A review by lilleeboi
Strange Beasts of China by Yan Ge

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I read this as a buddy read with my good friend. We tend to have wildly different tastes, but neither of us were big fans of this book, and we rarely had more positive things to say about it than negative.  It's slightly surreal and weird -- and above all, frustrating to get through -- but you will find better surrealism and better, weirder weird fiction out there.  Another friend, a native Mandarin speaker, informs me that our distaste and frustration are likely more than a translation issue.

It was interesting, and it wasn't bad (my reading partner disagrees 😂), but I wouldn't recommend it.