A review by sauvageloup
Binu and the Great Wall by Su Tong

adventurous sad slow-paced
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

enjoyed this, reminded me of the magical realism and grittiness of Red Sorghum, though it was less graphic.

pros:
- really interesting folklore and magical elements, including Bínu's tears, the frogs, the butterflies, etc.
- Interesting quest tale and good writing, liked some of the turns of phrase
- the ending was suitably dramatic

cons:
- it was slow and a bit frustrating with how many obstacles Bínu faced, and her passivity at times, and it felt like the book sagged a lot in the middle

but i'm glad I read it and enjoyed it