A review by kaziaroo
Shanghai Immortal by A.Y. Chao

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I liked the characters and setting, but the writing was repetitive and the plot was poorly stitched together and overly convenient. For someone who is fiercely independent and rebellious, Jing's actions actually had very little effect on the way things turned out; she was just washed about by everyone else's machinations. The romance was cute but a bit too mushy and easy for my tastes and the drama between them felt forced and clichéed. Also, the language felt very childish with words like "piss-fart" being used way too often throughout and it was hard to take Jing seriously as an adult (almost a century old!!) when she constantly sounds like a child. I'm not sure if these are common Chinese sayings which the author decided to translate, but in English at least it came across as silly rather than funny. Overall it was a fun book but it didn't stand out to me.
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