Review by danimcthomas - Four Treasures of the Sky

danimcthomas 's review for:

Four Treasures of the Sky by Jenny Tinghui Zhang

3.75

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Sigh. There’s so much good about this book. I almost gave up on it several times but I’m glad I finished because the back half is the best part. There are some compelling parts to the narrative but it felt clunky in some ways to me. I think the writing advice “show, don’t tell” applies here some. Even though it’s first person narration, I think Daiyu verges on preachy sometimes. I also find the other characters more likable than the main - Nam, Lum, Nelson, and even the random Joe are all quite lovable.

Still, the imagery of Daiyu bravely facing her death and finally having the courage to speak her own name is superb. I loved the epilogue as well.

Content Warnings