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kappafrog's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I was very gripped by this book in the first half. The second half I started to lose interest somewhat, partially due to some bad triggers (I wish there was an option on StoryGraph for voyeurism/sexual surveillance, which is an important part of this novel and is hard to cover by the existing content warning list). I found some of Donita's actions a little hard to believe when it came to snooping around the Hongs' house. The ending was a little anticlimactic too when it came to the murder case - I wish we'd seen some more of how that all went in the end.
I first learned about Singapore's underclass of migrant workers at an ethnomusicology conference that discussed how important Sunday music-making was to those communities since it was a rare opportunity for freedom. This book really gave a strong sense of that, showing the multilayered community the women were part of in Singapore. A far cry from the undergraduate I once knew, fresh from Singapore, who confidently told me there are no poor people in Singapore!! I appreciated the investigation into queer angles in this book as well.
The book had so many heavy themes that I didn't find the second half enjoyable at all - I just wanted to see what happened. That's why my rating isn't as high as it could be. However, I recommend this book for its searing insights into an often-overlooked and mistreated population that has many rich stories to tell.
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Racism, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Medical content, Dementia, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Murder, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
Minor: Body shaming, Cancer, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Blood, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
jordynkw's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, and Murder
sarah984's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Grief, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Deadnaming, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Sexual content, Transphobia, Vomit, Islamophobia, Medical content, Abortion, and Deportation
crystalisreading's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Mental illness, Transphobia, Abortion, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Deportation
litletters's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Gun violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Classism, and Deportation
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, and Homophobia
Minor: Abortion
chailady's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, and Police brutality
thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Confinement, Racism, Xenophobia, and Classism
Moderate: Gun violence, Homophobia, Transphobia, Police brutality, and Murder
Minor: Sexual assault, Slavery, and Medical content
mysterymom40's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Bullying, Grief, and Classism
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Murder, and Gaslighting
Minor: Infidelity
sleepybears4237's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Murder
Moderate: Physical abuse, Slavery, and Police brutality
ninjamuse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Xenophobia, and Classism
Moderate: Deadnaming, Death, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Mental illness, Abortion, Murder, and Deportation