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novelshire's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Sexual assault
Minor: Racism and Homophobia
redewhurst's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
2.5
One of my most anticipated reads that, sadly, didn’t quite live up to expectations. I really appreciated the introduction to Malaysian culture - something I have not read about before - but the plot became quickly muddled with too many points.
I’d have really liked it to focus more clearly on the relationship between Jessamyn and her family.
I’d have really liked it to focus more clearly on the relationship between Jessamyn and her family.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Xenophobia, and Rape
laurareads87's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
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
4.0
"You can bargain with anybody, spirit or human. All you need to know is what do they want and what are they scared of. That's all."
Black Water Sister follows Jess, a young Malaysian-American woman who has just moved back to Malaysia with her parents. Just when she's got enough mundane issues to worry about -- not being out to her parents, a long-distance relationship, the challenges of finding a good job post-graduation, the pressures exerted by her extended family -- the voice of her recently deceased grandmother turns up in her head and before long, Jess is (in the author's words) "[fighting] gods, ghosts, gangsters, and grandmas in 21st century Penang." I appreciate so much about this book -- the rich descriptions of the setting, the comedic elements interspersed with more serious themes, and the development of Jess' character. There is a strong feminist element to Black Water Sister -- it centers multiple generations of women, and addresses trauma, violence, loss, and family tensions and divisions with nuance. This is the second of Zen Cho's books I've read, and my favourite thusfar.
<i>Content warnings:</i> sexual assault, sexual violence, sexism, misogyny, homophobia, racism, xenophobia, violence, murder, domestic violence, gore, grief, medical content
Black Water Sister follows Jess, a young Malaysian-American woman who has just moved back to Malaysia with her parents. Just when she's got enough mundane issues to worry about -- not being out to her parents, a long-distance relationship, the challenges of finding a good job post-graduation, the pressures exerted by her extended family -- the voice of her recently deceased grandmother turns up in her head and before long, Jess is (in the author's words) "[fighting] gods, ghosts, gangsters, and grandmas in 21st century Penang." I appreciate so much about this book -- the rich descriptions of the setting, the comedic elements interspersed with more serious themes, and the development of Jess' character. There is a strong feminist element to Black Water Sister -- it centers multiple generations of women, and addresses trauma, violence, loss, and family tensions and divisions with nuance. This is the second of Zen Cho's books I've read, and my favourite thusfar.
<i>Content warnings:</i> sexual assault, sexual violence, sexism, misogyny, homophobia, racism, xenophobia, violence, murder, domestic violence, gore, grief, medical content
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Misogyny, Homophobia, Racism, Xenophobia, Violence, Murder, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Gore, Grief, and Medical content
tahsintries's review against another edition
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Racism, Homophobia, and Kidnapping
_forestofpages's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.5
I immediately found myself relating to Jessamyn; she uses humor as a defense, hides her true emotions and compartmentalizes. She seems to be depressed and anxious as well, not to mention in the closet and surrounded by judgmental and religious people who would not approve of who she is because she's gay. I loved her character development, which I won't spoil, but it's gradual and realistic and I truly appreciated how much time the author took with developing her.
I absolutely loved her family. Some of them weren't so great (though I related to that too), but her parents are amazing. It's refreshing seeing a teenager in a book with decent parents for once. Her Ah Ma reminded me so much of my own grandmother, and she was truly a complex character.
There is a crime and mystery element to this along with the supernatural/mythology aspects all through the lens of interesting and vivid Malaysian culture. The blend of the modern and ancient was something I haven't read in some time and this book reminded me how much I missed it. This was also a great representation of a closeted character with a traditional family dating long-distance an "out" person. The relationship, though not a main focus, was still handled very well and realistically. I appreciated that it wasn't all the character thought about, but was still a big part of her life.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys magical realism, mythology and well done LGBT rep, with a side of dysfunctional but well intentioned family drama.
I absolutely loved her family. Some of them weren't so great (though I related to that too), but her parents are amazing. It's refreshing seeing a teenager in a book with decent parents for once. Her Ah Ma reminded me so much of my own grandmother, and she was truly a complex character.
There is a crime and mystery element to this along with the supernatural/mythology aspects all through the lens of interesting and vivid Malaysian culture. The blend of the modern and ancient was something I haven't read in some time and this book reminded me how much I missed it. This was also a great representation of a closeted character with a traditional family dating long-distance an "out" person. The relationship, though not a main focus, was still handled very well and realistically. I appreciated that it wasn't all the character thought about, but was still a big part of her life.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys magical realism, mythology and well done LGBT rep, with a side of dysfunctional but well intentioned family drama.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Violence, Cursing, Drug use, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Racism, Classism, Gun violence, and Domestic abuse
malimaan's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
This book was such a beautiful read.
The way it touched upon generational trauma and abuse and your relationship with your family. The ghosts and possession were a great medium to tell this story through and I loved reading about a culture that isn't as represented in modern media.
It was amazing to read about how Jess finds her voice after years of trying to be perfect. The book explores her queer identity and her diasporan identity in such a great way.
The only thing I felt was a bit of a drawback, was that Jess' parents felt a bit flat, especially because they play a big part in her identity. They just felt like they were lacking something.
