u/Kaurblimey

Link via Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/1U9esWvTN0U9CXoaD0W4MK?si=q6Dq6352QN-VrqS9WdxIrQ

Been a huge fan of Search Engine since the Buckingham Palace pool episode.

I really felt for the protagonist, she was so sad. She was also very weird. Perfect for this sub!

In the early-noughties, Z moves to London from Beijing to study English for a year. The novel details her falling in love, learning a new language and growing up. It’s a coming of age story, a romance story, an immigrant story all in one.

The writing starts in a broken English style, but you see how her English improves overtime by the way the writing changes. I learnt so much about Chinese culture and it was hard to let her go.

I may be biased as a Londoner, but I loved seeing the city through Z’s eyes. Her observations were so astute and witty.

I’m a big fan of Guo’s writing generally - Tweny Fragments of a Ravenous Youth was fantastic, as was her article in The Guardian about moving to Hastings.

10/10. less

Loved this so much! Karen writes deftly about her dysfunctional family dynamics, her stifled creativity, her addiction issues and her struggles with having to closet herself whilst working for the airline. The story takes place across many exotic locales, but her journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance is what makes this a real page turner.

‘Twinkles in’ creates such a lovely image!