Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Siren Queen by Nghi Vo

83 reviews

mollieweitzman's review

dark inspiring reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Physical abuse, and Homophobia

Minor: Sexual assault

uranaishi's review

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious 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? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Sexual content

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Racism, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Alcohol, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, and Bullying

Minor: Abortion, Addiction, Classism, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Drug use, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Trafficking, Rape, Sexual assault, Dysphoria, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Mental illness, Child death, Vomit, War, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Murder, Outing, and Pregnancy

thissagreads's review against another edition

challenging reflective tense slow-paced

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

1.5

The plot was a bit confusing. So confusing and VERY SLOW at times, that I almost DNF’d the book. And there was-or wasn’t- magic interlaced? I had to reread a few times because I wasn’t sure what was going on and that was a tad frustrating. This book was written a little too mysterious for my preference and yes there’s LGBTQIA+ love from several characters, but I think after reading this, I understand why I typically never enjoy reading something where a person of color has to hide their identity because of the “times” of an era. It’s so saddening and frustrating that there wasn’t much opportunity to love bravely without the retribution from old Hollywood. And the scenes and characters were a bit too vague for my liking so I wasn’t really connected to any of them.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, and Classism

sashahc's review

adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

"Siren Queen" by Nghi Vo takes place in pre-Code Hollywood.  Chinese American Luli Wei is growing up in a Chinese Laundry in Los Angeles, but desperately wants to be a movie star. She is willing to give up part of her soul to get there, and given that the movie studios are run by the fae, she may have to.  Her requirements are “No maids, no funny talking, no fainting flowers.”  She falls into a magical world of backstabbing, danger, and passion.  The book is about being an ambitious and proud outsider in a white and straight world, and choosing what to risk and what to fight for.  It’s a beautifully written, deeply queer, and rather melancholy 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism and Homophobia

peggymay's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Suicide, Abortion, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Death, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Sexual content, Body horror, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, Murder, Homophobia, Misogyny, Classism, Sexual assault, Violence, Drug use, Racism, Sexism, Addiction, Cultural appropriation, and Body shaming

gellyreads's review

challenging dark slow-paced

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

3.0

I feel like I don't know what happened in this book. I tried to re-read Act 1, and I just still felt lost. I was really confused by the magic. But that could be me, I feel like I always struggle with magical realism? Once things started happening, I felt like I did know what was going on. I just am not too sure how much I cared. The romance, if you could call it that, fell really flat on me. The plotline about her sister felt the same way. It was written in a nice way, the idea was intriguing, I just wanted more. I honestly only gave it so high because I feel like I just missed something and I need someone to explain it to me? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexual content, and Violence

oceanelle's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective slow-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? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Racism, and Outing

Minor: Abortion, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

ilutzer's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, Racism, Misogyny, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Grief, Sexism, and Vomit

Minor: Blood, Death, and Abortion

leweylibrary's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

My love for this book isn't all-consuming, but I did really like it! I love the magical realism in it, that added so much to the story and elevated it overall. I feel like it was The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets Last Night at the Telegraph Club plus magic lol. I loved how it explored race and gender themes through the magic and in the glamorous (and not so)world of old Hollywood. Plus I love any book that shows how queer people did exist in history.

Ngl there were some parts of the magical bits that I did not understand lol but I love that in the end she has that epic scene and then tells Wolfe

that he can suck it, she'll do what she wants to do for now, and how she realizes that maybe riding off into the sunset with a guy on screen isn't what she wants, but she is down to be a monster 🔥😈

freaking love that ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Misogyny, Lesbophobia, Pregnancy, Racism, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Homophobia, Sexism, and Xenophobia

its_thekla's review

3.5

All I expected going into this was another great sorry from Nghi Vo. While not quite the same speed as The Singing Hills Cycle, this was still a good read

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Racism

Moderate: Child abuse, Xenophobia, and Homophobia