Normally I wait longer than a year to reread a book, but since it was the group book for 2020 Asian readathon and I had recently watched the TV adaptation, the timing seemed right.

And I'm glad that I revisited this one. The miniseries is a fantastic complement to the book: expanding character backstories and social themes by adding new scenes, revising details (some significant, some major), and of course just presenting everything in a different medium. Each has its advantages, and I would strongly recommend both.

Most of my original review (below) still holds pretty true; my only major edit would be that the POV switches were easier to take in stride this time around, knowing what happens and thus the significance of each. The ending still brings a perfect level of closure without cutting off the arcs of the characters' lives, so that they leave an impression as fleshed-out individuals.

content warnings: 

white privilege bordering on racism, microaggressions, elitism/classism, underage drinking, underage (consensual) sex, abortion, miscarriages, mention of past cancer death, mention of recreational hunting

rep: 

Chinese immigrant secondary & minor character (from Canton and Hong Kong, respectively)

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CONVERSION: 12.4 / 15 = 4.5 stars

Prose: 8 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 9 / 10
Emotional Impact: 9 / 10
Development / Flow: 7 / 10
Setting: 8 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Rereadability: 5 / 5
Memorability: 4 / 5

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[2019 review - 4 stars]

This had its ups and downs, but I connected with almost all the characters very quickly so I was invested all the way through. The constant POV changes were a little disorienting, but once we start getting into flashbacks and longer scenes it levels out.

Partway through, I was reminded that it's been quite a while since I last read a novel about contemporary high school - the requisite red-Solo-cups and grinding/humping-as-dancing loud parties, fixation on virginity and sex, and awful principal and teachers - and honestly I don't miss it. As a college student I know now that most high school experiences don't look anything like that (my own, as a color guard/marching band geek and generally antisocial person, was about as far as it gets), and since I have that experience I no longer see the appeal in that stereotypical HS narrative. And yet I barely rolled my eyes at the peaks of the romance subplots: somehow, Ng made them compelling. (Also, I know this is a 2017 release but I think a lot of YA contemporaries are starting to move away from that specific characterization of high school - or at least I'm learning how to avoid them - which is great.)

My biggest gripe might just be that the ending simultaneously felt complete and left me wanting more, which is of course not at all a bad thing. Basically, this was one of those books where I couldn't explain why I loved it as much as I did - I just did.

Oh right, this is why I like to wait until a series is finished before I start it: because I really, really, really need to know what happens next. This was a heck of a page-turner.

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CONVERSION: 13.3 / 15 = 4.5 stars

Prose: 9 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 9 / 10
Emotional Impact: 8 / 10
Development / Flow: 9 / 10
Setting: 10 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Memorability: 5 / 5

The premise is fascinating — essentially immortals but not actually; a search not for a long-lost love but a long-lost daughter — delightfully spinning several tropes to keept it fresh and exciting. The writing is well done, the characters and settings vivid and memorable. Of course it gets a little philosophical, considering the themes of time and humanity and living vs surviving, but the narrator manages to keep to a reasonably pragmatic view of his life.

Was going to be 4.5 stars; -.25 for the climax and ending, which I felt veered sharply into cliche-land. 

The writing drew me in almost immediately; as the story went on some awkward phrasing (minor grammatical issues, which I couldn’t help but notice because I’m super pedantic: most noteworthy, the use of “castes” to denote both societal standings and the people belonging to them, ie, “Paper castes” to refer to a group of humans, which I don’t think is correct but I’m hardly an expert) began to show, but it still had plenty of lyrical moments. 

The mix of Asian inspiration is unlike anything I’ve seen before — saris, cheongsams, and ruquns; castes, honorifics, place and character names; origami, etc — and I think it works really well to convey a universality of experience (as mentioned in the acknowledgements) as well as serving as a uniquely vivid setting that manages to be exciting without exoticizing/mysticizing its cultural origins. My only issue was when characters would drop a really profound-sounding statement and contextualize it as “a famous/ancient saying”; it felt a little excessive and reminded me of the “Confucius say” meme. 

The characters are all distinct, memorable, and complex; the majority are sympathetic, which I liked — everyone’s the hero(ine) of their own story, and everyone has more going on than you may realize. Sometimes Lei does really stupid and/or naive things, but for the most part her empathy and open mind redeem her for having been somewhat sheltered (apart from the one trauamtic part of her backstory). The romance didn’t come out of nowhere, but it developed in leaps and bounds, which isn’t something I’ve seen a lot in YA but can personally relate to, and which seems to fit with their situation. I thought it was interesting that 

Lei goes almost immediately from “I’ve never seen a pair of female lovers” to “I love Wren, this can’t be wrong except for the fact that we’re Paper Girls”, but it doesn’t always have to be an angsty self-searching transition and the alternative probably would’ve just been annoying

. 

The premise actually reminds me a little bit of a story I was writing years ago, though one might argue the setting and characters make the novel what it is. Either way, I really enjoyed exploring this world and meeting its inhabitants. (Still, I’ve been more into standalones lately, so I’m not positive I’ll pick up the sequel if there is one — the epilogue seems to have been setting it up and it’s listed as the first in a series, but it’ll depend on what approach future books decide to take.)

Shit, this is chilling stuff. And I honestly don't think I would've had the guts to pick this up if I hadn't known that that they did catch him, unfortunately after the author's death and the publication of this book.

McNamara really is a fantastic writer; even without the behind-the-scenes peek / commentary from her editor and other collaborators it's clear just how much research and careful thought and pure emotional investment went into her work. Honestly, I don't have a ton to say about this book because I think it speaks for itself.

