ambershelf's Reviews (1.3k)

3.5/5 Gifted by the publisher

It's rare to read Chinese historical fiction that's not about the Cultural Revolution—hence my excitement about this refreshing tale set afterward, leading up to Tiananmen Square and student protests. I particularly enjoyed the moments of solidarity between the grandma and the granddaughter and the complex friendship set against the increasingly authoritarian rule. While there are some mentions of politics, SQUARE's focus on coming-of-age and teenage drama left me wanting more historical background. The telling rather than showing style also detracts from my emotional connection with the characters. SQUARE is a solid read I'll recommend to those who want to gain a deeper understanding of modern Chinese history through a teen/tween lens.

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notes

More of a coming of age story set after the cultural revolution that covers love, friendship, and complex family dynamics. Less focus on the politics/history.

I haven’t read much Chinese lit that’s set after cultural revolution so it’s a refreshing story. I really appreciate the grandma-granddaughter dynamics.

I enjoyed this book even though I was expecting a deeper dive on the politics and Tiananmen Square (only happened in the last 10%?). For a book that’s over 500 pages, I was also hoping for an emotional rollercoaster, but somehow it reads a bit distant. Maybe too much telling and not enough showing?

Also, what’s with the homophobia?? It came out of nowhere and didn’t really get addressed imo. Maybe I missed it but I feel it could’ve been edited out.

5/5 no notes absolutely love this. lit fic lovers please read this absolute gem
gifted by the publisher

A modern reimagining of THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV (Fyodor Dostoevsky), K is an extraordinarily written and gutwrenching tale of revenge and redemption. The writing is very lit fic and took me a bit to get into, but I couldn't look away once I got into the groove. I adore K's deep character study of the three sisters. While each is deeply flawed, Sun does a phenomenal job of evoking empathy by vividly portraying their hopes, dreams, and grief. K is as much a story of surviving an abusive father as it is about the life-saving power of sisterhood. For fans of WHEN WE WERE SISTERS (Fatimah Asghar) and THE STORY GAME (Shze-Hui Tjoa) or those who crave more profound character studies after reading the two, definitely make sure to catch this masterful debut that deserves all the praise.

I want to highlight this quote, which feels so suitable for the moment and brings me to tears: "I don't want to forgive, and I can't forget. But everything we are, we can redeem."

3.25/5. gifted by the publishers

Following Vi, a type-A high school gamer who disguises as a boy in her favorite video game, and Jack, a care-free injured football player rethinking his college options, KNIGHT is a romance-light YA tribute to all the girls/femme/nonbinary kids who feel excluded in gaming. I love the complexity of Vi's character—her experience of misogyny and alienation blinds her to seeing love from those closest to her. Jack's character, in comparison, feels a bit forgettable, but that's a testament to Vi's strong presence in a book about sexism in video games. I'm not the biggest fan of the non-communication tropes and the following third act. But overall, I really enjoyed this YA that talks about important issues of belonging and trust in a fun way!

Following interconnected (primarily gay) Cambodian Americans in California, AFTERPARTIES is a phenomenal short story collection that explores identity, sexuality, and the complexity of the Cambodian diaspora. So skillfully weaves together stories that range from hilarious to heart-wrenching, tackling themes of isolation and generational trauma.

The characters grapple with the intersectionality of their identities, feeling uprooted due to their skin color, refugee backgrounds, and queerness. What does it mean to be Cambodian? What does it mean to be human? These questions serve as powerful threads throughout the book.

The humor and sarcasm infused into the storytelling provide a unique lens through which the characters confront their struggles. The explicit nature of some passages, bordering on NSFW, drives home the raw, visceral emotions that underlie the characters' experiences. It's a bold choice that pays off, hitting close to the heart and evoking a range of emotions from laughter to tears.

