Reviews - Bitter Medicine | The StoryGraph

563 reviews for:

I put this book on hold so long ago I thought it was a YA fantasy romance. As I was reading it made sense: (almost) insta-love, two characters who are self-loathing but super powerful, self-sacrificing "but I can fix them" shit that my teenage self would EAT UP. For the majority of the book, I was vibing -- I enjoyed the superfluous cringe-y romance and inner/outer dialogues, felt like the action scenes added drama and excitement telenovela-vibes, and appreciated how (most) of the characters were good at communication despite being flawed.

However, around the last third of the book I lost interest. Elle became another "weak female protagonist" who needed men to save her(?) But also Luc was a "weak male protagonist" who needed Elle to save him(?) IDK it was too much "don't sacrifice yourself for me, too late I already did, too late I paid you back, too late I'm selfish" back and forth without any real balance or lessons learned. I had to read ahead for the last 30 pages of the book because I couldn't handle it -- and it just proved everything I thought was right. Random miscommunication was used a major plotline in the last third which baffles me considering how I was so happy that wasn't a point of conflict for the first 2/3 of the book.

However, as someone who is also Taiwanese-American, I appreciated how the author interwove Mandarin Chinese, pinyin and other languages and also made a note as to her intentionality to not have translations at multiple times with multiple languages. IYKYK. I wish this might've been explored more -- like imagine if Lucien was BIPOC instead of alive when France colonized a lot of the world? A better read imo.

This was also labelled as LGBT so kudos to some of the side characters being LGBTQ+ identified... but I think this would've been much more enjoyable (to me) if the lead characters were also queer/trans... (Also a personal issue but I'm TIRED of WMAF couples... please... no more...)

Looking back, maybe I would've liked this more if I didn't read it during pride month and I was actively searching for that GOOD GOOD QTBIPOC love.

neonpomegranate's review

This book was fun and easy. But what I'm most interested in was the author's note on language at the end. She writes in this note about people using languages she doesn't know as feeling like a door shutting. She says, of her choice to use multiple languages in the book, "There isn't anything in the non-English dialogue that's critical to the overall understanding of the text, but I wanted explicitly for readers to experience the shutting of the door, the dropping of the portcullis." I cannot imagine relating to anything less. I do not know all of the languages used in this book, but the idea that encountering another language would feel like a shutting of a door is so completely bizarre to me and could not be further from my experience, both reading/listening to this book and in the world in general (I listen and read books simultaneously whenever possible.) Audiobooks offer particular rewards in this, giving the listener the joy of hearing a language. I don't disagree with the author's interpretation of imperialism, or the critique of English dominance. But systemic analysis is different than what one imagines of one's own readership.

I just cannot imagine as a reader thinking that encountering another language in a book is anything other than normal, a part of character development, world building, sometimes mundane and sometimes wonderful and enticing. Maybe it's that I know more than one language, have studied linguistics, interpreting, and translating, and live in a multilingual city, where if anything I am constantly saddened by how English dominant it remains, especially in all seats of power. I just, I don't feel exhilarated or excited by the idea of this author of this book trying to get readers to feel that shutting of a door. I feel alienated from an author who imagines that's even remotely what's happening for her readers or who thinks this extremely unchallenging and unserious book (not a criticism) involves any kind of confrontation with the reader, or of the reader with themselves internally. I'm left feeling like I have no idea what this author thinks was happening at all throughout this book. I wasn't alienated by the use of multiple languages in this book, but I am left feeling very alienated by this bizarre image of how small minded she thinks her readers are.

Now that I've written this out I realize really, I'm insulted that she thinks so little of her readers. And ending a book feeling insulted and belittle by the author is a pretty bad feeling. I will not read more of her work. Before reading this note, my feelings about the book were more positive.

nataleaf's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 31%

It’s time to stop pretending i will eventually finish this book

laneyv's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous emotional funny sad 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

mariemsbooks's review against another edition

4.0

It was really good! I loved the setting and the cast of characters. the writing style was fun too! Overall, I love this book. Can't wait to get my hands on a second book in this universe(if there will be!)