White Ghost Girls
by Alice Greenway
|
|
Sign in to Goodreads to see your friends' reviews of White Ghost Girls.
discuss this book
friend reviews (0)
To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.
lists with this book
Where's the love? Add this book to your favorite list.
other reviews (showing 1-20 of 227)
Read in December, 2007
recommends it for:
Brit
The writing in White Ghost Girls is exquisite, its language as rich and precise as a prose poem's. And unlike some prose-perfect short novels, this one also satisfies with story. The plot centers around a tragedy suffered by an American family living in Hong Kong during the Vietnam War (the father is a war photographer). Greenway evokes beautifully the dynamic, generous, possessive, manipulative, and hungry loves shared among spouses, parents, children, and especially siblings. The relat...more
Like this review?
yes
1 comments
Read in August, 2007
recommends it for:
Anne
When I first read about this book, I thought I would love it: Hong Kong, family secrets, thoughtful and secretive teenagers, loss. Right up my alley, right? Then, as I read it, I really wanted to hate it, because Alice Greenway is writing about the things I tend to write about (family secrets, thoughtful and secretive teenagers, loss). And she does it sooo beautifully. Her prose is so taut that it almost hurts. But I couldn't hate it. It's stark and lyrical, yet pulsing with energy and raw...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in July, 2008
Interesting premise for the book but a little shallow for me. You really don't have to have good knowledge of the Vietnam war even though the story is written in that time. Two white girls (called white ghost girls in Hong Kong) live with their mother in Hong Kong while their father is a photographer who travels to Vietnam for 6 weeks at a time. The story gives a chronicle of the girls, how their lives are affected by the war, living in a foreign country, only having a part-time father, havin...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in December, 2007
Short, grabbing read. I went through this in one sitting. Not a typical coming of age story - American family in Hong Kong during Vietnam War - but same relationship dilemmas between sisters and parents in an intense setting. Vivid descriptions of place and emotion. Some themes: guilt, sibling rivalry, sexuality, war, family relationships. I wanted to hear more voice than the narrator's (younger sister) dominant voice.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in May, 2008
This is such a stupid book. What a waste of time. I don't know why it's on a lot of book club lists. The author writes n such incomplete sentences and thoughts that create an incomplete story. Nothing really happens in this book. She writes about nothing for half the book and then just throws in a bunch of garbage. What a horrible first novel from this author. I'd be surprised if she wrote anything else decent.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in July, 2007
recommends it for:
hmmm....
Well admittedly I rushed through this one, but there is so much angst that I just couldn't handle it. The brokenness of these two girls was just heartbreaking. Also the author uses way too much description for my taste. Overall a confusing and surreal little story that I am happy to put behind me.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in July, 2008
could not get into this no matter how hard i tried...the first page is nothing but questions and it lost me...i read to page 30, three times, but could never focus on the characters or the storyline
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
Read in August, 2007
This is a great story about two sisters in Hong Kong during the Vietnam War. Their father is a reporter covering the war so he is often gone. The oldest sister is troubled by his absence and desperately seeks attention leading to a tragic ending.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in July, 2007
Interesting book about two American sisters living in Hong Kong while their father works as a war photographer in Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
Highly descriptive, with well-drawn characters, and a great sense of time and place.
Highly descriptive, with well-drawn characters, and a great sense of time and place.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in March, 2008
I generally avoid-coming-of-age stories, but this one is a gem. Here is a deceptively slim novel, packed with complex characters set in the rich, lush setting of Hong Kong during the Vietnam conflict.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in March, 2006
I dunno. I liked the beginning of it, but it felt like it wandered around a lot and I didn’t connect with the characters. Wouldn’t recommend it, though the cover’s nice.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in July, 2006
A sad story about childhood in a Hong Kong long lost and forgotten. Beautifully written. Readers of this book should also take a look at Martin Booth's 'Gweilo'.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Has a copy to sell/swap
—
Read in March, 2008
recommended to Eleni by:
Courtney Russ
A quick read, highly descriptive with a good sense of time and place. A bit "too" predictably tragic towards the end.
Good for a quick distraction.
Good for a quick distraction.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in November, 2007
This was an excellent book about Communist China, Colonialism, and the Vietnam war. The narrator is amazing. I really enjoyed this book.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in April, 2008
recommended to Margaret by:
book club choice
this book is beatifuly written. Her characters are well delvoped. Her descriptions of places and things make it easy to visualize.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Interesting book about life during Vietnam from the view point of an American child in Hong Kong.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in January, 2007
Attempted to get through this but was absolutely tedious.
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
