I enjoyed this. I thought it was a pleasant read. I'm a sucker for romance and I thought this did it well. My only issue perhaps was that there were alot of characters and some weren't as fleshed out as the others. Overall, though that wasn't a problem since the plot was clearly identified and I liked the two main characters.

I mean I finished it so that's a good sign. But it just fell flat for me, I don't remember anything and don't feel motivated enough to carry on with the series. 

FMC: "You're (MMCs) all nicknamed after birds?!" Also, FMC 3 Chps. Late "Kestrel isn't your name?!" I feel as though at times FMC lacked common sense.

I remember nothing.

I liked this, then I loved it.

As a child and grandchild of immigrants, I related to the portrayal of pressure it brings, after all, what are we if not the embodiment of generations of hope for a better life. I thought Li encapsulated it well. I did find some parts repetitive, for example, one of the characters grapples with leaving a prestigious university ALOT throughout the course of the book. I don’t think there’s a chapter of theirs where it isn’t mentioned. It annoyed me at first but then I can understand the need for repetition. It’s expected of or wanted for children of immigrants that you go to a prestigious university, that you get a steady paycheck and you don’t struggle. In a way, the character had walked away from that (explaining this without giving anything away is harder than I thought it would be). The emotion was captured really well in all aspects of the book.

I loved that the main plot was reclaiming a stolen history and okay yes the heist scenes were short but better to be concise and well written than long and useless - this is a compliment btw. Li played to her strengths which was great because this was an ambitious plot to try and fit into one book. Here’s the part I want to talk about but can’t without spoiling.

I loved the way this ended, in that it wasn’t five heists but two because I think had they stolen all five it would have been the same thing as what colonialism and imperialism embodied theft of what does not belong to the west. Instead, having the Museums admit to wrongdoing (not with respect to the Chinese artefacts but to other morally shady stuff and outright return the statutes to China was much more rewarding.

One thing I was unsure about was pacing. I was happy with the start like ‘yep great straight into things’ but then we weren't straight into things. So definitely slow to start. But then after page 105, the heisting began and then it sped up - fast, almost too fast? And yet, Li was able to wrap up the book quite nicely. I didn't mind the overall pacing, in the end, I found myself satisfied with the conclusion. Also some stuff was overly repetitive to the point you can't really ignore it, and it got on my nevers because it felt like I had just read the same paragraph twice.

Here’s a short list of things I enjoyed: Character background was done well. I normally don’t like multiple POVs and yet I loved them in this. I loved knowing what each member of the ‘crew’ were thinking. Also, queer romance which is lovely to see. I did not like Irene and then I really liked Irene by the end of it. 

Congrats to Grace D. Li for one hell of a debut. I had hyped this up in my head and I’m glad I did.

So this book is a Romeo and Juliet retelling mixed with Chinese mythology in the form of Houyi and Chang'e.

Overall, I liked it.

It kept true to Romeo and Juliet and the story of Houyi and Chang'e was incorporated well. The main characters and the younger brother stood out as solid individual characters. The rivalry much like in Romeo and Juliet was based on something trivial which I have heard mixed reviews on. But I liked that the rivalry was trivial because it made sense that the two families who had such great aspirations for their children were the cause for thier ending. The magic wasn't in your face it was more 'good witch' magic that sort of comes and goes without cause.

I think if I had any issue it would be multiple POVs as I questioned how they aided in furthering the story. But were necessary because you as a reader find out the reason for rivalry through one of these and the main characters never do. Which I think was perfect to really enforce the Romeo and Juliet retelling which is young lovers paying the price for their families' mistakes.

I think some other things I noted throughout reading was: 1) the FMC has her period so yay! I think through the entirety of the four twilight books Bella never had her period so it was nice to read a realistic depiction of someone getting their period. 2) I did not like the parents, any of the parents which was great I thought Emily X.R Pan did a great job of showing the 

  hypocrisy of parents that want the world for you but only want it for themselves.

I'm not sure what I was thinking going into this. Of course, I had heard about the Bell Jar before and I was aware of Sylvia Plath but it was different. I kept picking it up and putting it down, I started it properly last night and finished it this evening. Part of me wanted to know but the other part would've been just as happy putting this book back on my shelf and never coming back.

I didn't like Esther at all and yet I could see myself in some parts of her. The girl, the adult unsure about her future and of the different paths it could've gone and yet I didn't predict the path it took. Perhaps that's a good thing.

 

I really have to start checking if books are a series before starting them. 

  Why do I feel like the author initially thought this was gonna standalone then in the last 20 pages decided... plot twist. It felt rushed at the end and I was so annoyed. I'm not reading the next book. So annoyed this was book 100.

It didn't give what it thought it was giving, but what it gave was got.

I don't know. Took me way too long to get into it and 49 pages to realise I wasn't going to.

Also realised I don't like flashbacks.

I remember nothing after finishing this.