Rapid-Fire Reviews From Early 2021

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Synopsis: Shaker Heights is a planned suburb in Cleveland and Elena Richardson is the model resident, who lives to play by the book. When Mia Warren, an eccentric artist moves into the neighbourhood, Elena sees it as a threat to her perfect suburban life. But the Warrens become a part of Elena's life when the Richardson children are unexplainably drawn to Mia and her daughter, Pearl. A custody battle in town puts Elena and Mia on opposing sides of the debate and sets in motion events that will lead to a devastating end.

Review: I had been meaning to read this book ever since the TV series was announced, mostly because I’m one of those snobs who needs to read the book first. However, even though I started reading it multiple times I could never go beyond the first 2 chapters. This was not due to the writing, I actually quite enjoyed Ng’s style and so I may give her first book a try sometime this year, but somehow I didn’t quite gel with the flow of the story itself. 

In 2021 I have decided to give the books that I started and didn’t finish another go and the first book that I picked up as part of this project was this one. I pushed through the first 2 chapters and after that it was quite a pleasant read, if not slightly mediocre. The book is often described as a literary thriller and is told in multiple timelines. I ended up enjoying some timelines more than others, particularly the section that described Mia’s past. The main plot, concerning the Richardson and Wright teens, however fell a little flat. I was not invested in it and some of the actions of the younger characters annoyed me. I also would have liked for the book to have a better resolution. While I generally enjoy books with ambiguous endings this one felt a little incomplete to me. 

Having said that, I did enjoy the McCullough / Chow storyline and the topics that it explored like motherhood, cultural identity and the question of whether parents can possibly raise adoptive children of a different race in a manner that is respectful to their birth culture. The detail in which this part of the story was told reflected what I think are Ng’s own experiences as someone with immigrant parents in America. 

While there were things about the book that I liked, I have a feeling in the long run there’s going to be little about the book that will stick with me. Overall, I thought this was a pleasant read but not a particularly memorable one.

Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets & Advice For Living Your Best Life by Ali Wong

Synopsis: In absurdly funny letters addressed to her daughter, Ali Wong talks about the wisdom she has gained from her lived experiences, even though not all of them were the best decisions at the time. She explores the world of comedy and the unique obstacles women are faced with while trying to make a career, reconnecting with her roots and the ups and downs of her love life, all the while maintaining the filthy humour she is known for.

Review: This was not the best memoir I’ve ever read, but Ali Wong’s filthy humour made it a fun read. Dear Girls is a series of letters Ali has written to her daughters, the ones she was famously pregnant with while shooting her two Netflix specials. She talks about everything from her relationships, marriage, pregnancy, miscarriage, motherhood, stand-up comedy and makes some pretty interesting points about her identity often being narrowed down to only her gender the fact that she is Asian American. 

However, there were parts where I felt her humour was forced, like she was trying to make a point just for the punch line. The first few times the instances didn’t stand out much, but then as I progressed through the book it started happening more often. I ended up enjoying the more serious chapters more. I thought chapters where she talks about her first pregnancy and the consequent miscarriage, her relationship with her parents and siblings, and the work that goes into her marriage were very well-written and the humour there, though not as frequent, really shone. 

I strangely ended up really liking the chapter written by her husband at the end of the book. Overall, I think that Ali Wong wrote Dear Girls for her daughters and as a reader, who is definitely not her daughter, this didn’t mean as much to me and I particularly couldn’t relate to a things that are very specific to an Asian American growing up in America.

An Offer From A Gentleman by Julia Quinn

Synopsis: When Sophie Beckett sneaks into Lady Bridgerton's famed masquerade ball she was expecting only a night of fun and escape from her disdainful stepmother, but then she meets her very own Prince Charming, Benedict Bridgerton. Benedict is enamoured by the beautiful stranger in the mask and he is determined to find her real identity after she makes a quick exit before he can ask her name. Then Benedict meets an alluring woman that grips his heart, divided between these two women without knowing their the same, Benedict makes an offer that puts Sophie in a difficult position.

Review: Ugh! Benedict Bridgerton can jump off a bridge. It hurts more because Benedict is such an interesting character in the show. (Also I hope they go for the Bisexual Energy!) I found the original fairy tale frustrating and this retelling (?) was equally annoying. Sophie deserved better. 

I read this with the hopes of losing myself in the cheesy, gooey world of Victorian romance and instead I found myself grinding my teeth every time the protagonists interacted. Clearly not the fun experience I had been expecting.

I like her other books much better. Also, I surprisingly liked the TV adaptation (maybe that had a lot to do with the cast.. cough.. Regé-Jean Page) even if I liked it just because it was the immersive, forget about the real world and jump into this one filled with floating hearts and attractive people doing steamy things. I look forward to the next season of the show. But this book was so disappointing that I didn't continue reading the rest of the series, which is a shame.

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

Synopsis: When a failed bank robber gatecrashes an apartment open house a regular afternoon turns into a life-or-death situation for the people that had signed up for a peaceful afternoon. These eccentric strangers with clashing personalities have a lifetime of grievances, secrets and passions that start boiling up in the span of the afternoon. Their stories link and cross in unforeseen ways and none of them will be the same at the end of the afternoon.

Review: This would be the name of the book if it was about my life. Jokes aside, this is a heartwarming book about endearing characters, making mistakes and learning from them. The entire story takes place in the span of one afternoon but since it keeps going back and forth in time we get so involved in the lives of all the people stuck in the apartment that at the end of the book letting them go is a difficult task.

One thing that I’ve noticed about Backman’s writing is that he has a way of revealing information at just the right moment so that it has the maximum impact. This book, like the only other book by him that I’ve read (I need to rectify that) A Man Called Ove, has the ability to make you smile and make you sentimental with surprising speed. Also, it’s difficult to create memorable characters when there are so many of them and he manages to do just that.

Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer by Patrick Süskind

Synopsis: Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born in the slums of 18th century France with an amazing sense of smell and the ability to recognise the odour of anything and everything. He learns the ancient art of mixing herbs and flowers from a famous perfumer but he soon starts recreating the scents of objects like brass doorknobs and wood. Jean-Baptiste, however, does not stop there. One day when he catches the scintillating whiff of a scent he cannot get out of his mind, he sets off on the journey to create the most terrifying perfume: the scent of a beautiful young virgin.

Review: What a strange, strange book! I’m pretty sure if the writing and descriptions were not as beautiful as they were I would have placed it right back on my book shelf without a second thought. I don’t think I’ve ever squinted so hard at a book, trying to understand why I was enjoying it. Having said that, this is also probably the first time that a ‘horror’ book made me laugh out loud.

This book is translated from the original German. After a little digging online I found out that a lot of things are lost in translation, which is a shame because the star of this book was Süskind's writing. His way of describing the most mundane things and the most disgusting things is engaging and disturbing, this coming from someone who very rarely enjoys descriptive writing.