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jo_22's Reviews (399)
Entertaining quick read. A bit of a younger (teen) read— everyone talks about the huge plot twist that is “mind blowing.” I’d say that’s an overstatement but it was surprising and enjoyable to read. The limited / untrustworthy narrator is interesting.
Really good “cabin read” book - realizing my rating scale is a blend of how engaging it is for me to read blended with how much the book makes me think and what I learn. So for those reasons this is no higher than a 3. I breezed through it and it was a really enjoyable psychological thriller.
The part about Laura‘s anxiety meds felt unnecessary and done poorly - not that it was included but felt it was written in a non-empathetic way.
The part about Laura‘s anxiety meds felt unnecessary and done poorly - not that it was included but felt it was written in a non-empathetic way.
4 stars for the audiobook, 3 for the print version. Read this for book club, I started with the print version and had to switch to the audiobook because I had a long drive and it was also tough to focus because of the writing style having no paragraph breaks. I know this is intentional and I don’t want to take away from the author’s work, but I felt I comprehended it much better by listening. Not my favorite genre or writing style but I’m glad I read it.
The novel itself is an amazing work about identity, loyalties, and the messed up conflict that was the Vietnam War. Too many thoughts to put in a review but overall I thought it was eye-opening and achieved the goal of making the reader feel uncomfortable in thinking through history and the complexity of it the war.
It was also funny!! A dark humor that fit surprisingly well amidst the horrors described.
Themes included anti-capitalism, divided loyalties, identity, nihilism yet hope. Really thought-provoking.
The novel itself is an amazing work about identity, loyalties, and the messed up conflict that was the Vietnam War. Too many thoughts to put in a review but overall I thought it was eye-opening and achieved the goal of making the reader feel uncomfortable in thinking through history and the complexity of it the war.
It was also funny!! A dark humor that fit surprisingly well amidst the horrors described.
Themes included anti-capitalism, divided loyalties, identity, nihilism yet hope. Really thought-provoking.
I had been wanting to read this book for a while and am glad I finally did - I’d say this lived up to its popularity,
Ng does a pretty good job tackling multiple dynamics & topics through each character’s development and perspective.
At times I wish it would have gone one layer deeper rather than jumping to a different subplot so quickly.
A lot about class differences, systemic racism & unconscious bias, family, and how we relate to and differ from our parents as we grow older.
Ng does a pretty good job tackling multiple dynamics & topics through each character’s development and perspective.
At times I wish it would have gone one layer deeper rather than jumping to a different subplot so quickly.
A lot about class differences, systemic racism & unconscious bias, family, and how we relate to and differ from our parents as we grow older.
