I finished the book from cover to cover during my vacation in Cancun. It was such a feast that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Hua's writing is mature and beautiful. At the end of the book, it revealed that he's been writing this book for the past 20 years. No wonder it felt like a masterpiece, with long period of crafting. You can also feel that Hua is a very sensitive person, with profound ability of putting feelings into words. Perhaps it's his choice of words and writing style, the sentences are light weight yet carries a lot of feels.
The pre-Ken's death parts are very captivating, nostalgic and relatable. Especially to me as an immigrant child to North America, I relate so much to his take on being an Asian American, his college life, his choice of hobbies, his doubts and his friendship with Ken. His relationship with his parents also makes me looking at my own and thought to myself that your relationship with your parents has a huge impact on who you will become.
Overall, this book contains so much emotion, yet breezy. Mature, crafty and beautiful writing. It's not overwhelming, but captivating.
