Review by okevamae - The Phoenix Pencil Company

okevamae 's review for:

The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King

4.5

emotional inspiring 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

I really loved this book! It weaves past and present together beautifully, through journal entries by college student Monica and the reminiscences written by her grandmother Yun about her youth in Shanghai during WWII and her experiences in the aftermath during the Chinese civil war. I knew a little about the Japanese occupation of China and the civil war that came after, but Yun’s letters about her past brought the events in those history texts to life. It’s also very much a story about Monica and Yun’s bond and their deep love for each other, and the incredible resilience and strength both of the women have. I loved Monica’s grandfather, too. I also liked the complex relationship between Monica and Louise, and loved how supportive Monica’s grandparents were of their relationship and their granddaughter’s sexuality. Their little family was so wholesome, but also complicated, and I found that it felt very heartwarming and real. My only real critique was that the pacing was a bit off at times, I remember feeling like it was getting towards the end and then being surprised that I was only at 56%, and it did drag a little in places. But that was very minor. Overall it’s 4.5 stars, rounded up.

Excellent narration by all four narrators, all Asian women just like the author and the characters. I thought Yun’s narrator was especially good, very emotive, though Monica’s was also really excellent.

Thanks to Harper Audio and Libro.fm for providing an advanced listening copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

CW: self harm, dementia

Content Warnings