Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford

10 reviews

ari613's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Incredible! I was enthralled from page one, and would have read this in a day if I didn't have to work. The characters were all compelling and complex, despite how none of them have the space for development that a character who was the sole focus of the whole book would. 

The premise of the epigenetic memory/trauma treatment was fantastical, but not just "magic" or "religion," which I thought worked really well. I found it more fun to imagine a cool scientific discovery from the future than just wand waving or magic from the heavens. (Don't get me wrong, I love fantasy, but this poked a different part of my thoughts lol). 

I loved the variety of the womens' stories and lives, and the alternating chapters for different characters was extremely well done. The author also did a good job of showing little parallel details (e.g. rainstorms at the end of one character's chapter into one's at the beginning of another character's) that highlighted the connection without feeling like it was assuming the reader was dumb and needed to be told explicitly. 

As I was reading, I was amazed at the depth of cultural knowledge, and was curious about the author's background, because either they had done a TON of research or they had chinese heritage/connections. It turns out the author does have some Chinese heritage, and I think that his insights and those little details really added depth and heart to the book that so many simply couldn't. 

Enjoyed the resolution. It all kind of sped up at the end, but I think that was intentional to show a character's desperation, and I was overall pleased with the ending. I was left with little questions about some of the characters, but not in a bad way, and not in a way that affected plot at all. I just wanted to get their whole stories because I loved them! 

I agree with other reviewers that I wish we'd gotten more of Greta's story. I feel like hers was a little rushed, and definitelythe most heartbreaking.

I feel like the Sam literally moving away in a day was unrealistic, and while i know the point was for every character to be traumatized, that one felt forced just a tad.

Side note....

Was Yao Han really there as Afong died, or was that not real? Also, was Dorothy actually affecting her ancestors' realities? Like, John did have the picture in Faye's original timeline so??? But also, it didn't change outcomes. I'm thinking maybe she was resolving those core aches but not changing their overall life path? 

Maybe I'm dumb lol.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Death, Pregnancy, Racism, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Rape

Minor: Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury

laguerrelewis's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.25

This was a moving novel about what we inherit, good and bad, from our ancestors—particularly mothers to daughters. Using a procedure based in real world science but amped up just a bit, we get to explore the hopes, dreams, and cycles of trauma along an ancestral line, and the way this story ends is a truly beautiful response to our ever-growing awareness of generational trauma. This book would be perfect for a book club, as it invites deep introspection and personal engagement.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Pandemic/Epidemic, Vomit, Child death, Grief, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Racism, Medical content, Mental illness, Rape, Blood, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Self harm, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, War, Bullying, Classism, Forced institutionalization, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

kimisjustokay's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Xenophobia, War, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Pandemic/Epidemic, Murder, Forced institutionalization, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Medical content, Rape, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Animal death, Classism, Racial slurs, Antisemitism, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, and Terminal illness

apworden's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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

3.75

not sure I am comfortable with how Dorothy overdosing solving everyone’s problems could be interpreted by someone in a similarly stressful situation

otherwise, a beautiful book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racism, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, War, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Ableism, Domestic abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Confinement, Deportation, Pregnancy, Grief, Body horror, Blood, Death, Bullying, Child death, Death of parent, Hate crime, Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and Colonisation

emmakchapman's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Sexual harassment, Racism, Mental illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Rape

sshabein's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.5

Too many similes, too many words lifted from other people. The overall concept is interesting and understandable, but I didn't care for the the execution. In short, not for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, and Rape

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Classism, Death, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Vomit

Moderate: War and Xenophobia

Minor: Self harm and Forced institutionalization

chrisljm's review against another edition

challenging sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was written well but I’m not sure how I feel about taking a real life person and writing a fictional story about her, especially when her story (real and fictional) is filled with so much trauma. I was only able to find one other review from a Chinese person, so I really wish there were more Chinese people who have read/reviewed this. 

Also, just in case there is anyone else out there who will have a similar experience to me, THEY ARE NOT SPEAKING CANTONESE IN THIS BOOK, IT’S TOISANESE 😭 I was losing my mind because I know Cantonese but was unfamiliar with Toisanese, but I’ve since learned it’s because they’re used interchangeably and prior to the 1960s Toisanese was the dominant language spoken in Chinatowns.

Another thing, this part of the blurb was the reason why I decided to read this book, “A stranger is searching for her in each time period. A stranger who’s loved her through all of her genetic memories,” but it was so misleading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, Sexism, Slavery, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Toxic relationship, Death, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Medical content

Moderate: Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Grief, Forced institutionalization, War, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Fire/Fire injury, Cancer, Abandonment, Murder, Suicide, Blood, Death of parent, Classism, Bullying, Vomit, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity

Minor: Racial slurs, Self harm, and Colonisation

sohma4uesugi's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

3.5

Beautifully written but so relentlessly melancholy all the way through. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Rape, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Child death, and Death of parent

Minor: Animal death, Cancer, War, and Bullying

ottercorg's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I do not annotate works of fiction; I do not so much as underline a phrase. Until now. I found myself reaching for my pen and underlining or highlighting sentences and whole paragraphs, thinking, “this is so beautiful” or “this is so real.” 

This is my third Ford read this year, and I’ve now read each of his published works. I thought this would become my new favorite, and while it didn’t quite take the prize over Love and Other Consolation Prizes, it still has settled comfortably into second. 

Ford took a concept that fascinates him - and me as well - and ran with it. And I devoured it. It was a delight to try and track the pieces of each character that were passed on from generations before. Ford writes so beautifully I can hardly stand it. And this book is just as heart-wrenching as the rest, possibly even more so because there are a handful of “main characters” as opposed to just one. 

Well done. I don’t often reread books, but I already see myself reading this one again someday and look forward to discovering what I missed this first time around. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Death of parent, Confinement, Rape, Drug use, and Physical abuse

Minor: Pregnancy, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol