You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
solenophage 's review for:
Shanghailanders
by Juli Min
I have conflicting feelings on how to rate this one. I was taken with the story and the characters. I wanted to keep reading throughout, but at the end, I didn’t feel like the story was complete or I’d gotten something out of it.
It was interesting to see the layers peeled back on certain characters, their character development in reverse, and to have a chance to piece together their stories and who they are in that way. But I also wished there was more follow-up on other characters and plot points. The nature of this rewinding structure meant that some compelling dynamics and conflicts were simply undone and never came back into play. The framing of the narrative as a picture of the family as a whole also contributed to a feeling that I didn’t get to see as much as I would have like to of the inner workings of all the family members.
It was interesting to see the layers peeled back on certain characters, their character development in reverse, and to have a chance to piece together their stories and who they are in that way. But I also wished there was more follow-up on other characters and plot points. The nature of this rewinding structure meant that some compelling dynamics and conflicts were simply undone and never came back into play. The framing of the narrative as a picture of the family as a whole also contributed to a feeling that I didn’t get to see as much as I would have like to of the inner workings of all the family members.