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ambershelf's Reviews (1.3k)
gifted by the publisher
This moving story follows a first-gen Vietnamese German as she visits her estranged relatives in LA from Berlin. Split into 3 POVs, B&G is a poignant exploration of all that's left unsaid—the secrets one keeps for survival and the truth unknown as we run out of time. I was particularly drawn to the two brothers' timelines during the Vietnamese war, which are emotionally rich. In contrast, the present-day narrative feels a bit underdeveloped. Reading B&G made me wonder about my family, especially the two authoritarian regimes my grandparents lived through. At its core, B&G asks us, how do we move forward when we don't know our pasts?
This moving story follows a first-gen Vietnamese German as she visits her estranged relatives in LA from Berlin. Split into 3 POVs, B&G is a poignant exploration of all that's left unsaid—the secrets one keeps for survival and the truth unknown as we run out of time. I was particularly drawn to the two brothers' timelines during the Vietnamese war, which are emotionally rich. In contrast, the present-day narrative feels a bit underdeveloped. Reading B&G made me wonder about my family, especially the two authoritarian regimes my grandparents lived through. At its core, B&G asks us, how do we move forward when we don't know our pasts?
ARC gifted by the publisher
following a 12-year-old girl and her stay at her aunt's family in the spring of 1972, MM is a deeply nostalgic and evocative tale of girlhood and friendship told through an innocent narrative voice. I enjoyed learning about the family via snapshots of a child's POV that's tinged with curiosity. Ogawa's wistful but not dramatic writing reminds me of the summers I spent wandering in the countryside in Taiwan with my cousins. While there is melancholy over the loss of my childhood, there's also an appreciation of those formative years that made me who I am. Even though the more-vibes-few-plot style doesn’t always work for me, I relish this story deeply
following a 12-year-old girl and her stay at her aunt's family in the spring of 1972, MM is a deeply nostalgic and evocative tale of girlhood and friendship told through an innocent narrative voice. I enjoyed learning about the family via snapshots of a child's POV that's tinged with curiosity. Ogawa's wistful but not dramatic writing reminds me of the summers I spent wandering in the countryside in Taiwan with my cousins. While there is melancholy over the loss of my childhood, there's also an appreciation of those formative years that made me who I am. Even though the more-vibes-few-plot style doesn’t always work for me, I relish this story deeply
gifted by the publisher
If you’ve wondered what your life could be had you chosen a different path, love choose-you-own-adventure stories, or enjoy trying every possible path in video games, ALL will be a fantastic experience! I’m blown away by how intricate various choices lead to—sometimes the same ending and other times vastly different. Since ALL is more about the experience of choices, each character’s backstory isn’t the main focus. As readers jump from one parallel universe to another, world-building or character development isn’t always straightforward. I recommend ALL to readers who enjoy THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY (Matt Haig)
If you’ve wondered what your life could be had you chosen a different path, love choose-you-own-adventure stories, or enjoy trying every possible path in video games, ALL will be a fantastic experience! I’m blown away by how intricate various choices lead to—sometimes the same ending and other times vastly different. Since ALL is more about the experience of choices, each character’s backstory isn’t the main focus. As readers jump from one parallel universe to another, world-building or character development isn’t always straightforward. I recommend ALL to readers who enjoy THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY (Matt Haig)
ARC gifted by the publisher
I loved the themes of exploring diaspora, the American dream, reinventing oneself to fit in, processing trauma and how that affects us.
There’s this paragraph towards the end of the book talking about how people only like him for the persona he invented to survive. “… and that I couldn’t keep doing him anymore, but that everyone missed that guy and hated me for not being able to maintain him, to keep him conjured up…” and this totally wrecked me
I loved the themes of exploring diaspora, the American dream, reinventing oneself to fit in, processing trauma and how that affects us.
There’s this paragraph towards the end of the book talking about how people only like him for the persona he invented to survive. “… and that I couldn’t keep doing him anymore, but that everyone missed that guy and hated me for not being able to maintain him, to keep him conjured up…” and this totally wrecked me
Gifted by the publisher.
7th Century BC. Nineveh, on the Banks of the Tigris River. The erudite but ruthless King Ashurbanipal collects literature far and wide to showcase in his library.
1840. London. Arthur is born on the banks of the sewage-filled River Thames to absent parents. His only chance of escaping is his brilliant mind.
2014. Turkey. Narin, a ten-year-old Yazidi girl, and her grandma travel to Iraq for her baptism as political instability rises.
2018. London. Newly divorced hydrologist Zaleekah moves into a houseboat on the Thames to find meaning in her life.
Sometimes you read a book and everything is precisely your taste. The writing is captivating, the plot is fascinating, and the characters are realistic. While there is pain, you finish the book feeling hopeful. Yet, with a profound sense of loss because you don't want the story to end. You know you'll never be able to read this book for the first time again. RIVERS is ✨this book✨ for me.
Weaving multiple characters across millennia into an enchanting tale, RIVERS is a captivating story of history, literature, humanity, love, nature, and everything that defines us. Structurally, it reminds me of CLOUD CUCKOO LAND (Anthony Doerr), while the sprawling writing is reminiscent of THE COVENANT OF WATER (Abraham Verghese). These two books are my all-time favorites, and I'm so happy to add RIVERS to this stack!
I admire Shafak's research on various historical and cultural settings, painting vivid pictures of each timeline and the characters' surroundings. Nonetheless, RIVERS always keeps its pace and never reads info-dumpy. At almost 500 pages, the story flows perfectly because of Shafak's engaging storytelling.
I deliberately made this review vague because it's one of those books that one should know as little as possible. Just trust that Shafak will deliver the epic of your lifetime, enjoy this unparalleled story, and feel every emotion alongside the characters. What
7th Century BC. Nineveh, on the Banks of the Tigris River. The erudite but ruthless King Ashurbanipal collects literature far and wide to showcase in his library.
1840. London. Arthur is born on the banks of the sewage-filled River Thames to absent parents. His only chance of escaping is his brilliant mind.
2014. Turkey. Narin, a ten-year-old Yazidi girl, and her grandma travel to Iraq for her baptism as political instability rises.
2018. London. Newly divorced hydrologist Zaleekah moves into a houseboat on the Thames to find meaning in her life.
Sometimes you read a book and everything is precisely your taste. The writing is captivating, the plot is fascinating, and the characters are realistic. While there is pain, you finish the book feeling hopeful. Yet, with a profound sense of loss because you don't want the story to end. You know you'll never be able to read this book for the first time again. RIVERS is ✨this book✨ for me.
Weaving multiple characters across millennia into an enchanting tale, RIVERS is a captivating story of history, literature, humanity, love, nature, and everything that defines us. Structurally, it reminds me of CLOUD CUCKOO LAND (Anthony Doerr), while the sprawling writing is reminiscent of THE COVENANT OF WATER (Abraham Verghese). These two books are my all-time favorites, and I'm so happy to add RIVERS to this stack!
I admire Shafak's research on various historical and cultural settings, painting vivid pictures of each timeline and the characters' surroundings. Nonetheless, RIVERS always keeps its pace and never reads info-dumpy. At almost 500 pages, the story flows perfectly because of Shafak's engaging storytelling.
I deliberately made this review vague because it's one of those books that one should know as little as possible. Just trust that Shafak will deliver the epic of your lifetime, enjoy this unparalleled story, and feel every emotion alongside the characters. What
