clarereadstheworld 's review for:

Unpolished Gem by Alice Pung
5.0

 This is another semi-autobiological novel. Reading it straight after Street Without a Name I wondered if it might be a bit like reading two very similar books back to back, but boy was I wrong!
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This is a really beautiful, and moving book about the challenges of growing up as a second generation immigrant, being constantly torn between your families home culture, and the culture of the country you are living in. All this made even worse by all the usual hormonal troubles of puberty, which are hard enough to navigate alone at the best of times.
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I absolutely loved this book, it's so beautifully written, moving and inspiring. I would absolutely recommend it.