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Emily X. R. Pan

Författare till The Astonishing Color of After

4+ verk 1,467 medlemmar 38 recensioner

Verk av Emily X. R. Pan

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female
Nationalitet
USA

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I read the whole thing in a Saturday afternoon, it was very different from what I normally read and I enjoyed that it wasn't predictable at all. I liked how normal and real the characters were, and the emotions and hardships they experienced.
 
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Linyarai | 34 andra recensioner | Mar 6, 2024 |
I would give this book four and a half stars. Exquisite writing, and an excellent look at depression and suicide. Oddly, though, the main character, Leigh Sanders, was not entirely clearly formed, in my opinion. While some of that fuzziness was due to her sleep deprivation, guilt, and grief, I sometimes felt more like I was in the middle of someone’s bad acid trip. Terrific debut work and I will definitely look forward to more work from Ms. Pan.
 
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bschweiger | 34 andra recensioner | Feb 4, 2024 |
So…this wasn’t what I was expecting. From the blurb alone I was expecting a forbidden romance story between two teenagers. I got a lot more than that, some good, and some not-as-good.

I’m loving the Chang’e Houyi retellings, as this was a myth that captivated me since I was a kid. This book was a retelling of this myth, not so much Romeo & Juliet, as advertised, with the the feuding families the only similar aspect (which isn’t mentioned much, ironically). I loved the author’s writing. Just gorgeous prose. Short chapters made for a quick read. The ending was fitting, as well. I also found a lot to relate to in this book, down to the Mandarin words, the food, the mythology aspects, the celebrations, and even the overly strict parents. It was definitely light on plot, but I enjoy character-driven stories as long as it’s done well.

I didn’t quite love the massive amount of POVs, because in the end I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters. I especially don’t think the parents’ POVs were necessary, and felt that it didn’t add much since this is very much Hunter and Luna’s story. However, I could make an argument that Cody’s POV does add to the story. The villain wasn’t very…villainous? He didn’t feel like a threat at all, even though he was built up to be one. I’m not even sure what the point of having him in the story was. The characters all seemed very one-dimensional, and it may be because we didn’t get to spend much time with any one of them. I never felt that danger of Hunter and Luna possibly being torn apart, or having to fight for their love, but I also never felt that chemistry between them that I so desperately wanted to.

Overall, it was an okay read for me.
… (mer)
 
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galian84 | 2 andra recensioner | Dec 1, 2023 |
Contemporary fiction with mystical components about a teenage girl struggling in the aftermath of her mother’s suicide. Protagonist Leigh Chen Sanders is visited by an unusual bird that she believes to be her mother or her mother’s spirit. The bird plays a role in Leigh and her father traveling to Taipei to visit her maternal grandparents, whom she has never met since her mother had been estranged from her parents for two decades. The novel delves into some weighty topics such as suicide, depression, guilt, dysfunctional family relationships, and identity.

Though set in Taipei, the structure involves flashbacks, multiple timelines, and recall of memories. This is a tricky structure, and the author pulls it off admirably. The characters are believable, flawed but likeable, and well-developed. This book is written in a fluid and lyrical style. I particularly liked the author’s descriptions of the sights, sounds, customs, spirituality, and food of Taiwan. It imparted a strong sense of the Taiwanese culture, which is an important part of Leigh’s search for identity.

This is the third book I’ve read this year that employs synesthesia (not sure if this is a trend or coincidence), in this case seeing colors when other senses are stimulated. I felt the author used these colors in combination with elements of the supernatural in order to diffuse the intensity of the subject matter. To me, this book is a representation of Leigh’s personal journey toward acceptance. Metaphors are plentiful and it requires the suspension of disbelief in order to fully appreciate it. I wish it had not included the teen friend/more than friend relationship with Axel, as I felt it detracted from the more substantive material.

Overall, this book shows how family relationships, art, and love can aid healing. I found it a compassionate exploration of grief and recommend it, although not immediately after experiencing a loss.
… (mer)
 
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Castlelass | 34 andra recensioner | Oct 30, 2022 |

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Statistik

Verk
4
Även av
1
Medlemmar
1,467
Popularitet
#17,514
Betyg
4.0
Recensioner
38
ISBN
40
Språk
3

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