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A review by sidneyellwood
Lucy and Linh by Alice Pung
5.0
I don't know what I was expecting from this book, but it blew me out of the water. Lucy and Linh was clever on its commentary about the viciousness of girls, the "white woman's burden", and the discrepancy between white descendants of colonialists and new immigrants, but it was also a highly enjoyable and entertaining read. Lucy Lam has won a scholarship to an upscale girl's school, Laurinda, and loses herself in the school.
I loved the setting of Laurinda. It was picturesque and felt too good to be true, which it was, and even though the Cabinet were unlikable, and did many awful things throughout the book, I still felt for them somewhat. Somehow, Pung humanizes the mean girls while still keeping them mean and not giving them a redemption, and it was fascinating to read about.
Lucy's voice was beautiful and while her writing seemed a bit mature for a fifteen-year-old, I can see how her time at Laurinda would justify it. Her character was strong at the beginning and just got better and better.
There were also really clever commentaries on racism. How Laurinda was taking an Asian student for diversity. How Lucy was embarrassed when she went to Ms. Leslie's house to make rice paper rolls; how white people can talk about "exotic" culture and never have to think about consequences. And the commentary on girls and sexuality: how girls were supposed to be pure, but the Laurinda language was loaded with sexual innuendo. (I feel like this is Foucauldian and incredibly interesting? Literary theory class ruined me.)
This was a great, entertaining and self-aware book. While it's about mean girls, it goes far deeper on social commentary and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I loved the setting of Laurinda. It was picturesque and felt too good to be true, which it was, and even though the Cabinet were unlikable, and did many awful things throughout the book, I still felt for them somewhat. Somehow, Pung humanizes the mean girls while still keeping them mean and not giving them a redemption, and it was fascinating to read about.
Lucy's voice was beautiful and while her writing seemed a bit mature for a fifteen-year-old, I can see how her time at Laurinda would justify it. Her character was strong at the beginning and just got better and better.
Spoiler
I did not see the Lucy is Linh plot twist coming, though; it was a clever plot twist, but I'm not sure how well it worked for when Lucy addressed Linh and her actions in narration.There were also really clever commentaries on racism. How Laurinda was taking an Asian student for diversity. How Lucy was embarrassed when she went to Ms. Leslie's house to make rice paper rolls; how white people can talk about "exotic" culture and never have to think about consequences. And the commentary on girls and sexuality: how girls were supposed to be pure, but the Laurinda language was loaded with sexual innuendo. (I feel like this is Foucauldian and incredibly interesting? Literary theory class ruined me.)
This was a great, entertaining and self-aware book. While it's about mean girls, it goes far deeper on social commentary and I thoroughly enjoyed it.