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Moderate: Cancer, Confinement, Medical trauma
Graphic: Murder, War
Moderate: Medical trauma
Minor: Alcoholism, Rape, Abortion
What truly makes this novel shine is the personal tone of the entire story. Huong's recollections feel diaristic and Dieu Lan's story is entirely addressed to Huong. When Nguyen reveals in the acknowledgments that The Mountains Sing was directly inspired by the lives of her family members and friends' families, it came as no surprise to me.
The Mountains Sing is the first book that prolific author Nguyen Phan Que Mai ever wrote in English, her second language. I have seen a handful of criticism of this novel that states that the writing is too simple or repetitive. First of all, I challenge those reviewers to consider writing an entire narrative in a second language. Second of all, I think that the bittersweet beauty and strength of this story overrides any supposed less-sophisticated diction.
Graphic: Death, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, War
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
It could also be frustrating; despite how much I loved the book, I often felt like the characters were almost too naïve deliberately so the author could use them as a mouthpiece for philosophical arguments; i.e. Huong being 15 and not understanding what rape is so that the book can make the argument that no one should be shamed for violence inflicted upon them. There were other instances of this that tested believability, but for me it didn't drag down the impact of the novel. I'd recommend this to anyone and it will have a permanent place on my bookshelf and rotation of revered books.
Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Genocide, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, Infertility
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, War
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Terminal illness
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, War, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Colonisation, War
Moderate: Gun violence, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Terminal illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail