Comments (20)

Community comments are the opinions of contributing users. These comments do not represent the opinions of West Vancouver Memorial Library.
What did you think about this title?
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Nov 17, 2023rclane rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A fun read with intelligent humour and a few groaners.
Feb 25, 2023JCLMaryLeeD rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
With only one named character and no chapter breaks, this novel glides along, focusing mostly on the protagonist's major life decisions (her PhD and marriage) in the present, but weaving in her past and her family's emigration from China…
Mar 06, 2022writermala rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
A successful debut novel. Weike Wang's background in science combines well with her writing skill to give us this book whose title itself is a play on words. Wang's entire book is semi serious and she conveys serious messages with tongue…
Oct 17, 2021DrPaul_0 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A funny/sad novel whose wisdom and humor save it from being maudlin. The story illustrates a lot of truths about the difficulty of relationships, family, the immigrant experience, growing up, getting by, graduate school, academia, and the…
Apr 20, 2020
Unfulfilled in her PhD pursuit and unsure of her long term boyfriend’s marriage proposal, our unnamed protagonist finds herself at a serious crossroad. Fortunately for readers, her hyperlogical approach to life’s vicissitudes and social…
Jan 09, 2020
This deeply introspective novel of identity manages to convey intense emotions in spite of its brief narrative style. The author skillfully uses the main character's disconnection and detachment to evoke feeling in the reader. Though it…
May 28, 2019StarGladiator rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
Nonsense statement: "The ancient Chinese were also enthralled with the sky. They attempted to catalog every single star but showed little interest in planets." [Huh?!?! How in creation could the ancient Chinese - - or any other people…
May 18, 2019
3.71
Apr 03, 2019bluehydrangea rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
A slim book with a big impact. I think that’s due to the memorable characters and the way the story is told, with note-like chapters I found similar to diary entries. My sense of time passing was there in the background details. A great…
Jul 23, 2018JessicaGma rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I don't know if I ultimately enjoyed this book, as I felt like you come in right in the middle - you missed the start but get caught up quickly, and you don't necessarily get a happily ever after, but the character grows and learns, so in…
Apr 24, 2018samcmar rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I devoured this book in two sittings. I was just so absorbed in Wang's prose, and I loved the lack of clarity and the brevity of thought provided by the protagonist. She definitely thought some things that I found I could relate to, easily…
Dec 31, 2017Debneo rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Some comments a bit harsh-yes? We are in this confused, insular person. Feeling insignificant results in self-absorbed egotism. Hurting others without an awareness of impacting others. A decent peek into this type of mind. A quick read.…
Dec 27, 2017LPL_PolliK rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
We meet the narrator when she is reaching a crucial junction in her life: can she love chemistry unconditionally and is that enough to finish her PhD? Can she love and marry a good man who loves HER (mostly) unconditionally? Can she be…
Sep 25, 2017mjohnson313 rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
This is one of those books that's written like this. You're in the narrator's head. What they think is what you read. You get an unfiltered glimpse inside their mind. They'll tell you what is going on. It's all rather tedious. I…
Aug 27, 2017
I just can't understand the accolades for this dull, amateurish first novel. The protagonist muses ad nauseum in the first person about her long suffering, slightly boring boyfriend, and there are a plethora of sardonic comments about …
Aug 07, 2017lindab1111 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Funny and poignant book about a twenty something Chinese American learning to navigate career, relationships and family. A quick read. Very enjoyable.
s33meread
Aug 06, 2017s33meread rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
PhD candidates "cracking" under the pressure of academia is not unheard of, but this author has chosen to explore how that disciplined life moves next to human relationships. The story told through the lens of this bright, yet quietly…
Jul 26, 2017KatTheGreat rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Chemistry is told in a non-linear fashion, with pieces of the story doled out in bite size pieces mixed in with collaborating scientific facts. The style of the narration matches the protagonists' state of mind, and the potential breakdown…
Jun 28, 2017laphampeak rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
The story has the pace of a refreshing, brisk walk. The author's background in chemistry shows up as the atoms that hold together the structure of the story with humor in the space between. The narrator, main character, has a childhood…
May 30, 2017
Burnout at PhD level. Funny take on growing up in the pressure cooker. What's it like?