I was not a fan of this book at all
I felt the writing was very choppy and the ending was very abrupt.

Not a bad debut effort!

The writing and pacing is inconsistent but you get the feeling that this isa really personal story to the author (base level research: it is).

I went into this not knowing what this was about and let me just say.. this book broke my heart. I finished this in one day because I was nervous about what would become of Rowan and needed to know. I wasn't expecting this to be so sad and heartbreaking. Rowan struggles with her adoption and feels like she's never good enough. She went through so much pain physically and emotionally and she REALLY didn't deserve that. I just wanted to reach through the book and give her a hug and protection. I do think the ending was cute but it did sort of end suddenly, I think I wanted more for Rowan and her mother but I'm glad the end she was finally able to find her worth.

Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the arc!

Yup, I loved this one. The experience of the a transracially adopted child - of belonging, family relations, and coming to terms with 'being enough' - all were very heart-wrenching, heavy topics that were covered beautifully. A must read, definitely.

This was a beautiful, if at times heart-breaking read about the experiences of someone who was transracially adopted. Of Korean heritage, the protagonist is adopted by American Caucasian parents, which in this novel leads to struggles with identity and belonging, something that follows her in her life. The heavy themes here were sensitively told by the author. A worthwhile read!

Moving story about a life post adoption in a mixed race adoption.. It is very eye-opening to see the effects of this type of adoption. Great writing, very engaging and emotional.

Definitely a tough story to read but so vivid and captivating.

Plot: adopted asian American struggles to find her identity and questions her adoptive mother's love for her. She then engages in reckless behaviour in trying to provoke emotion from her adoptive mother.

Opinion: I like how the writer made Rowan's character so relatable, it very rare to connect with a character on a deeper level and she did a fantastic job. I felt for Rowan and how she kept trying to be seen by her mother but there was no reaction. Honestly, this is something a lot of adopted or biological children struggle with. We need to be more caring and attentive to the needs of our children in order for them to know stability and love at home first.

Rowan is adopted and this is her story from her viewpoint. As a child she doesn’t understand adoption and then as she gets older she just wants to feel loved and wanted. Their is a tension between her and her mother as she enters the teenage angst years and it escalates from there to abusing relationships. Full of emotion and uncertainty that will have you feeling for both Rowan and her mother.

Thank you NetGalley, Lauren J. Sharkey and Kaylie Jones Books for this edition and hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

This story broke my heart. It's short, but very impactful. I felt for Rowan as she dealt with her abandonment issues and butted heads with her adoptive mother whom she views as controlling. It was hard reading about her encounters with strangers but I understand the author's need to portray this character's deep sense of worthlessness. I was so rooting for her relationship with her mom to improve, but it ends abruptly. At least there's a small sense of hope among the last chapter, and although it took years for her to find healing, she was accomplishing it. This book is important in the sense that it shines a light on interracial adoption, from the adoptee's jaded POV. If you are contemplating an out of country adoption, or have a friend who is in this situation, this book can be educational...in it's own sorta way.

Thanks netgalley for giving me the pdf so that I can share my thoughts and opinions with y'all 🧡

An interesting read that I'm glad to have discovered. I'll definitely be seeking out more by this author.

This was heartbreaking and explored so many delicate family and interpersonal relationships. I think that it was a great story and one that will resonate with me for a long time.

