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A review by transparent_tea
The Golden Gate by Amy Chua
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
The fact that the book takes the reader through a lot of twists and turns, only to find out at the end that it was because of pure jealousy that caused the murder was entertaining at the very least.
I've frequented San Francisco often enough to understand how some of the locations were described. I appreciated that the main character (Al Sullivan/Alejo Gutierrez) is mixed-race, considering that mixed-raced people are not as common as in today's society. I also liked how the author portrayed how anti-Asian events could have occurred during this time in SF. (My recent trip up north was a tour of Angel Island and understanding how the island was the gateway on the West Coast, similar to how Ellis Island was the gateway from the East Coast, but how people were treated was very night and day.)
The only issue I had with the story was Cassandra Bainbridge didn't get as much screen time as the other sister/cousin, even though her role in this "whacky" murder was minimal at best. Nicole got a decent amount, and Isabella took a huge chunk of the story.
I've frequented San Francisco often enough to understand how some of the locations were described. I appreciated that the main character (Al Sullivan/Alejo Gutierrez) is mixed-race, considering that mixed-raced people are not as common as in today's society. I also liked how the author portrayed how anti-Asian events could have occurred during this time in SF. (My recent trip up north was a tour of Angel Island and understanding how the island was the gateway on the West Coast, similar to how Ellis Island was the gateway from the East Coast, but how people were treated was very night and day.)
The only issue I had with the story was Cassandra Bainbridge didn't get as much screen time as the other sister/cousin, even though her role in this "whacky" murder was minimal at best. Nicole got a decent amount, and Isabella took a huge chunk of the story.