2014, Penguin Press
Another gift from Julia (thank you!), who reported being hooked on this book by Celeste Ng (pronounced -ing). With her second novel, Little Fires Everywhere, now a series streaming on Hulu, Ng has sealed her success as a new writer.
Lydia is found drowned in a lake. Why? Was it the constant pressure she felt from her mother, who raised kids instead of following her dream to be a doctor, or her Chinese father's obsession that she fit in and make friends? Was she jealous because her brother got into Harvard? What really happened?
Hailed as page-turner, I would declare it a page-skimmer. Did I want to solve the mystery of Lydia's death? Yes. Was I interested in the family dynamics? Yes. Did I love the writing? No. And I didn't find it believable that Lydia's mother would have left her family for awhile, in pursuit of her own goals, without, if I remember clearly, even leaving a note!
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