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4 out of 5
by
Laura
from
Chicago, IL | Mar 30, 2008
What is really shocking about this book is to read about the abuse of a child (the author) at the hands of her truly wicked stepmother and sadistic father (well, the stepmother is sadistic, too, so they're a perfect pair), and then to get to the middle of the book and actually see photos of these horrible people. It made my blood boil. Adeline Yen Mah's story, however, is about a child's attempts to navigate an abusive household situated in Chine during and after World War II. As she matures, we see some healing occurring within her and we are able to watch her make her own life for herself despite intense pain and neglect. Her grandfather (her Ye-Ye) and her Aunt Baba are the heroic adults who love Adeline unconditionally and have good hearts. This is an easy read for an adult, but it's a great book to use in school both for the story, the linguistic, and the historical aspects. There's a really beautiful passage towards the end where Adeline's grandfather realizes that she devalues her Chinese identity and he explains to her the depth of meaning beautifully held by the various Chinese characters.
4 people found this review helpful
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2 out of 5
by
Simone
from
Australia | Jan 1, 2008
I found this book pretty easy to read and the story was reasonably engaging, but in an age where biographies abound, this one didn't feel particularly special. Sure, the things that happened to her were sad, but in the end not outrageously tragic. She overcame great odds to become the person she is today ... but the story didn't stand out. It's also written a little too simply for my taste - I guess because it's a teen book. It didn't transfer well as an adult reader. But for young teens reading it would be a nice easy read and keep life in perspective a little perhaps.
2 people found this review helpful
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4 out of 5
by
June
from
Albany, NY | Apr 10, 2008
I also read Falling Leaves by the same author. It seems to be a retelling of the same story. The author recounts the cruelty she suffered as an outcast daughter who is blamed for her mother's death. She is treated like a second class citizen by her siblings, her father and her new step mother. I found the details about life during WWII interesting. While not quite as brutal as some other memoirs that come to mind, such as Bastard out of Carolina, it conveys what it feels like to be an unloved child.
2 people found this review helpful
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5 out of 5
by
Kendra
from
New York, NY | Dec 21, 2008
Kendra Guo 904
12/22/08
Chinese Cinderella
The true story of an unwanted daughter
By Adeline Yen Mah
205pp. New York, New York
Dell Laurel-Leaf. $6.50 US
ISBN 00-440-22865-4
Adeline Yen Mah’s novel, Chinese Cinderella, tells a story about her as a young girl, Adeline struggles for the attention and affection from her father and family. The Chinese Cinderella was a really touching and interesting story. If you could relate you might cry. And this story is said to be a true story. Read this if you like touching and interesting autobiography.
In a way Adeline is like Cinderella is when she is a child she has a evil stepmother and siblings. he faces many challenges like when Cinderella gets her dress ripped up right before the ball. Adeline is like Cinderella at home when Adeline goes to school. When Adeline is with her stepmother it is like Cinderella with her stepmother. It is kind of like Cinderella so if you don’t mind a good story read this book.
I felt that the betrayal that Adeline felt coming from her family wasn’t right, when her stepmother, Niang came to live with them, she changed them all. One by one her family betrayed her over time. First it was her oldest sister who wanted Niang’s appreciation by listening to her to get a better life. She couldn’t resist getting a better life and had to obey and betray the rest of the family that was not yet following Niang’s orders. Niang would spoil her own kids and yet unless you listened to her you would have a very horrible life. The rest of the family eventually the whole family listened to the step mother and betrayed Adeline.
She had many more test to face on the path of learning. You get to know Adeline and you learn how she thinks/feels which makes you think what you would do if you were her. If you don’t like emotional stories this is not the book for you nut if you do this book is good.
Later through out the story Adeline tries to gain her father’s love especially at the beginning of the story. I felt that it was so unfair that her father only paid attention when Adeline got a award, I imagined what would have been going through my head if I was her. The story draws you in and gets you thinking. It makes you think of what I would do in her shoes. And to see what happens to her life which makes Chinese Cinderella a real page turner. Also it talks about the jealousy of the other siblings and it makes you feel like one of the family.
You would get a feeling that you would have had such a hard time and not have grown up to be such a successful person. I might have become a mean person by the time I grew up. You also learn about what could have happened to a lot of kids during the time in the book. The whole family treated her unfairly all the time.
You’ll get excitement, sadness, and angry feelings towards parts of the family while reading Chinese Cinderella. Adeline Yen Mah did a great job telling her life story. If you had questions during parts of the story, by the end, all would be answered so there is still mystery. But you can figure out the answer to questions you have during the story, in the end which is want any person would want. Chinese Cinderella has all the qualities of good writing so READ IT!!!!
2 people found this review helpful
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2 out of 5
by
Lindsay
from
Saint Louis, MO | Mar 22, 2008
This one was alright. At first I wasn't wowed by it, but it drew me in as the parents got crueler starting with the PLT incident. Man, were they disgusting human beings! I just can't get over how some people feel they can treat their own children. Being a language hound, I really appreciated all the discussion and active use of Chinese ideography, especially the grandfather's explanation towards the end (although it seemed somewhat unnecessary for plot development). The book kind of felt like Amy Tan "lite"--aside from the language and a few mentions of Chiang vs. Mao, it almost seemed as if it could have taken place in any country where there's rich people and boarding schools. Though I can't quite put my finger on it, it didn't flow very well. The style appeared more as a succession of anecdotes than a cohesive whole. In addition, while I don't doubt the severity of her parents' treatment of her, Mah's portrayal of herself was constantly faultless (holy cow, do I sound like a b**** or what?) and I got a little frustrated that she rarely stuck up for herself even in instances when she wouldn't have been punished. One-sided characters are the name of the game in fairy tales such as Cinderella, but if it's a true story, I appreciate more depth. Despite all this, it would be good for young adult audiences as an introduction to mid-20th century China. The stories are captivating and the cruelty definitely has shock value.
1 people found this review helpful