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haave's review
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Cultural appropriation, Emotional abuse, and Drug abuse
siebensommer's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
why was sucking it up and pushing through it to the end perched on such a high pedestal anyway?
these were the same so-called values that sent phd students running headfirst into the open arms of antidepressants. for once in her life she wanted to be selfishly and deliciously lazy. to embody the most abhorred word of her generation: unproductive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Hate crime, Misogyny, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Drug use, Fatphobia, and Violence
hmih's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Xenophobia, Racism, Sexism, Colonisation, Misogyny, Cultural appropriation, Racial slurs, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Cancer, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Classism, Violence, and Hate crime
Minor: Police brutality
kathshiroma's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Sexual content, Bullying, Violence, and Sexual violence
Minor: Body shaming, Colonisation, Outing, and Deportation
gomhearts's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
this book provoked me so much. everything about it was so ... destructive (in both good and bad ways). at multiple points i had to stop reading just to take a breath... from either how terrified i was of the next page, trying to process what happened, or just to pace myself to enjoy the book more. (i failed -- i binged more than 200 pages within a night when i promised i'd go to bed early).
at first, i thought i knew what the book would be about: ingrid coming to terms with her asian identity and the internal racism she harbored in her childhood would manifest into her phd dissertation while researching poet xiao-wen chou.
oh my god i was so wrong.
i started to make hypotheses of what would happen next and each time i was debunked. i was in awe by how the book made you feel defenseless. as someone well-versed in the asian-american diaspora and reading about someone who was just so... anti-asian-american, i felt so frustrated with ingrid but wouldn't put the book down since i was determined to see it through that she changes in the end.
did she change?
i don't really know. and i think she's lying to us all.
it irks me to know that she doesn't divulge into academia again. it sucks that the white man wins. there's even a quote vivan says to her regarding how xiao-wen chou writes chinese poetry to benefit the white community. there's no justice for the dissertation riot. god knows i'm so happy that ingrid is foregoing her dating life but it sucks to hear that her asianness in the end depended on removing a white man from her life (WHICH IS GOOD - i never had good vibes about stephen in the first place, but her speech, as tiktok-drama-infused as it is, was only concocted through a 10-minute manipulation quiz?? seriously?) by accepting that she shouldn't date more white men, does she truly understand her belongingness in america? like come on even at the end, she gets placed on asian tour groups "always" she might add. and not to mention: john smith coming to her at the end? how could she forgive him in the first place? after his storytelling, i starting ripping my hair out in utter shock and blatant racism and ingrid, as an asian american (who may honestly be a placeholder for a white woman), forgives him immediately, even working with him in the process.
the book is satirical. it's so hyperbolic i can't even tell what's meant to be taken seriously. are we supposed to take the poc caucus protest seriously? what about her saviorism when it comes to timothy - and why didn't she do anything about it in the first place? is michael supposed to stand in as a metaphor for asian-using-online-propaganda-brain-rot? and how about alex's detachment from the blond, white woman who he only viewed as a symbol for sex. yet another glorification of the white woman as she can come and go as she pleases. vivian was maybe the most authentic character yet. i never hated her. i actually think i may have hated ingrid even though i understood what she was going through.
as i was writing this review, i went from believing this book hailed a 5-star rating to a 3.75. and i wanted to talk about that. from a book that i believe is supposed to speak about asian-american model minority myths and how these stereotypes are perpetuated in modern life, the exaggeration from Vivian's broadcast to Michael's sinophilic rant to John Smith's puppet-playing facade... felt almost backfiring to me.
i cried a lot during this book. and at its peak, i recognize that it's GREAT fiction. very well-written, humorous when needed, personal, and do touch on many aspects of an asian-american's upbringing. however, the feeling i get after reading is synonymous to dread and confusion. what do i feel about ingrid? should i be happy for her? because honestly i'm not. about eunice? about stephen's performative activism? (not to mention, but hello - why was it never addressed that he keeps those raunchy photos AND the recent search history??? ingrid, why didn't you go for it???) anyways.
