Pearl of China

Synopsis

It is the end of the nineteenth century and China is riding on the crest of great change, but for nine-year-old Willow, the only child of a destitute family in the small southern town of Chin-kiang, nothing ever seems to change. Until the day she meets Pearl, the eldest daughter of a zealous American missionary.

Pearl is head-strong, independent and fiercely intelligent, and will grow up to be Pearl S Buck, the Pulitzer- and Nobel Prize-winning writer and humanitarian activist, but for now all Willow knows is that she has never met anyone like her in all her life. From the start the two are thick as thieves, but when the Boxer Rebellion rocks the nation, Pearl's family is forced to leave China to flee religious persecution. As the twentieth century unfolds in all its turmoil, through right-wing military coups and Mao's Red Revolution, through bad marriages and broken dreams, the two girls cling to their lifelong friendship across the sea. 

Review

Anchee Min's Pearl of China is a heartwarming tale about the friendship of two girls —— a country bumpkin (Willow) and a white-skinned, blue-eyed Chinese (Pearl). The fates of these two have been entwined since young, when Pearl's father (Absalom) came on a mission to spread gospel in a small town called Chin-kiang. Willow's father was poor and though he first embraced Christianity and became Absalom's sidekick for physical sustainability, he gradually became a staunch believer and promoter of his faith, attracting the masses and converting many people in his life.

Willow and Pearl's friendship spanned throughout their whole lifetime, creating a wonderful memoir of timeless friendship against the backdrop of Mao Tse Tung's reign and fall in China. It was interesting that Min inserted a love story between Pearl and Tsu Chih Mo, a legendary contemporary poet who was known for his constant pursue of love and romance, and had Willow playing the stuck-in-the-middle person. Willow had her eyes on Tsu, but Tsu's eyes reflect only Pearl's image. Willow, albeit initially wallowed in jealousy, finally decided to give her blessing to her favourite man Tsu and best friend Pearl. She became the lovers' middle-woman, giving the pair a chance to rendezvous.  

From the beginning till the end, Pearl was by heart a Chinese, she loved Willow as a sister she never had, and Willow loved Pearl dearly against all odds. Fine as this story was, I think Pearl of China lacked a certain oomph factor that makes a good book a great book.

Rating:  

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

SYNOPSIS

Against all odds, 17-year-old Gene has survived in a world where humans have been eaten to near extinction by the general population. Every decade there is a government sponsored hunt. When Gene is selected to be one of the combatants he must learn the art of the hunt but also elude his fellow competitors.

REVIEW

For once things are different - in The Hunt, humans are now known as hepers are close to extinction and are hunted down or bred as food. And the others, the ones who dominate the world, are those nocturnal human-like cannibals who somehow exhibit vampiric features. It's certainly a fresh twist, and a horrific, heart-gripping one at that.

Blending in with the predators has been how Gene kept himself alive for the past 17 years. He still remembers the warning his father gave him: don't exhibit any facial expressions, use some special formula to cover your body odour, and whatever you do, don't stand out of the crowd. 

A fellow predator girl with flaming red hair - Ashley June, caught his eyes. He controls himself, though. Distances himself from her. No good can come if your girlfriend eats you up for breakfast, right? But there's more to Ashley June than meets the eye.

When both are selected for the Heper Hunt, Gene must overcome all odds to stay alive. And that proves to be a more challenging task than he ever thought.

This pacing of this novel is quite good, given that most of the events are focused on the days before the Heper Hunt. I really appreciate the author's unique storytelling that keeps me seated until I finally finished the story. 

Somehow I loved this novel. Though some parts of it are illogical, put in mind that this is a fantasy young adult novel, so do not expect everything to be explained rationally. Nonetheless, I hope the author will give a layout of the history/background of how the cannibals came to be in the next two books. 

Fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent will most likely to enjoy this novel.

RATING  

The Thief by Fuminori Nakamura

The Thief
by Fuminori Nakamura

SYNOPSIS

The Thief is a seasoned pickpocket. Anonymous in his tailored suit, he weaves in and out of Tokyo crowds, stealing wallets from strangers so smoothly sometimes he doesn’t even remember the snatch. Most people are just a blur to him, nameless faces from whom he chooses his victims. He has no family, no friends, no connections. But he does have a past, which finally catches up with him. And now the Thief is caught in a tangle even he might not be able to escape.

REVIEW

Despite being such a short novel, The Thief is fast-paced and entirely engrossing. It chronicles the life of an experienced pick-pocket, who got caught in a web of events which are much bigger than what he expected. 

Nishimura is a loner, he has no family, no friends and no connections. Being a thief, it's the best for him that way. However, when he accepted a task of robbing a political figure, his life started to change. He also grew a friendly relationship with a little boy who steals food supplies for his prostitute mother. When his past comes back to haunt him, he has no choice but to accept new tasks, or risks the little boy and his mother being killed, and also his own life.

I read this novel with a kind of intensity I do not experience often. It was so captivating that I couldn't put it down. The chapters were short and sweet, but there's always something up. The only thing I had against was the ending. It leaves the story unresolved. It's like a cliffhanger, but it isn't cos this is a stand-alone novel. I really want to know what's gonna happen next! I'm so flabbergasted when I realize that's where it ends. 

RATING