I liked this one better than the last one; though there are still inconsistencies that irk me (for example,

Spoiler

Joy’s abrupt decision to stay with her expected son in his ancestral home, despite her American upbringing/values, which is completely forgotten by the time she’s plotting to and actually escapes the village

), the latter part has a fairly dynamic plot with ups and downs, and the characters finally seem to be showing some development. I think the focus and themes are a lot clearer here, which also helps.

Joy’s exploration of her own identity and values was a lot more relatable to me than Pearl’s was; we’re both Chinese-American college students trying to satisfy our adventurelust without losing sight of ourselves. The dual perspective between Joy and Pearl helps with the conceit and stubbornness that bugs me in both characters, by portraying each through the eyes of the other and showing how easily they misunderstand each other’s intentions and plans. And the constant back-and-forth works a lot better between a mother and daughter from different worlds — ie, both a generational and cultural gap — than it did between two codependent sisters who are alleged lifelong best friends.