Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou

3 reviews

secunda's review

challenging emotional funny informative 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

4.75

This is one of the best fiction books I’ve read this year. I think the primary audience of course is well-educated Asian women, but I think anyone can enjoy this book. It’s a fantastic skewering of white-dominated Asian studies departments, unstrategic student activism, and grad school. 

I was also confused for most of the book regarding the arc with the white fiancé, but I think the ending of the book more or less sorted it out when Ingrid leaves Stephen not necessarily for his Asian fetish, but because she doesn’t like him as a person. As an Asian woman who is currently dating a white man (and so faced similar questions to the ones Ingrid confronts), I find interrogating your own dating preferences over and over to be counterproductive to your ultimate happiness, so I feel that arc went on a little longer than I liked.

  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Cultural appropriation, Addiction, Self harm, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Drug abuse, Drug use, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Rape, Slavery, Religious bigotry, and Sexual assault

ilychristinalauren's review

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Cursing, Cultural appropriation, Misogyny, Drug use, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Toxic relationship, Sexism, and Xenophobia

Minor: Violence, Drug abuse, Genocide, Racial slurs, Slavery, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Islamophobia, War, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Outing, Police brutality, Domestic abuse, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

ecn's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

Not at all what I was expecting. An interesting story, great character development, and a wild ride. 

The discussion of academia (specifically graduate studies) was VERY on the nose and had me angry the whole time. The treatment of the main character, her treatment of others, and how everyone interacts feels almost more like real life than reality does.
Didn’t realize until after I read it that it was satire (I know 🙃) but it just made everything more perfect. The lives we’re living right now feel so ridiculous and absurd that it feels satirical. Everything about this is real life AND not.

This feels like it could be a real story (looking at Rachel Dolezal - especially at the end)

Loved this book and definitely got me out of my reading slump. So many complex themes - would be perfect for a book club.

Only “critique” is that the pacing felt off. Certain parts in the middle felt like they dragged on but the beginning and end were a rush.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, Gaslighting, Lesbophobia, Racism, Slavery, Racial slurs, Colonisation, Mental illness, Police brutality, Hate crime, and Misogyny