What readers think of Shanghai Girls, plus links to write your own review.

Such an amazing book, i enjoyed every part of it, is a detailed portrait of the experience of many asian immigrants, very human and shocking.

This book was fabulous the plot kept me interested in the book and it was really really good. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. I chose to write my book report on it for school and it is turning out really great! Lisa See is a great author!

Contains possible plot spoilers


I didn't like the writing, so much that when the wartime part was over I put the book away. Situations were unbelievable: mother is raped to an extent that she dies, but before that she spends an entire night passing on her wisdom to her (ugly) daughter. Beautiful daughter is treated kindly by all, and when she toils miles to deliver ugly smart daughter to hospital in wheelbarrow, beautiful daughter's hands suffer terribly and receive major attention while raped ugly daughter kind of languishes off-stage. Lots of cliches, like bad guys speaking "roughly." I really didn't want to read any more, and my opinion of New York Times reviewer Janet Maslin has really gone down!

Lisa See has written a great book! This story is satisfying on many levels, some scenes horrifying, but seemingly truthful, and her handling of the relationship between sisters exactly right, if not (thankfully) the story of all sister relationships. I especially urge all readers to take the time to read the acknowledgment section and reprint of a LA Times article at the end of the novel.

Excellent read! I was riveted all the way through. The expression of feelings with the INS was fantastic. This is a "book club" read for about a dozen women who have ALL loved it!

Shanghai Girls has alot of potential, but doesn't quite reach the mark.
Set in the 'Paris of Asia' and then in China Town LA, it presents compelling people and places. Character development is rounded for the two main characters, although not particularly for anyone else. The descriptions of Shanghai are vivid, and the way Lisa See describes the rape scene is truly harrowing. It is also obvious that much research has been put in. It's downfall is its lack of description through-out the book. It gets bogged-down midway by too much politics, although to some extent this is inevitable, it is still a shame the book isn't written in the same beauty as Peony In Love.
In conclusion, this was a great, emotive, and original book, although you may have to push yourself to read on halfway through.

Shanghai Girls was so powerful a book that it rules out anything I have ever read. The book was full of sadness and agony; yet it is so real. The characters are a work of fiction, but similar events have occurred in China's past. Having been told many similar stories of my Chinese ancestors, I was very moved by this book. Lisa See is a very talented writer to be able to recapture the sadness and anger felt by many Chinese at that generation.

Lisa See does an amazing job detailing the horrific events faced by the Chinese people before WWII. at the hands of brutal soldiers. I loved the way that the strong bond between sisters was so vividly portrayed, and although the ending seemed a bit abrupt for my taste, I am hoping that this was done on purpose to leave the possibility open for a sequel in the future.