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emaan0920_ 's review for:
Dreams of Joy
by Lisa See
In 1957, Joy, the daughter of Pearl Louie, runs away to communist China in hopes of meeting her birth father. In the process, she throws herself in the upbringing of the New China, unaware of its dangers. Meanwhile, Pearl follows her in hopes to bring her back to Los Angeles, and sees that her homeland is not what it used to be.
TW: suicide, manipulation, starvation, hints of cannibalism
I knew I had to read Shanghai Girls and this sequel back-to-back, and it enhanced the reading experience.
According to the reviews, I may be in the minority, and others may feel differently, but there was not much of a balance between descriptions and dialogue (and there were more of the former than the latter), so it felt like telling instead of showing, which left me underwhelmed. I’m more of a visual person, and I know narrative books can’t be visual, but I prefer a balance of descriptions and dialogue.
However, I was able to take away some of the messages in this story. Communist China was a nightmarish and horrific, especially in the last 30%. The dual points of view of Pearl and her daughter Joy helped the experience too, that way we readers got to see what was happening in the city and the countryside.
TW: suicide, manipulation, starvation, hints of cannibalism
I knew I had to read Shanghai Girls and this sequel back-to-back, and it enhanced the reading experience.
According to the reviews, I may be in the minority, and others may feel differently, but there was not much of a balance between descriptions and dialogue (and there were more of the former than the latter), so it felt like telling instead of showing, which left me underwhelmed. I’m more of a visual person, and I know narrative books can’t be visual, but I prefer a balance of descriptions and dialogue.
However, I was able to take away some of the messages in this story. Communist China was a nightmarish and horrific, especially in the last 30%. The dual points of view of Pearl and her daughter Joy helped the experience too, that way we readers got to see what was happening in the city and the countryside.