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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
mysterious
I enjoyed this collection, and there are a few stories that will stay with me.
The narrator of the audiobook did a wonderful job!
The narrator of the audiobook did a wonderful job!
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
medium-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
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This one was a mix. There were some stories I really enjoyed. Those managed to capture something essential about everyday life but to hide it in magic. A lot of others, however, just kinda bored me, and I didn't find them particularly interesting. "If at First you Don't Succeed, Try, Try Again" was probably my favourite.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
What a fragile, necessary thing love was.
This quirky short story collection explores Malaysian culture through strange elements. Standouts include Balik Kampung, The House of Aunts, and The Terracotta Wife. The problem is structure. The stories bleed into one another, making the collection feel repetitive. Cho’s voice stays consistent, but the lack of clear separation between stories weakens the impact. The storytelling is dense. Cho builds complex magical systems and worlds, but with only 30 pages per story, there’s little time to connect with characters or settings. What could have been a sharp, engaging collection dragged out over months. The best stories are buried among forgettable ones.
There are some facts that are just "the way things are" or "the way the world works." The thing you have to remember though is that what you think is "the way things are" and what someone else thinks is "the way things are" can be very different, and your assumptions may not be the right ones. This book focuses a lot on clashes between worldviews, especially between generations, religions, and immigrants and the families they leave behind or return to. Zen Cho describes vivid images of characters, families, and cultures. She creates characters that seem like real people.
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Interesting and liked the Malaysian folklore aspects but short stories are not my usual preferred format (which is obviously not the books fault)
Really loved The House of Aunts, definitely my favourite in the collection.
Really loved The House of Aunts, definitely my favourite in the collection.