I really recommend reading this book! And I can't wait to read more by this author.
The way it touched upon generational trauma and abuse and your relationship with your family. The ghosts and possession were a great medium to tell this story through and I loved reading about a culture that isn't as represented in modern media.
It was amazing to read about how Jess finds her voice after years of trying to be perfect. The book explores her queer identity and her diasporan identity in such a great way.
The only thing I felt was a bit of a drawback, was that Jess' parents felt a bit flat, especially because they play a big part in her identity. They just felt like they were lacking something.
I really recommend reading this book! And I can't wait to read more by this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Domestic abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Sexism, Violence, Racism, and Sexual violence
Minor: Alcoholism
anxiousnachos's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I recently did a video on TikTok about messed up 20 somethings who have no idea what they’re doing. Well this is that, but make it ✨fantasy✨
This is a fast-paced, deep dive into Malaysian culture and family history when Jess starts being haunted by her grandma. The family dynamics in this were so complex. Jess is both a closeted lesbian and a member of the diaspora, having grown up in the US, and this colours her relationships with the ghost of her grandmother and her living family.
We also get ghosts beating up shitty men, a controlling ghostly grandmother, and a chance to explore the world of Malaysian gods. A wonderful read!
Content warnings: possession, ghosts, emotional abuse, domestic abuse, assault, violence, strangulation, homophobia, racism, graphic attempted rape scene (page 322-324), rape (past, mentions)
This is a fast-paced, deep dive into Malaysian culture and family history when Jess starts being haunted by her grandma. The family dynamics in this were so complex. Jess is both a closeted lesbian and a member of the diaspora, having grown up in the US, and this colours her relationships with the ghost of her grandmother and her living family.
We also get ghosts beating up shitty men, a controlling ghostly grandmother, and a chance to explore the world of Malaysian gods. A wonderful read!
Content warnings: possession, ghosts, emotional abuse, domestic abuse, assault, violence, strangulation, homophobia, racism, graphic attempted rape scene (page 322-324), rape (past, mentions)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Rape, Homophobia, Racism, and Domestic abuse
soupstix's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
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? Yes
4.5
i went into this book with zero expectations aside from the fact that it would be a fantasy novel set in modern-day malaysia—and i was totally blown away.
“black water sister” by zen cho already has all the elements of stories i would typically be drawn to. a contemporary family drama featuring a closeted asian-american lesbian who moves back to malaysia with her parents would’ve been enough to sell me on this novel alone. but coupled with the fantasy plotline of gods and gangsters, this book was everything i could’ve wanted and more.
being set in malaysia, there were a lot of cultural references i missed. this, i didn’t mind because now i have the basis to go on a google search deep-dive, which is going to be a lot of fun for me. these references as well as the author’s decision to use “manglish” and pidgin dialects for the characters that did not have american english as a first language—rather than unrealistically polished english—made the entire world feel really immersive. there was no handholding and dictionary-level definitions/explanations, and as a reader i appreciated not being coddled.
as a fellow asian diaspora lesbian, jess’ story was extremely relatable to me. as i’m younger than her and our family situations are markedly different, i can’t say she felt like any sort of representation of my life, but the beats of her story in her “past life” are familiar—which made her character journey deeply satisfying.
overall, this book has it all. family drama, plot twists, #representation. whenever i had to step away from this book to do other things i felt myself itching to come back for more. i desperately want this to have a sequel—i NEED resolution for whatever sharanya and jess have going on. and i will definitely be checking out zen cho’s other works after this!
“black water sister” by zen cho already has all the elements of stories i would typically be drawn to. a contemporary family drama featuring a closeted asian-american lesbian who moves back to malaysia with her parents would’ve been enough to sell me on this novel alone. but coupled with the fantasy plotline of gods and gangsters, this book was everything i could’ve wanted and more.
being set in malaysia, there were a lot of cultural references i missed. this, i didn’t mind because now i have the basis to go on a google search deep-dive, which is going to be a lot of fun for me. these references as well as the author’s decision to use “manglish” and pidgin dialects for the characters that did not have american english as a first language—rather than unrealistically polished english—made the entire world feel really immersive. there was no handholding and dictionary-level definitions/explanations, and as a reader i appreciated not being coddled.
as a fellow asian diaspora lesbian, jess’ story was extremely relatable to me. as i’m younger than her and our family situations are markedly different, i can’t say she felt like any sort of representation of my life, but the beats of her story in her “past life” are familiar—which made her character journey deeply satisfying.
overall, this book has it all. family drama, plot twists, #representation. whenever i had to step away from this book to do other things i felt myself itching to come back for more. i desperately want this to have a sequel—i NEED resolution for whatever sharanya and jess have going on. and i will definitely be checking out zen cho’s other works after this!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Racism
lucystolethesky's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, Kidnapping, Death, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Xenophobia, Racism, Outing, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Rape, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Grief, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Terminal illness, Chronic illness, and Cancer
jesseybean's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The story was captivating but lost its footing in the second half. I enjoyed all the spirits and gods. Zen Cho did a wonderful job creating another world within our world for us to see through Jess's eyes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault, Racism, Police brutality, and Outing