All of the stories are poignant and powerful; a couple of standouts are:

• The Three Women of Chuck's Donuts: exemplifies the complex relationships women have with the men in their lives, ultimately finding that these men are inconsequential in the grander scheme of their own narratives

• Maly, Maly, Maly: delves into the challenges of coming of age, exploring sexuality, and the loneliness that accompanies self-discovery

• The Shop: dissects the model minority myth, highlighting the superficial nature of performative activism. "Off-brand Asians with brown skin" is one of my favorite phrases that is hilarious yet brutally honest

• We Would've Been Princes!: captures the aftermath of the genocide, depicting the varied fates of Cambodian refugees. It paints a vivid picture of longing for home and the pervasive sense of loneliness accompanying displacement
• Human Development: critiques the belief that technology can solve fundamental human issues and brilliantly retorts Bay Area wokeness. The relationship between two Cambo gay men explores ethnicity & race through divergent lenses, offering a nuanced perspective on diversity

• Somaly Serely, Serely Somaly: a heartbreaking exploration of generational trauma. The narratives skillfully navigate the delicate balance between remembering the struggles of the past and not being drowned by grief & loss

• Generational Trauma: the last in the collection and my fav. It explores similar themes as Somaly Serely, Sererly Somaly, but from an elder's perspective who escaped the Khmer genocide but witnessed another unspeakable violence in the US. "When you think about my history, I don't need you to see everything at once… what else could we have done?" This final quote made me sob so much

Afterparties is a rollercoaster that starts with laughter and ends with tears—a literary gem that challenges the conventions of storytelling while celebrating the richness of diverse experiences & possibly my fav short stories of the year

gifted by @bibliolifestyle & the publisher

Set in the 1990s Ireland, COAST ROAD follows three women with intertwined lives who navigate their broken/disintegrating marriages before divorces are legal. Izzy is a housewife who feels stifled by her politician husband's refusal to let her start her own business. Colette is a poet who returns to her family after having an affair and tries to see her children, but her husband denies her. Dolores struggles with financial stability as she navigates pregnancy and her wandering husband. Is saving their marriages conducive to their well-being?

I couldn't believe this is a debut novel! COAST ROAD is an incredibly well-balanced story, skillfully setting the backdrop of Ireland in the 90s with the fight between divorce legislation and Catholic beliefs while focusing on the lives of three different women as they navigate the limitations placed on them.

I'm particularly surprised by how well a male author can write female characters without making them overly sexual. Often, male authors' attempts at writing women, especially in sex scenes, can come across as creepy (cough cough Murakami Haruki, even though he's still one of my favorite writers lol). However, Alan Murrin portrays the three characters with deep internal lives and complexities that feel authentic and respectful.

The writing is both literary and engaging, a rare feat for debut authors. The poetic prose and rhythmic style never feel overwritten, and I inhaled COAST ROAD in a weekend. The vivid descriptions of the scenery are another highlight. COAST ROAD transports me to the windy and chilly Irish coasts, making me feel as if I'm right there.

While the "plot twist" may be somewhat predictable, it doesn't diminish the book's powerful message. The Coast Road is ultimately a story about women's freedom—how they define it and what they're willing to sacrifice for it. I'm eagerly looking forward to Alan Murrin's next work!

ARC gifted by the publisher & ALC by @prhaudio

Told from alternating POVs of a closeted gay son, Obiefuna, and his mom, Uzoamaka, BLESSINGS is a lyrical coming-of-age novel set before Nigeria's Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act of 2014. I appreciate the setting in an all-boys boarding school, where Ibeh vividly portrays how toxic masculinity perpetuates homophobia, leading to Obiefuna's alienation.

As a dual-POV book, I wanted more mother-son dynamic; Uzoamaka sometimes doesn't read like a fully realized character. That being said, BLESSINGS is a tender yet heartbreaking debut examining how to live fully in a country that erases LGBTQ+ people; it pairs well with THESE LETTERS END IN TEARS (Musih Tedji Xaviere).

