I saw how it was meant to end the suffering of the wronged person themselves to let go, I changed my mind a little.
All in all, I like the atmosphere of this, and there’s a lot of action, but it didn’t have a super tight grip on my interest, just a mild one. A fun read to pass the time.
adventurous
emotional
tense
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