Rating this one was hard; what I liked, I really liked, and what I hated, I really hated.
I thought Rowan’s feelings of rejection were well written and portrayed a lot of the pain an adoptee might be dealing with. There were times where I could clearly see how Rowan’s mother was wrecking her relationship with her daughter by constantly being dismissive of Rowan, especially when she had any questions relating to her adoption.
It is my belief that adoptive parents really need to be transparent about these things. All Rowan did was ask about her birth mother. She had a right to.
But the way Rowan resented her mother was shocking. Rowan’s self-destructive behavior was horrific and everything she does….it just left me horrified. Let me be clear, I never liked Rowan, in fact, I plainly hated her. She was a terrible friend, an even worse daughter, and the whole sexual assault (where the book starts off with Rowan at the clinic). I hate that. It’s this sort of thing that discredits actual victims.
Rowan was a victim of severe domestic abuse and sexual abuse, but the reason for her being at the clinic at the start of the novel is not the because of these brutalities she faced.
I also want to be clear here, Rowan did not deserve the things that happened to her. You can be the world’s worst person and not deserve the things Rowan goes through, which made this book incredibly difficult to read. It verges on the line of trauma porn, but I truly do not think it crosses that line.
Something I loved reading, but it broke my heart a little, was when Rowan had her Malaysian cousins visit and immediately connected to them. She felt that she fit in with them, even if she was Korean and they were half Malaysian, just the fact that they were all Asian in this white family was enough for Rowan. That was beautiful and sad.
The timeline of this novel was much too jumpy for me. The time jumps, while making sense in the context, were not well executed. It was confusing, plainly put.
The author, however, does have incredible talent. And I look forward to seeing what she brings us in the future.

A really thought provoking read on interracial adoption, identity while following some difficult life events through the characters life, touching on some really tough subjects. Relatively short read. Looking forward to more from Sharkey in the future!

CW: Physical and Emotional Abuse (on page); rape (assumed/implied); racism directed at the main character; sexual acts; parental trauma; mentions of blood and other bodily fluids
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Did I think that this book would cover some difficult topics? Certainly. Did I expect it to be quite so dark and intense? Not in the least. I hadn't expected to walk into an examination room, sitting through an uncomfortable discussion with a nurse, discussing the procedure for administering a rape kit. Then, just as quickly as you're pushed into this intense situation, you are transported back in time to the first day of Kindergarten where Rowan truly realizes that she and her mother don't 'match'. It's jarring, but that perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the book.

Rowan's relationship with her mother is tumultuous for the majority of the book, after a tight bond during her early childhood years. I was often left frustrated by the insensitive things she would say to her mother, finding it unforgivable to be as gruff as she was. I was also a bit aghast at where her focus lay: finding a boyfriend. Until she started college and entered an abusive relationship. It all clicked for me. This was a girl who felt unloved and discarded, reacting in the only way she understood how: by lashing out. Unfortunately, she lashed out at the one person who fully loved and accepted her and instead kept latching onto the worst possible options.

Rowan is a character that is hurting and reading her pain is far from easy, but it's somehow captivating, even as you grit your teeth through each moment.

I would recommend this book to anyone who doesn't mind reading books that cover dark themes, but with the caveat that Sharkey doesn't shy away from anything. We see it all.

A fine novel. For a debut novel, Lauren J. Sharkey writing shows an assuredness and well developed voice. Very Well written.

Such a thrilling, addictive yet painful story. Rowan is such an unlikeable character, yet she feels so real. I couldn’t put it down. I ended up reading it in one day.

A really powerful book about identity and how hard it is to be the adopted child, especially if a different race from the adoptive parents.
A sad but beautiful book.

TW- rape, bullying.
This is the debut book of the author and apparently, it's kind of inspired by her own experience too. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect from this book, I went in completely blank and the book was an experience for me. Rowan the main character was adopted by white folks, Rowan, herself, is South Korean. You know all the jokes and taunts that surround Asian kids, it's all in the book and it broke my heart that Rowan had to go through it all. I loved wee rowan. The chapters transition from past to present and might seem bumpy at times, not every time. The plot was fast but the narration was quite straightforward which actually helped the plot somehow because at times it's being told by little rowan so of course, we get authentic versions. Towards the end, it felt rushed but overall, It was great and heartbreaking.

This is a book that resonated with me, being a fellow adoptee from an East Asian country and living in the United States. I really enjoyed reading this, and I felt for Rowan. She went through a tremendous amount and it was a lot to read at times. This is a pretty fast read, maybe even a tad too fast at some points. Overall I was really glad to have discovered Lauren and Inconvenient Daughter.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kaylie Jones books for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. Inconvenient Daughter is a beautiful and heatbreaking book that keeps you on your toes til the end. The book covers a strong female lead as she grapples with identity and belonging. It tugs on your heartstrings. Beautifully written book!