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A review by itsjyotsna
Hummingbirds Fly Backwards by Amy Cheung
2.0
Disclaimer: I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a complimentary e-copy of this book. This in no way affects my thoughts and opinions of this book, which are my own.
To be honest, I was first intrigued by the cover and premise of the book. The premise seemed intriguing- 3 modern women in 1990's Hong Kong, and their relationship issues. Unfortunately, the execution of the novel fell quite flat. These characters were so unlikeable and also just kind of boring. I found myself either rolling my eyes or wondering what somewhat sane person would act in the manner of these women. I understand they're relatively young, but it seemed as though some of their actions were done solely to increase the drama in the stories, and keep the readers interested (in which it did not succeed). A good story doesn't need likable characters, or even sane characters to be successful (think Gone Girl) but it does need characters who are consistent with themselves, at the least.
The characters weren't the only problem. The plot itself was weak. There were multiple minor plot points that really didn't need to be included, and just distracted from the story. Harsher editing could have cut these moments out, and kept the story somewhat on track. In addition, some of the plot points just seemed repetitive, and I found myself wondering if I had accidentally gone backwards in the book and was re-reading the same scene.
I wouldn't recommend this book to many people, honestly. It had a lot of potential, but it fell very flat. What the author was good at (and why I gave it 2 stars as opposed to 1) was interweaving the stories together, and not having too many characters. Each character was pretty distinct and memorable, and as a reader, I didn't feel overwhelmed with an excessive cast of characters.
To be honest, I was first intrigued by the cover and premise of the book. The premise seemed intriguing- 3 modern women in 1990's Hong Kong, and their relationship issues. Unfortunately, the execution of the novel fell quite flat. These characters were so unlikeable and also just kind of boring. I found myself either rolling my eyes or wondering what somewhat sane person would act in the manner of these women. I understand they're relatively young, but it seemed as though some of their actions were done solely to increase the drama in the stories, and keep the readers interested (in which it did not succeed). A good story doesn't need likable characters, or even sane characters to be successful (think Gone Girl) but it does need characters who are consistent with themselves, at the least.
The characters weren't the only problem. The plot itself was weak. There were multiple minor plot points that really didn't need to be included, and just distracted from the story. Harsher editing could have cut these moments out, and kept the story somewhat on track. In addition, some of the plot points just seemed repetitive, and I found myself wondering if I had accidentally gone backwards in the book and was re-reading the same scene.
I wouldn't recommend this book to many people, honestly. It had a lot of potential, but it fell very flat. What the author was good at (and why I gave it 2 stars as opposed to 1) was interweaving the stories together, and not having too many characters. Each character was pretty distinct and memorable, and as a reader, I didn't feel overwhelmed with an excessive cast of characters.