Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Ending did not fit the arc of the character development. I was hoping she would do better than her evil grandmother. I felt bad for her fiancé and baby boy. It was ok.
i really like the historical aspects of this book, but it started dragging towards the end, and some parts of the plot seemed unnecessary, as if this author wanted to add as many tragic events as they possibly could just because. the ending was very unsatisfying, and did not make sense, since it was a very unexpected deviation from the character development so far. but I still enjoyed the way it was written, so it wasn't a bad book.
I really enjoyed the audiobook. It kept my interest and entertained me.
Set mostly in Japan, this is a family story about royalty, honor, a family dynasty, traditions, shame, loyalty, obedience, regrets, abandonment and revenge.
Set mostly in Japan, this is a family story about royalty, honor, a family dynasty, traditions, shame, loyalty, obedience, regrets, abandonment and revenge.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
“If a woman knows nothing else, she should know how to be silent. Do not question. Do not fight. Do not resist.”
That is the advice eight year old Noriko (Nori) receives from her mother, Seiko Kamiza who then promptly abandons her outside the grand estate of Seiko’s parents, the Kamizas.
Linked to the Japanese imperial family by blood, they take Nori in but as she is an illegitimate child of their only daughter, they consider her a stain on the family honor and keep her confined to the attic in an attempt to avoid her brown skin or even her existence raising questions in their society.
Nori bears bleach baths to lighten her skin and all the other punishments meted out to her by her grandmother meekly but continues to hope that one day her mother would come back for her.
When Akira, the legitimate half-brother of Nori, comes to live at the Kamiza Mansion things begin to finally look up for Nori.
Akira objects to her mistreatment and makes sure Nori is treated with respect.
However, this bond between the siblings becomes unbearable to their tyrannical grandparents who plot to get rid of Nori.
This was an compulsive page-turner that kept me hooked right to the end but be warned that it is a very depressing read.
The pain and hardships the protagonist goes through over and over again was very overwhelming to read and frankly felt melodramatic and far fetched.
The high expectations the story set at the beginning were totally demolished for me by the end, which came across as rushed and a bit nonsensical.
Overall a decent read that has an unusual premise.
That is the advice eight year old Noriko (Nori) receives from her mother, Seiko Kamiza who then promptly abandons her outside the grand estate of Seiko’s parents, the Kamizas.
Linked to the Japanese imperial family by blood, they take Nori in but as she is an illegitimate child of their only daughter, they consider her a stain on the family honor and keep her confined to the attic in an attempt to avoid her brown skin or even her existence raising questions in their society.
Nori bears bleach baths to lighten her skin and all the other punishments meted out to her by her grandmother meekly but continues to hope that one day her mother would come back for her.
When Akira, the legitimate half-brother of Nori, comes to live at the Kamiza Mansion things begin to finally look up for Nori.
Akira objects to her mistreatment and makes sure Nori is treated with respect.
However, this bond between the siblings becomes unbearable to their tyrannical grandparents who plot to get rid of Nori.
This was an compulsive page-turner that kept me hooked right to the end but be warned that it is a very depressing read.
The pain and hardships the protagonist goes through over and over again was very overwhelming to read and frankly felt melodramatic and far fetched.
The high expectations the story set at the beginning were totally demolished for me by the end, which came across as rushed and a bit nonsensical.
Overall a decent read that has an unusual premise.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
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
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I took my sweet time with this book... exactly three months to the day, to be exact. Despite the fact that I was enjoying it, I kept allowing myself to get pulled away from it, and I'm not sure why. Luckily, this book was written in a way that allowed me to revisit it every now and then without too much trouble... a perfect nightstand book.
This historical novel follows the main character, Noriko, from childhood into her twenties. It is told through multiple perspectives of only female characters who come in and out of her life, and one of the themes it circles around is that of the innumerable sacrifices women make throughout their lives and throughout history, often going against their own character for the "greater good".
As a debut novel, this book is strong. Lemmie's use of literary writing is impressive and only serves to add to the story. Her choices are concise and intentional. She doesn't belabor the reader with unnecessary details.
On the other hand, none of the characters seem fully developed. I found myself confused about each of them, unsure of who they truly were and what they represented, with the exception of Noriko (who I thought I understood but who went on to completely shock me at the end). Perhaps the author did this intentionally. For the female characters, this intrigue eventually seemed to build on the theme. The author gave me the opportunity to psycho-analyze the characters myself... all the way to the very end. (Fun for me, but I'm not sure others will agree.) However the character of Akira, Noriko's half-brother, was so central to the story and such an important contributor to the development of Noriko's character, yet I felt so confused by him throughout the entire book. I just didn't get him.
I'll be pondering these themes and characters for a while, but I guess that's what great writing does, keeps you considering alternatives.
I will be looking forward to reading more of Lemmie's work in the future.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Abandonment
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual assault, Blood, Trafficking, Car accident, Suicide attempt
Minor: Miscarriage, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes