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rusereviews 's review for:
Sunshine Nails
by Mai Nguyen
(3.5 rounded down to a 3)
Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen is a debut contemporary novel centered around a Vietnamese Canadian family in Toronto. I listened to the audiobook, which clocks in at around ten hours. Point of view shifts between all five of the family members, with a different narrator for each.
Debbie and Phil Tran opened Sunshine Nails salon twenty years ago after immigrating to Canada. But now a fancy chain salon is opening up across the street, and their landlord wants to double their rent. Perhaps their prodigal daughter, Jessica, just returned from Los Angeles post-breakup and firing, will be able to help.
Though this book deals with the heavy topic of gentrification and immigrant experiences, it's still a pretty light-hearted read. I especially loved the exploration of community here and how it's larger than you think sometimes. Self discovery is also a major topic, especially for the younger generation.
The story jumps around many points of view: Debbie, Phil, their daughter, Jessica, their son, Dustin, and their niece, Thuy. All five narrators did a pretty good job here, but I had a hard time connecting with all of the characters. I think Debbie was my favorite.
I'll definitely check out what this author writes in the future!
I received a copy of this book to review. All opinions contained herein are my own.
If you want to see more from me, check out my blog, Bookstagram, TheStoryGraph, or Twitter.
Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen is a debut contemporary novel centered around a Vietnamese Canadian family in Toronto. I listened to the audiobook, which clocks in at around ten hours. Point of view shifts between all five of the family members, with a different narrator for each.
Debbie and Phil Tran opened Sunshine Nails salon twenty years ago after immigrating to Canada. But now a fancy chain salon is opening up across the street, and their landlord wants to double their rent. Perhaps their prodigal daughter, Jessica, just returned from Los Angeles post-breakup and firing, will be able to help.
Though this book deals with the heavy topic of gentrification and immigrant experiences, it's still a pretty light-hearted read. I especially loved the exploration of community here and how it's larger than you think sometimes. Self discovery is also a major topic, especially for the younger generation.
The story jumps around many points of view: Debbie, Phil, their daughter, Jessica, their son, Dustin, and their niece, Thuy. All five narrators did a pretty good job here, but I had a hard time connecting with all of the characters. I think Debbie was my favorite.
I'll definitely check out what this author writes in the future!
I received a copy of this book to review. All opinions contained herein are my own.
If you want to see more from me, check out my blog, Bookstagram, TheStoryGraph, or Twitter.