I received the e-ARC copy from Penguin Random House SEA. A huge shout-out to them!
Set in China, My American Sister is about a man's determination to fI received the e-ARC copy from Penguin Random House SEA. A huge shout-out to them!
Set in China, My American Sister is about a man's determination to find his missing youngest daughter who has been sold into an orphanage. We see the struggle of the father and his quiet, reserved first daughter, both of whom have had a hard journey in search of their youngest family member.
At the same time, in San Francisco, we see a very different life of the youngest daughter and her difficulties coming to terms with her biological family.
I will not give away too much about the plot because I'm afraid I might spoil something in the book. But when you do read this, you cannot help but feel sorry for all these characters, regardless of their intentions and behaviour. It was an emotional ride reading this book and what a great debut by the author!...more
Unpopular opinion. I didn't like it. At all. Before I get into the review, there's gonna be spoilers for this book because I can't talk about it withoUnpopular opinion. I didn't like it. At all. Before I get into the review, there's gonna be spoilers for this book because I can't talk about it without spoiling it. If you like this book then good for you. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Okay. Now. This book was the blandest thing I've ever read. It had so much potential with 300 years of history, culture and the protagonist could've done something useful with this "curse" but no. She just walks around and whines. Child, you made the deal with the devil. Why you whining? Also, you would've think she'll develop some sort of personality or character development after roaming around for three centuries. Zero.
Then she meets Henry who also striked a deal with the devil and he too whines and cries. By this time, my patience was running thin with these characters.
The book was so painfully slow and repetitive. For instance, her freckles have been mentioned about 23 times. 23! And it keeps repeating the fact that people forget about her the moment they turn away from her. Yes. We know. You told us about a dozen times already.
We don't get to explore the other countries she's been in or how it impacted her. Nay nay. All we got is her much detailed sex life. Trying my best not to roll my eyes here. So much potential and so many ways to go about the plot. Wasted.
I was okay with Luc's character but like what's his backstory? Is he the Devil incarnated or some Greek God? We don't know because we don't get any explanation about that.
Pretentious, boring and tiresome. I don't see the 'it' factor for this apparently hyped book....more
I think I'll have to give this book one more try to fully love it. Interesting premise. Definitely unique. It is narrated in series of monologues wherI think I'll have to give this book one more try to fully love it. Interesting premise. Definitely unique. It is narrated in series of monologues where these souls are stuck in Bardo, a transitional space meant to be a stopover for souls moving from life to the afterlife. The three main and longest souls there are astonished to find Willie Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln, arriving at the Bardo. Also, throughout the novel, the author intersperses the text with excerpts from various historical accounts of Lincoln’s presidency, including biographies, letters, and other archival writings. We get snippets of Lincoln's public and private lives as well as widely-ranged national opinions about him. It's a clever book but it takes time to get into the story and it's a tad boring somewhere in the middle. I would recommend the audiobook though because it is a star-studded cast!
So, yes, need to reread this someday to fully appreciate this book! Also, did you know that this book is under an experimental fiction genre?...more
I am...disgusted. If you're planning to pick this up, please check the trigger warnings. PLEASE. I've read alot of disturbing books before but this onI am...disgusted. If you're planning to pick this up, please check the trigger warnings. PLEASE. I've read alot of disturbing books before but this one tops the notch. Lord. I can't even fully describe this book. It's so provocative, weird and gross. It is so hard to rate books like this one, so I'm gonna stick to this rating. All I can say is that, this book is batshit crazy!
Also, if I ever see or hear 'Popinpobopia' one more time, I'm gonna yeet myself off a damn cliff!...more
Wow! An easy 5 star book for me! A great historical fiction by Ms Hannah. I've heard about her and I decided to pick this one up. Funny because I've mWow! An easy 5 star book for me! A great historical fiction by Ms Hannah. I've heard about her and I decided to pick this one up. Funny because I've mistaken this book for The Nightingale but it still worked out for me!
Set in the 1930s, Elsa, a single mum trying to raise her kids on a farm in the Great Plains during the Dust Bowl following the Great Depression. Elsa is now forced to make a hard decision: stay and fight or leave her rural place where she calls home and make her way to the West lands.
What I love about historical fiction is that, it exposes the reader to the inner lives of people across time and place. When I was reading The Four Winds, I did some digging about the Dust Bowl history in America and this thing lasted about 6 years!! You could also get a dust pneumonia from that exposure! At the end of the book, the author notes how that we need hope to get through another phenomenon. Covid-19 pandemic.
And that's exactly what this book conveys; hope. A four letter word that means so much to people....more
I enjoyed this one! Especially detailing his life from childhood all the way to the current events in 2020. He is the narrator of his memoir and I lovI enjoyed this one! Especially detailing his life from childhood all the way to the current events in 2020. He is the narrator of his memoir and I loved it! I even fell asleep listening to his soothing voice. I knocked off a star because I didn't really enjoy the self help part of the book. But other than that, it was a good memoir!...more
"Listen to them - the children of the night. What music they make!"
That is the opening of the book that sends shiver down my spine, where we meet Coun"Listen to them - the children of the night. What music they make!"
That is the opening of the book that sends shiver down my spine, where we meet Count Dracula. Beautifully crafted, told through letters and diary entries, it keeps the readers engaged.
I loved the first half of the book, then it got a bit too lengthy. Not much of Dracula though. It is more about philosophical meanings of life and death, and the meaning of true friendship, loyalty, and love.
The first 4 chapters were definitely true gothic creepiness! *shudders*...more
Never thought I'll ever say this but I found one of my favourite reads! A classic one too! It's gothic, dramatic, dark, gloomy, dull. In other words, Never thought I'll ever say this but I found one of my favourite reads! A classic one too! It's gothic, dramatic, dark, gloomy, dull. In other words, PERFECTION! Perfect for an imperfect story, I would say.
If you're planning to read this, then be aware that:
1. This is in fact NOT a romance read! It is about revenge and redemption. Greed and sorrow.
2. You will undoubtedly dislike all the characters.
3. It is also about foreshadowing of the past, present and future.
Gorgeous book. Look at that cover! This book is so much more than the AIDS epidemic back in the 80s/90s. It is about finding yourself and your people,Gorgeous book. Look at that cover! This book is so much more than the AIDS epidemic back in the 80s/90s. It is about finding yourself and your people, experiencing love, lost as well as gaining friendships. I love the pop culture references throughout the book. My only criticism is that it was a tad draggy somewhere in the middle. Overall though, it was a great read and I won't lie, I had misty eyes reading this one....more
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