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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
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
I was initially disappointed by this book feeling that it lacked the whimsical charm of Cho's earlier novels, which are for young adults. This felt like a "new adult" novel, about Jess, a first generation immigrant Malaysian Chinese girl who has just graduated from Harvard and moved back to Malaysia with her parents, who have suffered a reverse in fortunes. Maybe because I was listening to the book, it seemed to take a long time to get to the fantasy part, based on Chinese and Malay folklore, which gives this book its dark power and eventually transforms it into a page turner. Eventually I gave up and read it with my eyes.
So, Jess is being haunted by her formerly unknown grandmother, Ah Mah, who was the semi-willing medium of a minor but still pretty damned powerful local deity known as Black Water Sister. Hence, the name. There is a crooked Malay company trying to destroy the deity's small temple so they can build more condos on the site. There is also a secret about the head of the company.
As with Cho's previous books which also feature magical old women, I was most interested in the magical grandmother, who is tough, funny, street smart, and just sort of irresistible. Cho has a wonderful knack for rendering this kind of character accessible to an outside audience. She portrays them with love and her portrayal has what Brenda Ueland, the author of "If You Want to Write," referred to as "microscopic truthfulness." I would bet money they are all based on someone or some ones in her own life.
I was less interested in Jess's own problems, like how to break it to her parents that she was gay and in a lesbian relationship, and how to get out of Penang without hurting their feelings and how to keep her relationship going. I felt it was unrealistic that such an ambitious and accomplished young woman would hang around Penang endlesslessly because her parents "needed settling in." But maybe that is exactly what will appeal to another reader. You never know.
So, Jess is being haunted by her formerly unknown grandmother, Ah Mah, who was the semi-willing medium of a minor but still pretty damned powerful local deity known as Black Water Sister. Hence, the name. There is a crooked Malay company trying to destroy the deity's small temple so they can build more condos on the site. There is also a secret about the head of the company.
As with Cho's previous books which also feature magical old women, I was most interested in the magical grandmother, who is tough, funny, street smart, and just sort of irresistible. Cho has a wonderful knack for rendering this kind of character accessible to an outside audience. She portrays them with love and her portrayal has what Brenda Ueland, the author of "If You Want to Write," referred to as "microscopic truthfulness." I would bet money they are all based on someone or some ones in her own life.
I was less interested in Jess's own problems, like how to break it to her parents that she was gay and in a lesbian relationship, and how to get out of Penang without hurting their feelings and how to keep her relationship going. I felt it was unrealistic that such an ambitious and accomplished young woman would hang around Penang endlesslessly because her parents "needed settling in." But maybe that is exactly what will appeal to another reader. You never know.
It was alright. Maybe I had my hopes up too high? I think this kind of story was just not really for me. What didn't help was that I didn't like Jess at all. I could kind of understand why she acted the way she did sometimes, but largely I was annoyed and frustrated at her.
tldr: not a bad book, not a great book! Probably better suited for people who are into spook stories.
tldr: not a bad book, not a great book! Probably better suited for people who are into spook stories.
dark
emotional
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
El año pasado leí por primera vez a Zen Cho con su novela corta "La mujer de terracota", que tenía una ambientación súper interesante en el más allá mezclado con una mujer artificial que podría recordarnos a una ia. La historia me interesó aunque me dejó un poco fría, pero como no soy muy dada a leer relatos quise darle una nueva oportunidad a una novela (esta vez, "larga") de la autora.
En Black Water Sister nos encontramos en el mundo que todos conocemos, siguiendo la historia de Jessamyn, una chica que vuelve junto a sus padres a Malasia, de donde son originarios, tras pasar toda su vida en Estados Unidos.
Sin trabajo, separada de su novia (que sus padres no saben que existen) y mientras sigue superando la enfermedad de su padre, Jess se verá pronto acosada por un espíritu que querrá utilizarla para sus propios planes.
Es una historia de espíritus, familia, mujeres, donde los dioses y las diosas manejan a los humanos para su propio beneficio, y donde la tradición se mezcla con la mafia.
Sinceramente, no tengo nada malo que decir de la historia. En general me ha parecido correcta en todo, salvo que me ha aburrido. La ambientación, de nuevo me ha parecido interesante; me ha gustado mucho conocer Malasia a través del libro, y conocer algunas de las tradiciones y religiones de la zona. Pero los conflictos no me han terminado de enganchar...
Me da un poco de pena, porque no creo que sea una novela mala para nada, pero simplemente no ha sido para mí. Pero tal vez si lo sea para vosotros.
En Black Water Sister nos encontramos en el mundo que todos conocemos, siguiendo la historia de Jessamyn, una chica que vuelve junto a sus padres a Malasia, de donde son originarios, tras pasar toda su vida en Estados Unidos.
Sin trabajo, separada de su novia (que sus padres no saben que existen) y mientras sigue superando la enfermedad de su padre, Jess se verá pronto acosada por un espíritu que querrá utilizarla para sus propios planes.
Es una historia de espíritus, familia, mujeres, donde los dioses y las diosas manejan a los humanos para su propio beneficio, y donde la tradición se mezcla con la mafia.
Sinceramente, no tengo nada malo que decir de la historia. En general me ha parecido correcta en todo, salvo que me ha aburrido. La ambientación, de nuevo me ha parecido interesante; me ha gustado mucho conocer Malasia a través del libro, y conocer algunas de las tradiciones y religiones de la zona. Pero los conflictos no me han terminado de enganchar...
Me da un poco de pena, porque no creo que sea una novela mala para nada, pero simplemente no ha sido para mí. Pero tal vez si lo sea para vosotros.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Zen Cho is so deft with the themes of this book. Family as known through ghosts and the living, queerness from an Asian and immigrant context with an emphasis on the understanding of what it is to be filial. Jess is strong and fierce, and she hates taking shit, and she’s a good daughter. Not to mention the badass plot with twists that happen between the spirit world and the living world!!?
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book wasn't bad at all. It was a little slow paced for me but the plot and the prose were strong and I enjoyed Jess as a narrator. I don't have too much to say about Black Water Sister but I enjoyed it well enough.