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jesseybean's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault, Racism, Police brutality, and Outing
starccato's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Grief, Sexual assault, Violence, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Cancer, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Religious bigotry, Racism, and Vomit
unfiltered_fiction's review against another edition
- 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
The story is infused with exquisite details of the layered, hybrid culture that Jess inhabits, from Malay food to Hokkien etymology. Zen Cho's writing is considered and nuanced, picking out the good, the bad, and the ugly in every situation and every relationship that Jess experiences. The racism she faces in America and the homophobia she skirts around in Malaysia are both depicted in profoundly simple and emotionally rich prose. This story is rich in intersectional feminism, thoroughly conscious of how different struggles work together to shape us in ways that we don't always like.
The humour in this book is absolutely excellent, punctuating the heavy themes with biting, acerbic wit that only adds nuance to the more difficult material. I particularly loved how Jess interacted with her mother and Ah Ma - I could map some of these conversations directly over chats I've had with my own mother and grandmother! All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable read that I'd definitely recommend.
Graphic: Violence and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual assault, Homophobia, and Racism
Minor: Rape
inamerata's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Homophobia, Cancer, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Racism
callmedani'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? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Racism
peachani's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Cancer, Outing, and Violence
Moderate: Cancer, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, and Sexual violence
Minor: Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gore, Medical content, Physical abuse, and Racism
horizonous's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Moderate: Homophobia, Kidnapping, Murder, Outing, Racism, Sexual violence, and Violence
Minor: Cancer and Domestic abuse
▫ Outing = as a threat▫ Sexual violence = Attempted rape
e_flah'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
3.5
I think if I had expected this to be a family drama that happened to have ghosts, I would've enjoyed the story a lot more. Once I finally just relaxed and waited for things to unfold, I was able to appreciate Cho's immersive writing and the story Black Water Sister actually tells.
Moderate: Violence and Homophobia
Minor: Domestic abuse and Racism
leedolee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
3.0
The book was slow paced at the beginning but quickly picked up as the story began to unravel in various directions. It was rather hard to understand the further I progressed but the concept of the ghosts and gods kept me interested.
Sadly, I did not thoroughly enjoy the book this book as much as I thought it would. Regardless, I enjoyed learning about the various spirits within the pages.
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Racism, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, and Homophobia
Minor: Blood and Violence
booktribe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Racism