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CONVERSION: 13.25 / 15 = 4.5 stars

Prose: 9 / 10
Intellectual Engagement: 8 / 10
Credibility: 10 / 10
Organization / Structure: 8 / 10

Emotional Impact / Interest: 5 / 5
Rereadability: N/A
Memorability: 4 / 5

This definitely deserves its status as one of the most hyped 2019 releases, because it’s pretty freaking incredible. RTC.

content warnings: 

racism, colorism, microaggressions, precanon loss of parent, threatened & mentioned & on-page physical & gun violence, past addiction, on-page security-guard brutality, victim blaming, underage drinking, infidelity

 
rep: 

Black MCs, gay best friend, socioeconomic, WLW & F/F, minor M/M

 
-----------
CONVERSION: 12.65 / 15 = 4.5 stars

Prose: 9 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 8 / 10
Emotional Impact: 8 / 10
Development / Flow: 9 / 10
Setting: 8 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 5 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: N/A
Rereadability: 4 / 5
Memorability: 4 / 5

I crashed Jayati and Charvi’s buddy read 😜 And they were very gracious about it.

Maybe 4.5 stars?

So here's the thing. "Like," "love," or "enjoy" are not good words for my reaction to reading this; though it strongly appeals to the cynical, misanthropic, more-than-a-little-pretentious sixteen-year-old part of myself, I could not in good conscience recommend it to that same sixteen-year-old, who was not in a good headspace (or to sixteen-year-olds in general, but I'm not your mom, read what you think you can handle). That said, it's unique and unapologetic — you know what, I'm just going to say it: this book is edgy.

I would definitely consider this NA rather than YA, not just because the protagonists are college-aged but also because it deals with a number of dark themes [content warnings below for those who want/need them] and it's incredibly messy in the most realistic way. It's about two new adults (Penny is 18, Sam 21) who had to grow up too fast yet haven't figured out how to interact with human people. Some scenes — most notably Penny's writing and certain developments in their relationship — are a little reminiscent of Fangirl, though that could just be because I haven't read a ton of NA-aged protagonists.

The characters are all extremely vivid, though I don't consider them especially complex; each of them has individual neuroses and backstory. I identified with some really oddly specific quirks, like how Penny tells stories all out of order and asks questions that are seemingly unrelated to the current conversation — my mom doesn't call it "speaking Isabelle," but she has called it out. (A lot.) At the same time, Penny and Sam are both super judgmental and honestly fairly pretentious, and they're not really likable people or the kind of characters that I want to relate to.

So seriously, I don't know how I feel about this book.

content warnings: 

slut-shaming, bullying, ableist language, toxic relationships, possibly codependent relationship, unwanted/unintentional pregnancy & discussion of abortion, mentioned miscarriage, mentioned rape, underage drinking, mentioned drug use, mentioned alcohol abuse, mentioned child neglect, on-page panic attack

rep: 

Korean-American narrator; single mothers

 

So originally I gave this book just 3.5 stars, but upon rereading (just two months later, and in preparation to start the sequel) I found myself totally blown away by the balanced worldbuilding and complex characters. There are enough details that you know Milan put a lot of work into creating the rules of this universe (also some humor, such as heavy metal being their idea of "classical" music and references to the archaic notetaking form known as pencil and paper); at the same time, no extended infodumps or tangents interrupt the flow of the story.

And the characters definitely grow on you if you aren't immediately won over: despite being slightly put off by some of their earlier ... antisocial attitudes, shall we say, I found myself highly invested in their personal development over the course of the story. I think upon first reading I found Ia's arrogance particularly irritating, but this time around I noticed the shifts in her perception of others, as well as precious moments of vulnerability, and she just seemed more believably (teenage) human and thus more likable to me.

Fair warning: the POV tradeoffs between Ia, Brinn, and Knives probably won't work for every reader, especially since the chapters seem to be relatively short. Personally I liked getting to see multiple angles of the circumstances, different character backgrounds and motives, and how it helped balance action with contemplation (i.e., external with internal conflict). Also, since Knives is a 19-year-old flight master / Commonwealth officer, his POV incorporates some more mature themes and considerations so I've also shelved this book as NA.

Even knowing what was coming next — which was not actually much of a change from the first read, since there's plenty of buildup to each twist and/or reveal — didn't spoil my enjoyment of the story. Each development is satisfying when it arrives, and is allowed to land before the action moves on; the emotional impact is not at all diminished by a lack of surprise / shock factor. It is a bit tropey in certain scenes, but again, it really wasn't a dealbreaker for me.

The ending is pretty solid as well, bringing closure to some arcs while leaving others open for the sequel — which I was definitely eager to get right into.

content warnings: 

blood, violence, genocide, torture (induced heart trauma / arrhythmia), interspecies discrimination & prejudice (anti-refugee rhetoric)

 

I was predisposed to love this because the premise is so freaking awesome: modern gender-bent Cyrano de Bergerac, be still my English-nerd heart! And turns out, this wasn’t what I was expecting — it was more.

[full review to come]

content warnings: 

slut-shaming, bullying, sexual harassment

rep: 

half-Argentinian (American) love interest, single mom (best friend's)

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CONVERSION: 12.6 / 15 = 4.5 stars

Prose: 8 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 9 / 10
Emotional Impact: 10 / 10
Development / Flow: 9 / 10
Setting: 7 / 10

Intellectual Engagement: 3 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 5 / 5
Rereadability: 4 / 5
Memorability: 4 / 5

------
[pre-review]

Hi Cyrano de Bergerac is one of my absolute favorite books I have ever read for class and I love gender-bent retellings, so of course I need this in my life.