krystalicia_'s reviews
185 reviews

The House of Little Sisters by Eva Wong Nava

Go to review page

adventurous challenging informative inspiring mysterious reflective fast-paced

4.25

Let me start off by saying I adored this book. I picked it up because the cover caught my attention but stuck around for the story thick in historical and mythological context. Prior to reading this, I had never read about life in Singapore or Malayasia, let alone read about the lives of mui tsai in the 1931. It was an eye opening dive into classism, hierarchy, and racism in Asia.

There was a lot that I loved about this book, the first being our protagonist Lin Mei Mei (or Ah Mei). It was an experience to witness this story through her eyes from being ripped from her family into the life of a mui tsai and uncovering the dark secrets of the Lee household and eventually being part of the reason the women in the Lee household were given rights. I absolutely loved her love story with Hassan and how the author discussed the taboo of their intercultural romance without ever making them question their devotion to one another. I also loved Percy, the heir to the Lee family, using his power and privilege for good and advocating for mui tsai rights. Very rarely do I root for the rich man, but Percy is alright I’m my book. 

_______

Thank you to Love Books Tours, Eva Wong Nava, and Penguin Random House for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review and a friendly reminder that this is an #AllAsianCast because #RepresentationMatters
The Community by Heidi Visser

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No
When I first got back into reading during college, dystopian books ruled my life so when I saw a new adult version came out, I had to give it a go to see if it could reignite the love. As someone who doesn’t read SFF at all anymore, it was cool to see the world building centered around such devastation. I appreciate the commentary on environmentalism, classism, sexism, as well as a conversation on body autonomy and how these factors impact you based on your social class and status. Frankie was probably my favorite character. Truly love seeing someone use her their power and privilege to overthrow the patriarchy to protect their friends. All in all an interesting read, and while SFF may not be for me, this could be the perfect one for you!

Thank you to Heidi Visser, Love Book Tours, and Cayelle Publishing for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!
I'm Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya

Go to review page

reflective slow-paced

4.0

Short memoir and packs a punch. Vivek Shraya, a transwoman discusses the everyday instances that lead to her fearing men, dating back to when she was a child living life as a boy into her adulthood and living as a woman and how the fear doesn’t really leave, just looks a little different. 
A few things that really stuck with me and I’ve been reflecting on a lot were:
  1. What it meant to be masculine when she was living as a boy, both closeted and as part of the gay community (when she did begin to opening identify as a gay man before coming out as a transwoman)
  2. The Internalized and repressed misogyny ingrained in women that can make them act like they need to defend men
Over all a really interesting insight I her life, but more over a good piece of literature to make you stop and think about gender norms, roles, and some of the implied violence that people continue to perpetuate in their communities. Still much to think about.
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo

Go to review page

funny informative reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

5.0

The women of this family are absolutely everything and deserve the best. This was such an interesting character study/commentary on women’s (in particular mother’s) social issues in Korea. I loved that throughout the story, we got these really eye opening and disheartening statistics that show just how disadvantaged Korean girls and women are at each phase of their life and how society and the law basically just say “numbers are still terrible but at least we’re doing better!!!”
Some of my favorite parts were:
-every time Jiyoung’s mother shut down her husband’s misogyny 
-every time Jiyoung’s sister essentially said she wasn’t going to let the patriarchy/misogyny run her life
-every time a man was talking about how much they support women just to turn around and spew misogyny about the same topic, but at a different person (that last chapter? A masterpiece)
Me and My Shadow by Deborah Stone

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

There is not a single character in this story that I enjoyed, but that’s really the point, isn’t it? We follow Rachel as she deals with life feeling like the black sheep of her family from childhood well into adulthood. The way she recalls her life, you would assume that her younger sister, Catherine, is a literal demon, but I think what I really enjoyed about the way the story was being told is that you could tell that Rachel wasn’t telling the whole story. Like you definitely have to suspend belief while reading this because once you hit the middle of this book, you’re kind of like “there’s no way that this is as it seems”. 

All that to say, this book touches on some really delicate topics like stalking, relationship abuse, rape, bipolar disorder, BPD, and as someone who has experience with these disorders, I cannot say how accurately they were portrayed. From what I have seen, Rachel’s reactions to the abuse she deals with (TW: physical and sexual abuse) does come off as authentic; it’s not pretty, it’s not wrapped up in a pretty bow, and you can see the lasting impact it had on her, especially since she never fully unpacked it. 

All in all, I love me a psychological thriller and truly recommend this one!

