A review by booksillremember
River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure

emotional funny informative reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I enjoy books that draw me into everyday life in a different culture and I have a soft spot for in-between characters who belong neither here nor there. The characters are complex and their actions make sense given their past. I've seen a lot of criticism of them not being likeable, I think they are in some ways and not in others, they are just flawed. I rarely see this type of criticism of the likeability of characters brought up towards male authors. Some of the most prestigious novels ever have very unlikeable characters.

Minor negative: I found the interactions and the spelling out of "the moral of the story" a bit repetitive and the ending felt like everything fell into place too neatly. 

I appreciate how the rape scene was portrayed and handled. This kind of "non-violent" rape (in quotation marks because the act itself is violence) and what it does to the victim deserves more representation.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings