A review by krys_kilz
Fiona and Jane by Jean Chen Ho

emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I loved reading a book dedicated to platonic love and friendship. As one reviewer put it, it felt "subtly subversive" within a dominant culture steeped in romantic love. The ebbs and flows of Fiona and Jane's friendship as they moved apart, grew increasingly distant and changed resonated deeply with my own experiences with long-term friendships. The unspeakable grief of losing the closeness and proximity you had as children and teenagers and the unbearable loneliness of being left behind. The raw emotion captured between these pages broke my heart and healed it simultaneously.

I also thought the story lines unpacking Jane and Fiona's relationships with their parents were really strong. Fiona as her mother's "own heart, walking outside her body" and Jane trying to save Julian in an attempt to save her father - the complexity and messiness were translated beautifully.

My favorite stories in the collection were: Cold Turkey, Clairvoyance, and the title story Fiona and Jane.
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