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lunabbly 's review for:
The Storm We Made
by Vanessa Chan
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I would highly recommend but with a major trigger and content warning that this novel does explore intergenerational trauma, war trauma, child sexual assault and abuse, as well as family death and labor camp.
Reading this while Palestine, Sudan, and Congo are undergoing the violence of genocide was absolutely horrifying. While Vanessa Chan explores the trauma, violence, and incredibly horrific atrocities of war crimes and what happens during war / colonization, I was also reading about the ceasefire (that is actually not really being honored) in Palestine and how nearly 50,000 Palestinians will never get to experience returning home.
I do have to wonder though because the contents of the novel were so violence and so graphic about the atrocities and heinous war crimes that Malaysians endured by Japanese colonizers, to what extent do we have to explore and really paint the clearest picture of war before people can begin to empathize? How do we even begin to tell the untold stories of our ancestors if we cannot also explore the painful moments in their history, and thus, our history?
What I gained was definitely a deeper and nuanced historical overview of Japanese occupation in Malaysia before and during World War II. I felt like Chan did not spare us brutal details of what soldiers idd. But I also thought it was unique that she gave us insight and a perspective of those who were feeding information to Japanese informants. It gave the novel an unexpected twist to see the demise and turmoil of those who sought liberation, but did not understand the potential consequences or had betted on falsehoods and hopes that they would land in a better position by betraying their loved ones.
It also gave me thought in what would be true liberation? There was a line of thought in which a character said or alluded to the transfer of power from the British to the Japanese pre-WWII and how it was from one colonizer or colonizing country to the next. The more "benevolent colonizer" will be viewed as the "better colonizer" in some ways... Which is interesting to think about how that's also impacted today's politics and social views.
In addition, the perspective of the son from the labor camp was harsh. His perspective, I think, will forever scar me.
There was a plot twist that I felt I knew was happening in the middle of the novel and it turned out to be right. I also thought the ending was tragic.To know Jasmine and Yuki perished in the fire and they will never be able to lay her to rest was absolutely... devastating. I also really did feel for Jujube and Abel who are going to have to live with that trauma for the rest of their lives... And Cecily, poor Cecily... She's going to grieve her lost daughter with her potential lover as well. As well as live with the guilt, disappointment, and betrayal the man she loved did her wrong.
Reading this while Palestine, Sudan, and Congo are undergoing the violence of genocide was absolutely horrifying. While Vanessa Chan explores the trauma, violence, and incredibly horrific atrocities of war crimes and what happens during war / colonization, I was also reading about the ceasefire (that is actually not really being honored) in Palestine and how nearly 50,000 Palestinians will never get to experience returning home.
I do have to wonder though because the contents of the novel were so violence and so graphic about the atrocities and heinous war crimes that Malaysians endured by Japanese colonizers, to what extent do we have to explore and really paint the clearest picture of war before people can begin to empathize? How do we even begin to tell the untold stories of our ancestors if we cannot also explore the painful moments in their history, and thus, our history?
What I gained was definitely a deeper and nuanced historical overview of Japanese occupation in Malaysia before and during World War II. I felt like Chan did not spare us brutal details of what soldiers idd. But I also thought it was unique that she gave us insight and a perspective of those who were feeding information to Japanese informants. It gave the novel an unexpected twist to see the demise and turmoil of those who sought liberation, but did not understand the potential consequences or had betted on falsehoods and hopes that they would land in a better position by betraying their loved ones.
It also gave me thought in what would be true liberation? There was a line of thought in which a character said or alluded to the transfer of power from the British to the Japanese pre-WWII and how it was from one colonizer or colonizing country to the next. The more "benevolent colonizer" will be viewed as the "better colonizer" in some ways... Which is interesting to think about how that's also impacted today's politics and social views.
In addition, the perspective of the son from the labor camp was harsh. His perspective, I think, will forever scar me.
There was a plot twist that I felt I knew was happening in the middle of the novel and it turned out to be right. I also thought the ending was tragic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Rape, Violence, War