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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
This was the first of many books that I read to the song Infinite Love by Emile Mosseri. Perfect song for this book, filled with beautiful emotional wails that - along with the inner thoughts of the main character - seem to scream desperation and longing. Unreliable narrator, the main character clearly unwell and unable to face the reality of what she's done. Confusing ownership for love, desperate for love and acceptance wherever she can get it. The Asian-American experience is beautifully interwoven within this narrative, and you can see clearly how this affects her thought processes and actions. One of my favorites (though, from what I remember, the ending was a tad underwhelming).
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
challenging
dark
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Self harm, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Absolutely haunting and gut-wrenching. The beginning is somewhat destabilizing because I expected to immediately sympathize with Frida but of course I did not. She left her 18 month old home alone for over 2 hours. This isn't ok - this isn't normal. I remember worrying about leaving to check the mail across the street. But Jessamine Chan did this purposefully, I am sure of it, to make the next steps more convincing, and the descent believable and profoundly frightening. Perhaps the Handmaid's Tale for mothers.
challenging
dark
emotional
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
Holy moley man this book absolutely punched me straight in the face in the best way. I was absolutely gripped and terrified really by the dystopian premise and its subversive commentary on motherhood. I could not put it down and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. I don’t think I’ll forget this book any time soon! Brilliant brilliant sad miserable fantastical ridiculous read.
dark
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
Ahhh Chan’s writing style was definitely different but captivating. She wrote in short passages that made you want to keep going. The plot twist was messed up. The concept at the school was messed up. It was more sad and sexiest than I anticipated.
emotional
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
This book was super interesting and such a realistic and thoughtful look on parenthood; specifically motherhood. The idea that mothers need to be perfect is very reflective of society, and the way the story is told is heartbreaking yet realistic.