- I absolutely loved this book. It is so absorbing. It won the Penguin Literary Prize for 2023, a gong it richly deserved.
- It's freelance writer and copywriter Michelle See-Tho's debut novel. She has a gift for precision storytelling, telling in exquisite detail a very emotional story about Malaysian-Australians living in Melbourne, and imbuing it with so much power.
- Thirteen year old Lei Ling Wen is our narrator. She is bullied at school by Angela Nu who comes from a very rich family. Angela’s aunty is Gigi. For reasons disclosed at the end of the book Gigi begins to collect Lei from school each day to take her shopping at upmarket stores and exquisite cake shops. We're not told why.
- Lei’s mother eventually discovers that this is happening and is furious. She is a hardworking cleaner and typical fierce and controlling disciplinarian. She demands her daughter attend violin lessons and practice after school every day for example, despite Lei having no musical talent whatsoever. Lei begins to hate her.
- As the novel progresses various background elements are eventually disclosed and the story gets very gripping indeed. For Lei herself it's a very emotional roller coaster.
- The resolution is absolutely perfect and very satisfying.
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