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annathorneby's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
onbus_intrain's review
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
squirrelsonbookshelves's review against another edition
4.0
Such varied stories but all the same beauty
I bought this for an assignment, I had "played" the interactive story of The Boat and wanted to read it for comparison. Interestingly, I found the interactive version more harrowing, heartbreaking, and beautiful than the full story. The other stories however outweighed it.
I bought this for an assignment, I had "played" the interactive story of The Boat and wanted to read it for comparison. Interestingly, I found the interactive version more harrowing, heartbreaking, and beautiful than the full story. The other stories however outweighed it.
minimallibrary's review against another edition
3.0
second book finished for the asian readathon
3.5
interesting to hear a story about the thousands of Vietnamese who fled Vietnam for Australia by boat. and the graphics on the digital graphic novel version were very atmospheric and well done.
watch at http://www.sbs.com.au/theboat/
3.5
interesting to hear a story about the thousands of Vietnamese who fled Vietnam for Australia by boat. and the graphics on the digital graphic novel version were very atmospheric and well done.
watch at http://www.sbs.com.au/theboat/
velvetcelestial's review
adventurous
emotional
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? No
4.5
reachant's review against another edition
3.0
I really wanted to like this book but I found the short stories unsatisfying! The first story was wonderful and I wished the rest of the book just told the rest of that story!
thewilyfilipino's review
3.0
Le's ability to fully inhabit his wildly disparate characters is the hallmark of this strong and promising debut. His prose doesn't quite leap off the page as does the writing in my favorite short-fiction debut from last year -- that would be Wells Tower's [b:Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned: Stories|4291946|Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned Stories|Wells Tower|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255939030s/4291946.jpg|4339519], which sometimes verges on showy -- but it's elegant and understated nonetheless.
The first story is probably the highlight of the collection, and is the sort of piece that would (or should) be taught in Asian American Studies classes as it grapples directly with identity and the work of writing. (But it also means it's the most consciously self-reflexive of the stories, and if I sniff it a little, I imagine the slightly off-putting whiff of Writing Workshop Prompt about it, but it's also the point of the story.) In contrast, my favorite piece was the one I thought I'd like the least: "Meeting Elise", which humanizes an otherwise repellent artist faced with his mortality.
The first story is probably the highlight of the collection, and is the sort of piece that would (or should) be taught in Asian American Studies classes as it grapples directly with identity and the work of writing. (But it also means it's the most consciously self-reflexive of the stories, and if I sniff it a little, I imagine the slightly off-putting whiff of Writing Workshop Prompt about it, but it's also the point of the story.) In contrast, my favorite piece was the one I thought I'd like the least: "Meeting Elise", which humanizes an otherwise repellent artist faced with his mortality.
akooda7's review
4.0
One review I read when I was halfway through the book, mentioned they didn’t finish this because the stories didn’t have endings. It oddly made me want to finish no matter what. I think the author was able to write about painful experiences in a way that captures delicate details from vastly different cultural rhythms. A good read to find yourself out of a comfort zone and be reminded of the complexity of human suffering.