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A review by glitterpricked
Black Water Sister by Zen Cho
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
i adored this! i'm actually surprised that the average rating isn't a little higher because there is so much feeling packed into this standalone. it is set in malaysia, and the way it utilises language, religion and culture is done incredibly well: it is accessible but also complex, weaving in the diaspora experience when needed, while not taking away from the lives of malaysians. that part is so important because diaspora literature has a bad reputation (admittedly deserved) for speaking over natives, but that was not the case here. jess sometimes expresses opinions different to her malaysian family, but these aren't taken as morally superior; instead, there is nuance given to all the characters.
the book also tackles a LOT of themes, and does so (almost entirely) well. there is tension over class, faith, sexuality, adulthood, family, the past, domestic violence, relationships... the interpersonal conflicts play out alongside jess' personal inner turmoil, and i loved every part of it. jess is by no means a perfect protagonist, but her flaws are paralleled with those of her grandma and the other characters. in some ways, ah ma is kind of a foil to jess. the themes run through all the characters' actions, and as the book goes on, you learn why they matter so much, and in what ways.
beyond the themes, it's also so much fun! her grandma's voice is in her head, there's possessions going on, there's violence and generational secrets and family drama, of course it's fun! and even the fun elements aren't overdone. there's no melodrama, it's all at the right level. i smiled and laughed while reading just as much as i cried and felt tense, which is honestly exactly what i want from by book. caring about a set of characters in multiple ways is so heartbreakingly good. the chaos and sentimentality are balanced so well.
also wanna add: i buddyread this with ak and she sent voicenotes about the book that genuinely made me cry. so the relatability definitely has to be taken into account in my rating. i felt so seen. zen cho gets me.
the book also tackles a LOT of themes, and does so (almost entirely) well. there is tension over class, faith, sexuality, adulthood, family, the past, domestic violence, relationships... the interpersonal conflicts play out alongside jess' personal inner turmoil, and i loved every part of it. jess is by no means a perfect protagonist, but her flaws are paralleled with those of her grandma and the other characters. in some ways, ah ma is kind of a foil to jess. the themes run through all the characters' actions, and as the book goes on, you learn why they matter so much, and in what ways.
beyond the themes, it's also so much fun! her grandma's voice is in her head, there's possessions going on, there's violence and generational secrets and family drama, of course it's fun! and even the fun elements aren't overdone. there's no melodrama, it's all at the right level. i smiled and laughed while reading just as much as i cried and felt tense, which is honestly exactly what i want from by book. caring about a set of characters in multiple ways is so heartbreakingly good. the chaos and sentimentality are balanced so well.
also wanna add: i buddyread this with ak and she sent voicenotes about the book that genuinely made me cry. so the relatability definitely has to be taken into account in my rating. i felt so seen. zen cho gets me.