Book Review: Shanghai Girls

By Lisa See 

4 Stars 

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See is a story about the lives of two sisters, Pearl and May, as they face challenges of identity, love, and family in pre-World War ll China and 1940s Los Angeles. The story opens in vibrant Shanghai, where Pearl and May are living a life of luxury. But when unexpected events force them into arranged marriages with Chinese-American Men in Los Angeles, their lives take a turn as they enter the strange world of immigrant life in America, where they face numerous challenges and setbacks. This book was really interesting. I especially loved the complicated sisterly relationship between Pearl and May. Throughout the story, the relationship between the sisters goes through a lot of changes and tough situations, which makes it a really important and emotional part of the story.

The book talks about important things like sacrifice, loyalty, rivalry and how strong the bond between siblings can be, which made me empathize with the characters' struggles and successes. However, I found the pacing to be sluggish, especially in the first half of the book. Before getting into the heart of the storyline, which is their immigration to the United States, the story spends a significant amount of time establishing the characters, their backgrounds, and their life in Shanghai while also providing overly detailed descriptions of historical events and cultural traditions. I felt like the author was adding unnecessary details and dragging the plot of the story. I would have preferred if the plot progressed at a quicker pace to keep me engaged in the storyline. 

Reviewed by Sofea 

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