Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: August 2013
Author Info: www.yschoo.com
Wendy's Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Small pox has left Li Lan's father lost in an almost constant cloud of opium escape after his wife's death. They are bankrupt and Li Lan has few options for her future, until her father receives a proposal from the wealthy Lim family, asking for Li Lan's hand in marriage. The catch? Her betrothed is dead.
Thus we are introduced to the old Chinese custom of ghost brides, which promises a woman comfort for the rest of her life, but what kind of life can she have as a widow before she is even married? To complicate matters, her betrothed is an unpleasant man, and his cousin, Tian Bai, is much more to Li Lan's liking.
This is a love story that initially seems like it will walk a certain, obvious path, but when Li Lan ends up in the after life herself (though not dead), things take some interesting twists and turns as Li Lan tries to escape the Lim family and learns more about her own.
I loved the exploration of Chinese customs regarding death and the afterlife, from burnt offerings, to politics. Choo weaves a beautiful tapestry of myth and custom within Li Lan's personal adventure.
Li Lan is an interesting character. She is not particularly strong and resourceful and she must often rely on others for help because she considers herself to be "just a girl." As much as I am all for grrl power, I appreciated Li Lan's place within her world and liked where she ended up. It was not the perfect happy ending expected, and considering the circumstances, it was a surprisingly realistic one.
I have wanted to read this book since it popped up on the 2013 Goodreads Readers Choice list, but when I saw that the audiobook was narrated by the author herself, I eagerly snapped it up. As much as I adore many narrators, I enjoy listening to authors read their own work because then you know you are getting to hear their story and characters exactly as they sound in their heads. I loved the little sighs and chuckles, the cadences and pauses -- all the things that became unique to each character. It made everyone feel that much more real.
Oh it's nice I never read something like that but I really love the idea and the cover is so beautiful! I confess that I haven't tried an audiobook yet but I'll have to check the book now! Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteYour welcome! It really is a lovely little book.
DeleteI have been wanting to read this one cos it sounds so freaky
ReplyDeleteI don't know if freaky is the way I would describe it, but it certainly had some very intriguing insights into the Chinese afterlife and customs.
DeleteI'll be the first to admit, some of our Chinese afterlife customs can indeed be quite freaky. Lots of traditions with ancient roots can be, but they're fascinating too.
DeleteI was super curious about this one as well when I saw it come out. I didnt realize it had some paranormal elements to it.
ReplyDeleteI saw it first on the Goodreads Fantasy Reader's Choice list, I think. It's certainly not your typical fantasy or supernatural book, but there are definitely dragons and ghosts involved.
DeleteI have never been able to get into audiobooks - I think because the narrators have never been very appealing. It would be very interesting to hear one read by the author! This book has looked appealing to me for awhile but I haven't been 100 percent sure if it's for me or not.. your review makes me even more curious about it! The whole notion of ghost brides is really intriguing!
ReplyDeleteApril @ My Shelf Confessions
Check out our list of favourite audiobook narrators:L http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.ca/2013/09/10-audiobook-narrators-we-love.html
DeleteWe've found several more since, such as Michael Kramer and Kate Reading. And Neil Gaiman narrates his own books some times. Several recognizable actors have narrated as well... so lots to choose from! You can always have a listen on Audible first to see if their voices work for you. We've definitely endured some not so great narrators as well.
Also to note, I tend to listen to audiobooks on a faster than normal speed (usually 1.5x, but will go up to 2x depending on how it sounds). I find the narration too slow otherwise, which is probably done on purpose to allow for this option.
You can hear the first chapter of The Ghost Bride at the author's website: http://yschoo.com/one/
ReplyDelete