after reflection, this book gets a 5 in its provocation. but in the aftermath of how i feel, i have to go to a 3.75 for it (with sadness).
at first, i thought i knew what the book would be about: ingrid coming to terms with her asian identity and the internal racism she harbored in her childhood would manifest into her phd dissertation while researching poet xiao-wen chou.
oh my god i was so wrong.
i started to make hypotheses of what would happen next and each time i was debunked. i was in awe by how the book made you feel defenseless. as someone well-versed in the asian-american diaspora and reading about someone who was just so... anti-asian-american, i felt so frustrated with ingrid but wouldn't put the book down since i was determined to see it through that she changes in the end.
did she change?
i don't really know. and i think she's lying to us all.
the book is satirical. it's so hyperbolic i can't even tell what's meant to be taken seriously. are we supposed to take the poc caucus protest seriously? what about her saviorism when it comes to timothy - and why didn't she do anything about it in the first place? is michael supposed to stand in as a metaphor for asian-using-online-propaganda-brain-rot? and how about alex's detachment from the blond, white woman who he only viewed as a symbol for sex. yet another glorification of the white woman as she can come and go as she pleases. vivian was maybe the most authentic character yet. i never hated her. i actually think i may have hated ingrid even though i understood what she was going through.
as i was writing this review, i went from believing this book hailed a 5-star rating to a 3.75. and i wanted to talk about that. from a book that i believe is supposed to speak about asian-american model minority myths and how these stereotypes are perpetuated in modern life, the exaggeration from Vivian's broadcast to Michael's sinophilic rant to John Smith's puppet-playing facade... felt almost backfiring to me.
i cried a lot during this book. and at its peak, i recognize that it's GREAT fiction. very well-written, humorous when needed, personal, and do touch on many aspects of an asian-american's upbringing. however, the feeling i get after reading is synonymous to dread and confusion. what do i feel about ingrid? should i be happy for her? because honestly i'm not. about eunice? about stephen's performative activism? (not to mention, but hello - why was it never addressed that he keeps those raunchy photos AND the recent search history??? ingrid, why didn't you go for it???) anyways.
after reflection, this book gets a 5 in its provocation. but in the aftermath of how i feel, i have to go to a 3.75 for it (with sadness).
Content Warnings
Minor: Colonisation, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
alexandrabelze's review against another edition
funny
reflective
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? Yes
3.5
omfg i don’t even know where to start. very funny, super dramatic, and at times satirical. it was not AT ALL what i was expecting, but then again i didn’t read any type of summaries before starting it lmao. it didn’t have me hooked until the first major plot twist, but after that i was dying to see how it ended. kind of an anti-climatic ending, but sadly realistic. ingrid + eunice besties 4 ever <3 stephen is the bane of my existence. every time he spoke i wanted to rip my hair out. i WISH he knew when to shut up.
the SCHOOL GIRL COSTUME??? oh my god i was gagged. nothing could’ve prepared me!!! i had to put the kindle DOWN and reflect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Cultural appropriation, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Drug use, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Drug abuse, and Xenophobia
Minor: Suicide attempt and Stalking
madeleinebay's review against another edition
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Racism, Cultural appropriation, and Emotional abuse
lily1304's review
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved this - somehow this manages to be SO funny, even with a mostly humorless main character and a deep dive into American racism. I appreciate that the story raises a lot of questions about race without having neat, cut and dry answers.
I also loved Ingrid as a main character - so adrift, and trying on different personalities and ideologies over the course of the story. I really grew to like her. I felt like she was oddly trapped in the 2000s, something about her made me stop and wonder whether the setting was the 2000s. I think that was intentional, and it added something to the story - I don't know how to phrase exactly what.
