https://www.burtonbookreview.com/2019/06/searching-for-sylvie-lee-by-jean-kwok.html

A tense family drama/mystery with a twist that will stay with the reader long after the book is closed.

3.5 Read like a mystery. Multiple view points/ characters tell this story. I feel like lately all the books I’m reading have the theme “what secrets do to our lives”.

I thought this was horribly written. The author just jammed odd Chinese sayings in whenever she could whether they were poignant or not. I had to force myself to finish for book club. Otherwise, I would have happily abandoned this novel. What a disappointment!

We pick it b/c the author was a Ragdale resident and the book a "One book, one LF" choice - terrible

I really didn’t enjoy this but wanted to get to the plot twist at the end

“Kwok attempts to reflect the languages her characters speak – Chinese, English, Dutch – being fluent herself in all three. Searching for Sylvie Lee is enriched with proverbs and phrases, from the sublime – a mother referred to as “my heart stem” – to the ridiculous – “a floppy dick in rosewater”. These add an unusual flavour but can also jolt the reader. And what I assume is an attempt to translate some Dutch has a fatally stiffening impact on the dialogue: “Has all hope sailed?” and “goes it all right?” do not sound like they come from the mouths of globetrotting thirtysomethings.”

Having the narration split between the two sisters was an excellent choice. It was difficult for me to put this book down until I knew what had happened.

Wow.... Searching for Sylvie Lee has left me speechless. It was a random read I picked up while waiting for other books to become available and I truly had no idea what I was in for. I'm still struggling to put my love for this novel into words.

Sylvie Lee has gone missing. After spending the past month in the Netherlands to visit her dying Grandmother, the responsible and brilliant eldest child of a Chinese immigrant family has disappeared without a trace. As her younger sister Amy tries to track her down in their home of NYC, she quickly learns that Sylvie's life was far different than her or her family believed. With the image of her beloved, perfect sister thrown into question, Amy fights against her apprehension and books her own flight to the Netherlands. About to be faced with family she's never met in a country she's never been, Amy clings to the hope that somehow she can bring her sister home.

What first hooked me about Searching for Sylvie Lee was not the mystery but the poignant and stunning prose by Jean Kwok. Written with three alternating languages throughout (Chinese, English, Dutch), Kwok switches seamlessly between them while still giving each its own personal sound. While the native colloquialisms often went over my head, it definitely added to the authenticity and helped decipher when someone was speaking in a specific tongue. On top of that, the chapters also alternate between different narratives, those of Sylvie, Amy, and their mother Ma. I always love varying perspectives, but in Sylvie Lee it was especially powerful in portraying the unseen havoc of inner criticisms and the warped ways we see ourselves and others. As a family drama, the suspense in this novel slowly built up over time, focusing more heavily on the characters than their actions. The mystery was always present, but it was in no rush to unravel itself. On the contrary to feeling strung out however, I found myself completely absorbed with every progression.

It was hard not to be struck by the pure honesty of Sylvie Lee as Kwok takes on some painful and complex themes - of depression, of the desperate need to be accepted (especially as an immigrant), of the messy relationships within families, and the struggle to reconcile who we are vs how we want to be seen. There were secrets and lies and heartbreak, but what made Sylvie Lee so moving was the hope that Kwok reminds us is always there. The chance to find balance and love and a way to shoulder the many burdens life gives us.

Spoiler

The only thing that didn't sit well with me in this novel was the relationship between Sylvie and Lukas. Maybe it was just me, but I could not get past the unequivocal cousin love. Even when I saw it coming from early on in the story, it kept me cringing until the very end.

I could spend hours pouring praise into this review about Searching for Sylvie Lee but nothing I say can really do it justice. Just read it.

3.5/5 i really like the story up until the end. sylvie’s story overshadowed amy’s. story felt too rushed at the end. amy’s self growth felt too forced. the big twist was pretty obvious.