stereotype driven. flat. heavy handed. totally forgettable.
i must stop reading new authors just because they purport to break ground in asian american works. the only immigrant writer who has been an unmitigated joy to read is ha jin. read a free life (2007). he writes with a spare prose that teases suggests and slyly guides you, in much the same way the best chinese writers do. with the book's end you reluctantly end a parallel journey that has allowed you a glimpse into somebody's beautifully crafted world.china dolls, on the other hand, evaporates from your head as you read it. this is arguably the worst book i have read this year. ugh.
