Loved this! So good. I would put this in a category I’m going to call “readable.” It’s engaging, accessibly written, and twisty. A very high quality version of that kind of story.

It is still quite a complex read what with all the different time periods and characters. I got to the end still feeling muddled because there are a lot of threads that come together. But not in such a way that I think the story is flawed - more that it would reward a reread. I think it was all revealed to the reader kind of perfectly.

The horror elements worked really well for me. I found a lot of the imagery unsettling and creepy. I also really enjoyed the magical realism or fantastical bits. I think this could be adapted to film so well.

The themes of the story mostly revolve around feminism and Vietnamese identity. But in addition with Winnie we touch on the idea of feeling disassociated from your own body.

Very interested in what Kupersmith writes next!