THE PLOT: ‘The Storm We Made’ by Vanessa Chan is a historical novel about Malaysia during WWII. 1936, Cecily is a bored housewife seduced by a Japanese spy. Promising her a future free from British Imperialism, he persuades Cecily to feed him information stolen from her colonial officer husband. 1945, Cecily and her family are barely surviving in Japanese-occupied Malaya. Desperate to keep them safe, she can’t tell them about the part she played in the new regime. As the bombs drop on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, each of Cecily’s children – Jujubee, Abel, and Jasmin – must fight to survive the final days of the war.

SUMMARY: I love a historical novel with multiple timelines and points of view, so I had to grab this when I saw it in the library. Luckily it didn’t disappoint, with well-rounded characters and a satisfying plot which came together nicely. There were some glimpses of great writing and I loved the complexity of the characters, particularly with the moral dilemma at the heart of the story. However, I just didn’t feel this one in my bones enough. This is the kind of book that should’ve made me cry, should’ve had me screaming at the page, but I took it all in from a respectable distance. That’s why it’s four stars for a solid debut that I really liked, but didn’t quite fall in love with.

GOOD BITS:  The different timelines and points of view complemented each other well, and I found myself enjoying them all equally. They also came together effectively, escalating the plot and raising the stakes for an exciting climax. In particular, I didn’t guess the twist, which is always a win for me. Although I didn’t fall in love with the characters, I liked the complexity of their emotional states and how they were neither good nor bad. There were also glimpses of great writing, with some standout sentences and paragraphs that reflected the interiority and emotionality of the characters.

NOT SO GOOD BITS: The first few chapters felt crammed with backstory and I’d wager the author re-wrote them after being told to cut the original opening down. It also felt like there was too much explanation of the state of the country, with more telling than showing than I would’ve wanted. Despite my initial misgivings, I settled into the story and the author showed great skill in her handling of the different POVs. But ultimately this wasn’t a five star for me because I didn’t feel the characters in my gut.

P.S. I also think the title is forgettable and doesn’t do the book justice.

OVERALL: I’d recommend this book to fans of ‘Rose and the Burma Sky’ by Rosanna Amaka, ‘How We Disappeared’ by Jing Jing Lee, ‘Peach Blossom Spring’ by Melissa Fu and ‘Dust Child’ by Nguyen Phan Que Mai. If you like complex female characters and sweeping historical epics, this is a great novel for looking at WWII from a non-Eurocentric perspective.

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