________

Thank you to Love Books Tours and Deborah Stone for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!
For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts: A Love Letter to Women of Color by Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez

Go to review page

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

I was emotional from the Author’s Note alone. Where does that happen? First off, this is a book I’d recommend to every Latina out there, whether your family has been in the US for years or if you’ve been here for less than 24 hours. This book gave me the language to legitimize my experiences growing up and helped quell the anxiety I always had about being different or disrespected. After every chapter, I would debrief with my partner about 1) how amazing the chapter was; but also 2) discussing how the contents of that chapter had impacted my life on ways I didn’t understand.
Aside from the deep personal connection I felt, this is an amazing book for new readers or even those who typically shy away from non-fiction because the author just made it so damn accessible. She made this book digestible and easy to understand for everyone and that in itself is love, especially considering who the target audience is.
Today, some of personal favorite chapters of mine are Voluntourism, Colorism, Myth of Meritocracy, and White Fragility (but I’m sure this will change with my mood.) I think the first two hit me especially hard because there’s a focus on Indigeneity that I haven’t seen in literature before and it’s honestly beautiful.
Black Girls Must Die Exhausted by Jayne Allen

Go to review page

emotional funny inspiring reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Do y’all know how rare it is to read about infertility in fiction? Do y’all know how rare it is to read about infertility in women of color??? I picked this book up because it’s gorgeous, and read it immediately when I learned that it follows a successful Black woman who’s life gets thrown for a bit of a loop when she finds out she had six months to either use her eggs, freeze them, or lose them for good at the age of 33. It felt cathartic reading her story, managing a demanding job, an extremely complex family, and relationships, both platonically and romantically. It’s easy to see yourself in Tabitha and that’s both beautiful and heartbreaking because you can relate to the demands and pressure being put on her without a moment for rest and reset. Did I absolutely agree with the way she handled the conflicts that popped up for her? No, but I also recognize people need to protect their peace, and I loved that that’s what it always came back to.
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

Go to review page

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballantine Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy of this book in return for an honest review!

I have a lot of feelings. I struggled through the first third of the book because there were just so many characters with the perspective constantly changing, not only between characters, but also in year and location. I caught myself having to go back and forth between chapters just to make sure I didn’t get stories confused, though once you have a handle on who everyone is, the story that unfolds drags you into a tsunami of emotion (the water reference is absolutely on purpose and absolutely necessary). 

While this book explores numerous topics (family issues, resentment, motherhood, racism, environmentalism, climate change, etc.), the topics that really gripped me were interracial relationships in the Caribbean, specifically between a Chinese immigrant in Lin and a Black local in Mathilda, who goes on to leave her family with no explanation; as well as child abandonment, and sexuality from a cultural lens. While I don’t want to delve in too deeply and get into spoiler territory, I appreciate the detail and care the author put into exploring these specific topics and showcasing a reality that has more than likely played out given the history between Chinese immigrants and the island of Jamaica, which is what this non-disclosed island is modeled after. 

I appreciate the complexity of Benny’s character and how steadfast she is in defending her passions and bisexuality, never allowing her family, friends, or partners to sway her identity and beliefs, regardless of the abuse she endures due to their biphobia and rigid beliefs. 

I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Eleanor’s life and gaining insight on her childhood all the way up to what she was experiencing as an elder and how it was captured in three distinct sections and lives. This was definitely a story that benefitted from the multiple perspectives since you were able to see how each person played a major role in her life.
Stalker Stalked by Lee Matthew Goldberg

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book on return for an honest review!
What a wild ride reading this book was. This book follows Lexi through a string of failed relationships, addiction, and a very strange run in with her most prized obsession, reality TV. From the very beginning, you’re gripped by the story because the entire time you don’t know what was reality, “reality”, or just a straight up hallucination brought upon her intense self-medicating. The book took turns that we’re impossible to expect and ended up exactly the opposite of what I ever thought was going to happen.
If you are really into likable characters, this book isn’t for you. It almost seems like Lexi does everything in her power to be unlikable and whether it’s her internal monologue or her actual interactions, it’s hard to root for her. Her only saving grace is that it’s evident she needs help so you keep flipping the pages to see if it ever happens.
The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It made me cry and I’m not mad about it. Was it seeing this little family make reading a regular bonding activity? Was it Tien struggling to tell his mom about his sexuality? Was it feeling the pain his mom experienced being separated from her family after she left Vietnam? Was it the perfect culmination of all three?
This story follows the stories of past, present, and fairytale which are represented by three different colors palettes and are parallels of the themes running across all the stories. While the fairytale retelling a we’re beautifully done, the interactions between mother and son were my favorite parts. The love was palpable through the pages even though you could see they were both struggling with their personal issues on their own. All in all, great book to read with your teens (especially if you’re from a family of immigrants coming into a Western culture), great to read on your own, great to just read. Just make sure you have some tissues prepared 🥺