Gifted by the publisher

With an odd structure that won't make sense until the last chapter, GODWIN is an odd little book that rewards patient readers. O'Neill's writing style is characterized by its intricate layering of narratives and themes. The book follows two brothers scouting for a soccer genius in Africa amidst a backdrop of copy editing office drama and complex mother-son relationships.

These seemingly disparate elements are all tied together through the overarching theme of colonialism. GODWIN offers a unique perspective on colonization, exploring the practice of wealthy white countries 'investing' in young athletes from poor villages. I can see this book being very polarizing because of its structure—the seemingly disjointed narratives might alienate readers looking for a light read; GODWIN is a story one will have to spend time with. I'm still unsure how the last chapter ties in with the overarching themes, and I'd love to hear your thought if you've read GODWIN!

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notes & rambles

What a weird little book! I really like how “odd” the structure is. It won’t really make sense until the last 20%—definitely a book that rewards patient readers.

I love the themes of “colonization” through sports. It’s a really refreshing angle about hyper consumerism and colonialism that I don’t think most people think about. I’ve never thought about how exploitative it is to “help” poor kids out of poverty by making them into star athletes.

There’s also another storyline about office politics. The book reads like two separate books until the very end. And i still have to think more about how these two parallel yet intertwining stories speak to each other.

This is a book I think will be very polarizing because of its structure. I’d love to discuss this and read more analysis about GODWIN!

eARC and ALC gifted by the publisher.

How do we navigate life amidst the shadows of death? This is the profound question at the heart of ROAD, a powerful narrative following Kunle, a Nigerian university student, on an impossible mission to rescue his younger brother as his country breaks into a civil war (the Biafra War).

This sweeping historical fiction has all the hallmarks of a classic in the making. Obioma's writing is not just extraordinary; it's a revelation. It's a reminder that there's writing (my silly little book reviews), and then there's WRITING—rich, immersive, and transformative. ROAD's thesis on finding humanity among violence is incredibly timely and handled with a sensitivity that avoids exploiting the trauma of others, reminiscent of PROPHET SONG (Paul Lynch). The hint of magical realism adds a layer of enchantment to the narrative, bringing to mind THE SEVEN MOONS OF MAALI ALMEIDA (Shehan Karunatilaka).

Obioma's unflinching portrayal of the brutalities of war is both harrowing and compelling. Reading it felt like a visceral gut punch, yet I could not look away. His prose, akin to art, strikes the perfect balance between raw emotion and lyrical beauty, keeping me engaged even as my heart shattered into a million pieces. This emotional rollercoaster is sure to keep you captivated.

Amidst the darkness, however, there is beauty. Kunle finds camaraderie among his fellow fighters and even discovers love. Obioma excels at vividly portraying a main character we can all see ourselves in—an ordinary person facing the extraordinary pressures of war and death. ROAD explores how, without superpowers, we find the courage to live under such crushing weight.

The ending is a poignant culmination of the narrative, where themes of death and rebirth converge, and everything comes full circle. Without giving too much away, it's a testament to the theme that where there is death, there is also rebirth. I burst into tears reading the final scenes, and they will definitely stay in my mind for a long time.

I split my time evenly between reading on my Kindle and listening to the audiobook. While both formats offer a great experience, I highly recommend reading a physical copy to fully appreciate Obioma's phenomenal writing style and reference previous chapters. ROAD is my first Obioma, and I can't wait to read his backlists and immerse myself in his gorgeous writing.

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notes and ramblings

4.75/5

A sweeping historical fiction. The author doesn’t shy away from the brutality of war. This has everything that makes a Booker Winner — out of the world writing, a very timely topic (reminds me of PROPHET SONG but doesn’t feel exploitative of others’ trauma), and a splash of magical realism (reminiscent of THE SEVEN MOONS OF MAALI ALMEIDA).

My only nit-picky part is the seer chapters. I would’ve loved to see the magical realism parts developed more!

Gifted by the publisher

If MARTYR! and THERE’S ALWAYS THIS YEAR had a baby, this would be it