I also loved Ingrid as a main character - so adrift, and trying on different personalities and ideologies over the course of the story. I really grew to like her. I felt like she was oddly trapped in the 2000s, something about her made me stop and wonder whether the setting was the 2000s. I think that was intentional, and it added something to the story - I don't know how to phrase exactly what.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Cultural appropriation, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Mental illness, Hate crime, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Police brutality
Minor: Blood, Emotional abuse, Bullying, and Deportation
The main character abuses allergy medsdanidamico's review
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Disorientation es una sátira sobre el mundo universitario, principalmente aborda el racismo que predomina en las instituciones académicas de Estados Unidos. La protagonista es Ingrid Yang, una mujer de 29 años que está trabajando en su tesis doctoral. Todo empieza a tomar un giro extraño cuando Ingrid descubre información oculta acerca de Xiao-Wen Chou, el legendario poeta que tomó como objeto para su tesis.
La autora Elaine Hsieh Chou logra construir un texto gracioso y perturbador en partes iguales, explorando las distintas formas en las que el racismo afecta particularmente a las mujeres asiáticas, desde la subestimación e infantilización en el ámbito académico, pasando por la fetichización sexual y la misoginia. El tono de la novela me hizo acordar un poco a Everyone in this Room Will Someday Be Dead de Emily Austin, una de mis lecturas favoritas del año pasado. Comparten un sentido del humor absurdo, algo tragicómico, y protagonistas neuróticas y algo problemáticas. Me gustó mucho el desarrollo de Ingrid, en general suelo sentirme identificada con ese tipo de personajes.
Sí tengo que decir que algunas partes de la trama me parecieron un poco predecibles, en especial el descubrimiento que Ingrid hace alrededor del 30% del libro. Creo que el impacto delcaso de Rachel Dolezal y otros académicos ya generó que ante ciertas señales uno se imagine lo que está pasando. Dentro de esta misma línea también recomiendo la película de terror Master (2022). En fin, más allá de las partes predecibles y de ciertos momentos algo forzados, Hsieh Chou crea una obra con mucha personalidad, un humor absurdo muy bien logrado y personajes complejos.
La autora Elaine Hsieh Chou logra construir un texto gracioso y perturbador en partes iguales, explorando las distintas formas en las que el racismo afecta particularmente a las mujeres asiáticas, desde la subestimación e infantilización en el ámbito académico, pasando por la fetichización sexual y la misoginia. El tono de la novela me hizo acordar un poco a Everyone in this Room Will Someday Be Dead de Emily Austin, una de mis lecturas favoritas del año pasado. Comparten un sentido del humor absurdo, algo tragicómico, y protagonistas neuróticas y algo problemáticas. Me gustó mucho el desarrollo de Ingrid, en general suelo sentirme identificada con ese tipo de personajes.
Sí tengo que decir que algunas partes de la trama me parecieron un poco predecibles, en especial el descubrimiento que Ingrid hace alrededor del 30% del libro. Creo que el impacto del
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Racism, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Deportation and Hate crime
ramreadsagain's review
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-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
4.25
An excellent dark academia-adjacent satire.
It talks about so many things, from yellowface and cultural appropriation/fetishism to internalised racism, academic burnout, and more.
It was entertaining throughout, definitely a ‘food for thought’ kind of book.
My only gripe is with a couple of characters. I found Ingrid to be frustratingly naive and stupid ay times though I believe this was intentional. Eunice also felt underdeveloped and I would have liked to have seen more of her storyline.
It talks about so many things, from yellowface and cultural appropriation/fetishism to internalised racism, academic burnout, and more.
It was entertaining throughout, definitely a ‘food for thought’ kind of book.
My only gripe is with a couple of characters. I found Ingrid to be frustratingly naive and stupid ay times though I believe this was intentional. Eunice also felt underdeveloped and I would have liked to have seen more of her storyline.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cultural appropriation and Racism
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Xenophobia, and Racial slurs
Minor: Colonisation, Suicide attempt, and Deportation