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erika102's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, and Physical abuse
eed8's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Racism, Child death, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Homophobia and Suicide
leanne_miron's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Outing, Death of parent, Racism, Homophobia, Grief, and Suicide
Moderate: Biphobia, Toxic relationship, Child death, and Infidelity
devynhinds's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Cancer, Child death, Drug abuse, Racism, Abortion, War, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
claudia_bow's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Cancer and Suicide
Moderate: Child death and Infidelity
Minor: Abortion
toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.5
This book of short stories chronicles the lives and friendship of Fiona and Jane, two Tawainese women who grew up together and are now trying to find themselves out in the world. They navigate their friendship, relationships, sexuality and family dynamics along the way.
I don't usually have a great relationship with books of short stories, but I liked this one. I think that the stories actually being related and tying into one another really helped. The first story, right off the bat, broke my heart, and I was both scared and excited to read the rest. The stories were all very engaging, but my favorite was "Cold Turkey," which occurs around the halfway mark. I also liked that the side characters who fleshed out the worlds of Fiona & Jane felt complete and real, for better and for worse.
The only reason why this didn't end up getting rated higher for me was - for it being a book about friendship, I didn't see a whole lot of....well, friendship. Fiona & Jane are supposed to be best friends, but in some stories, they don't interact at all or seldom mention each other. When they do. have scenes together, you can tell that there is love there, but it doesn't feel like they should even still be friends - the chemistry wasn't really there for me. However, overall, I did enjoy this read!
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Abandonment, Outing, Infidelity, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Fatphobia, Grief, Death, Child death, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Biphobia, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Cancer, Alcohol, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Vomit, Violence, Gun violence, Misogyny, Murder, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Dementia, Trafficking, and Abortion
meishallaneous's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Infidelity
Minor: Child death, Fatphobia, Abortion, Biphobia, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, and War
camillatd's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Outing, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Xenophobia, Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Cancer, and Child death
Minor: Abortion
kathleencoughlin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Racism, Child death, Vomit, Alcohol, and Suicide
Minor: Sexual assault
For a book called Fiona and Jane, these characters almost never interacted. I thought certain elements of the book had a lot of potential, but the author really narrowed in on parts that seemed more mundane. For example, I'd have like to know more about how Fiona and Jane reunited in LA or more about Jane's relationship with her mom or how Fiona turned her romantic life around to go from divorcΓ©e to wife and mother. Instead, we hopped around their a stories in a way that felt rather disjointed. Maybe it was because several sections were previously published as short stories, but it just felt like half a story, like there was a chunk missing out of the middle. I also felt like Fiona and Jane's characterization was a bit inconsistant. Jane seemed more reserved but was also apparently the bad influence who convinced Fiona to steal several thousand dollars from a church? I guess, I was just disappointedreadgramrepeat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Fiona and Jane can feel heavy at times because it touches on sexuality, coming out, racism, and death. Yet you wonβt want to take a break and will probably devour this book in a day or two.
Moderate: Infidelity, Outing, Death of parent, Child death, and Suicide