Lindsay Wong

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review here and on my blog Samwise Reviews. This book was not for me. Not only could I not relate to the character (I didn't expect to) but I found her incredibly unlikable. I know that was part of the story line, having a selfish, vapid girl go on a trip and experience personal growth, but it was too much. I found Iris to be irritating the whole way through, always thinking about herself, and even when she tried to think about others it wasn't sincere. The other characters didn't appeal to me either, none of them felt realistic or very deep. All of her poor choices were very frustrating and it reminded me a lot of Sophie Kinsella's Shopoholic series. The only redeeming parts of the story for me were all the mentions of food. Fortunately I can use it for the "A Character That Frustrates You" part of my 2020 reading challenge.… (más)

It's well-written, compelling, and convincing. It's also amazing how things can look so different on one level, and yet on the level of mechanics and outcomes completely the same; my Baptist WASP suburban Toronto family had no ice hockey, drug raids, or Chinese Woo-Woo, but there were demons, and a hatred of and opposition to psychology/psychiatry and getting help, and a lot of cruelty, and very similar scars and damage coming out from it. Go figure.

If your parents were less than loving and supportive, be warned: this could be a challenging read.… (más)