The Leftover Woman

I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and William Morrow publishing for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The book is a captivating and emotionally charged narrative that held my attention for a few days, leaving me with a need to collect my thoughts. Apologies for the slight delay in sharing my reflections. ‘The Leftover Woman' follows the journey of Jasmine, a young Chinese woman who escapes to America to find her daughter, given up for adoption by her authoritarian husband to an American couple in New York. Facing the constraints of China's one-child policy, Jasmine's husband's actions are driven by his desire for a son to carry on his family name. The story unfolds through the dual perspectives of Jasmine and Rebecca, the American woman who adopted Jasmine's daughter.

The narrative subtly delves into the complexities of cross-racial adoption, skillfully highlighting the social and personal challenges associated with such arrangements.

Once I delved into the book, it gripped me, although it didn't precisely fit into the thriller or mystery genre due to its somewhat predictable plot and lack of intense suspense. Rather, it unfolds as a slow-burning tale with a strong focus on character development, falling more under the category of literary fiction with elements of suspense.

While the overall writing was compelling, I found some of the dialogues, particularly those between Rebecca and her husband, to be a bit awkward and forced. However, this minor issue didn't significantly diminish my overall reading experience. The book remains a commendable effort by the author, delivering a poignant and impactful narrative. Notably, the conclusion was exceptionally satisfying, eliciting a response akin to an enthusiastic round of applause from me.

2.2/5ੈ ✩‧₊˚

DNF @ 55%

I must just be choosing all the wrong reads for me.

This really disappointed me. I wanted to love this so much - I loved the premise. I used to read the Chinese Cinderella series when I was younger and I loved how rich the culture was, and discovering everything that came along with that.

The main issue for me was the pacing. Without spoiling - the blurb tells you that Rebecca and Jasmine's stories intertwine, but they don't show you how, at least not yet. I felt no urgency on how Jasmine was going to get Fifi back, or if Wren was going to find Jasmine.

I felt like they spent way too long on the world building and I'm really sorry but I just got bored and didn't want to finish it, and was not looking forward to what was happening next. It's 2024 - if I don't want to read a book, I'm going to DNF it ):

Things I loved surrounded the underlying themes, with Rebecca's struggle of being a mother of a mixed baby. That reminds me of my own mother, and that was the most interesting part of the book to me.

I just think for over halfway through, I should feel a bit more urgency and a bit more direction in the plot. It feels like there has been no development since the start.

Would I recommend this? I'm not sure. The plot has so much promise. The writing style was so vivid and built a world I could picture perfectly in my mind. Maybe if I had finished this book I'd have a different opinion, but for now this is where I'm at.

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score card:

plot: 4/5
characters: 2/5
world/setting: 2/5
pacing: 1/5
enjoyment: 2/5

total: 2.2/5ੈ✩‧₊˚

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reading log

07/04 2:32am
goodness me its picked up the pace now, and i'm intrigued. i think initially the pacing was hard to get behind and I do love the underlying feminist themes

06/04 8:08pm
i love jasmine's chapters, rebecca's not so much - they feel like fever dreams

06/04 12:48pm
i'm finding it a tad difficult to get into this, maybe because of my sort of drowsy state from being in hospital?

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pre-reading ⋆˙⟡♡

i can't continue on with magnolia parks at the minute whilst my own heartbreak is going on, so i thought i'd switch it up a little bit.

i haven't heard too much on this book so i'm excited to go into this blind :)