Scan barcode
lilly_anne's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, and Homophobia
Moderate: Physical abuse, Cancer, Alcoholism, Blood, Cursing, Death, and Murder
Minor: Rape and Racism
shadeyc's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Considering how dark this got, there is a surprising amount of levity, and (oddly) fun throughout this story.
And damn do these characters have layers, upon layers. There is a lot in this book, and definitely not in a bad way. It fully took me on a ride and I loved it.
And damn do these characters have layers, upon layers. There is a lot in this book, and definitely not in a bad way. It fully took me on a ride and I loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse
Moderate: Sexual violence
natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Homophobia, Violence, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
malimaan's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
4.25
This book was such a beautiful read.
The way it touched upon generational trauma and abuse and your relationship with your family. The ghosts and possession were a great medium to tell this story through and I loved reading about a culture that isn't as represented in modern media.
It was amazing to read about how Jess finds her voice after years of trying to be perfect. The book explores her queer identity and her diasporan identity in such a great way.
The only thing I felt was a bit of a drawback, was that Jess' parents felt a bit flat, especially because they play a big part in her identity. They just felt like they were lacking something.
I really recommend reading this book! And I can't wait to read more by this author.
The way it touched upon generational trauma and abuse and your relationship with your family. The ghosts and possession were a great medium to tell this story through and I loved reading about a culture that isn't as represented in modern media.
It was amazing to read about how Jess finds her voice after years of trying to be perfect. The book explores her queer identity and her diasporan identity in such a great way.
The only thing I felt was a bit of a drawback, was that Jess' parents felt a bit flat, especially because they play a big part in her identity. They just felt like they were lacking something.
I really recommend reading this book! And I can't wait to read more by this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Domestic abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Sexism, Violence, Racism, and Sexual violence
Minor: Alcoholism
just_one_more_paige's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
This was a spur-of-the-moment grab at the library on my last shift before heading out for vacation. Not like I needed any more books to bring, as I had a stack of like 7 (for a week-long vacation) already set aside. But, thus are the downsides of working at the library I suppose. Haha. And I guess I'm glad I went for it because it honestly was the perfect beach/poolside standalone fantasy for the mood I ended up being in!
When her parents decide to move back to Malaysia, Jessamyn, having graduated college but not really sure what her next steps are, decides to go with them. On top of her stress about her parents' health, where her life is going, the girlfriend she is too scared to tell her parents about, and the cultural/lingual separation she feels being back in Malaysia after so long in the United States, she starts hearing voices in her head. Well, one voice. And that voice is telling her that it's her dead grandmother Ah Ma, who has unfinished business in the living world involving a business magnate/gang boss who has offended a god called the Black Water Sister that Ah Ma acted as a medium for. And they've decided that Jess is going to help them settle their score.
Wow. This was a nonstop, page-turning adventure from beginning to end. There was so much going on! Jess' struggle with identity-finding, her tense interactions with her long-distance/secret girlfriend, the pressure from family/girlfriend to apply for jobs, and the general overbearing realities of intertwined family complexities and cultural readjustment create the "real life" setting for this novel. And at the same time, there is a story just as rich unfolding within Jess' head, as she speaks with and learns from her Ah Ma about why the ancestor is visiting her and what she wants from her. As each unfold, the real life and internal realities Jess is trying to balance come to a clashing meeting, and the ghosts speaking to her, interference from mediums and gods, straight up gang bosses/hit-men, and myriad [darks] secrets of family and deities, threaten to overwhelm her already on-edge mental state. It's a tense and mysterious ride, entertaining and well-paced, and the dual coming-of-age/self that Jess experiences, along with the culmination of Ah Ma and Black Water Sister's plans, makes for a fantastic denouement.
In addition to the plot, there were a few other aspects of this novel that I was really into. I love (like love) reading about other culture's beliefs/traditions/folklore, so the deep dive into Chinese gods, prayers and offerings to them, the way their mediums function, and just generally the place of import they hold in both traditional and popular culture (in contrast with a more modern or Christian POV that some people have developed) was fascinating and absolutely one of my favorite things about this novel. Also, although it was tough to read about at times, this story highlights in spectacular (read: unique and affective) fashion the enduring fury and helplessness of violence against women over/through generations. Related, I just loved the story of the Black Water Sister, the way it wove into Jess’s own and gave her the gift of strength she always had but wasn’t aware of through the trials she was forced into (paralleling both the god’s and Ah Ma’s trials as well). And with that, I want to mention Jess's character growth too. I appreciated the insight into cultural limitations and the “prisons” we make for ourselves because of them, as well as the complexities of each generation trying to "do better" or "break from" previous ones. The ending on this front was spot on for me, under the circumstances: hopeful, but with an open-endedness that wasn't too neatly wrapped up. It fit the "starting new but still bittersweet" vibe of the rest of the plot. Finally, of the strongest aspects of this book, I felt, was the immersiveness of the setting. Cho's writing captured such a deep feeling of people and place. And on a personal nerdy note, I loved all the language and other tidbits that I "had" to Google to learn even more as I read. I love books that make me do that. (America is Not the Heart was, for me, similar in this way.)
There were a lot of layers to this novel that made it a great read, the more serious aspects related to Jess' real life challenges combining with the fantastical aspects of her gangster medium dead grandmother to create a compulsively readable story. And with the well-paced, easy to read writing and super interesting cultural pieces, I super enjoyed reading this one!
“They’d set her up to have a life different from theirs, free of the hardships they’d had to endure. The result was that almost all her troubles were exciting new troubles, beyond their skill set to address.”
“But you had to die before you could be reborn.”
“What a thing a bad death was. It made a mythology that caught up in its wake old trees and young women alike, the violence of it reverberating through the years.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Cancer, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Blood
aardwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.5
I burned through this one in a day. The characters are endearing in their messy ridiculousness, the plot rockets along, and it's one of those books where the setting is a character, full of life and brightness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gore, Sexual violence, Violence, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Blood, Emotional abuse, and Kidnapping
Minor: Outing
kilic's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Violence
peachani's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Cancer, Outing, and Violence
Moderate: Cancer, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, and Sexual violence
Minor: Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gore, Medical content, Physical abuse, and Racism
leedolee's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The premise of this book certainly intrigued me.
The book was slow paced at the beginning but quickly picked up as the story began to unravel in various directions. It was rather hard to understand the further I progressed but the concept of the ghosts and gods kept me interested.
Sadly, I did not thoroughly enjoy the book this book as much as I thought it would. Regardless, I enjoyed learning about the various spirits within the pages.
The book was slow paced at the beginning but quickly picked up as the story began to unravel in various directions. It was rather hard to understand the further I progressed but the concept of the ghosts and gods kept me interested.
Sadly, I did not thoroughly enjoy the book this book as much as I thought it would. Regardless, I enjoyed learning about the various spirits within the pages.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Racism, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, and Homophobia
Minor: Blood and Violence
hanz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Medical content, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Cancer