I didn’t really enjoy this book. The premise, especially the setting in Malaya during WWII, initially drew me in because of the praise and intriguing synopsis. I was eager to start reading what I hoped would be an emotionally powerful and informative story. Unfortunately, instead of offering a deeply moving narrative or meaningful insight, it felt like the book leaned more into shock value. The events portrayed were undeniably horrific and deserve to be shared, but the way they were presented, without any warning, left me feeling blindsided. Personally, the lack of content warnings, especially around topics like CSA and child/pregnancy loss, made it difficult for me to stay connected to the story. These are important issues to address, undeniably, but I wish the book had given readers a heads up.

*Thank you to Vanessa Chan, Simon Element l Simon & Schuster  for the copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.