The Original Daughter was a beautifully written and emotionally rich story that really drew me in. I loved how the characters felt real and multidimensional, and the themes of identity and family added a lot of depth. Some parts were a bit slow for my taste, but the overall storytelling and the way the plot unfolded kept me engaged. It’s a thoughtful, compelling read that I genuinely enjoyed.

What a wonderful novel! Beautifully written, both descriptive and dialogue. I felt immersed in the culture and all the nuances of the demands on children in Asian countries.
This is the story of how one misstep on the academic journey for Gen redefines who she thinks she is and she finds herself adrift. Her ‘sister’ Arin, who is in fact her cousin, idolizes her to the point of perfection. Her mother has expectations that feel so immense and her father is tired all the time and a little vacant. Gen is self-centered and proud. Arin is unaware, mostly naive but with a ruthless streak that ultimately costs her everything.
Wei is such a talent. I hope this becomes the success it deserves.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC.

The Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei was such a compelling read!

In Singapore, Genevieve is the only child of loving parents, living with her grandmother. Until one day she learns that her grandfather had another family and now the grandaughter Arin has come to live with them. They vow to be sisters and it follows their lives and how they navigate ambition, family dynamics, loyalty, failure, and betrayal.

One of my favorite types of novels explore sister/sibling dynamics. This was no exception. It was very internal. It starts as Genevieve is navigating her mother’s terminal illness and flashes back to tell the story of when she became a sister with Arin and to reflect on how they became estranged.

While there is a lot of plot that happens it is exclusively from Genevieve’s perspective and her emotions behind what is happening. I had a hard time liking and empathizing with Genevieve, but still felt compelled and invested in her story. Outside of the relationship between her and Arin, we don’t get much character development of the other familial characters, which I did wish I got more of. That said the bitterness and self centered perspective of Genevieve also feels correct for the age and situation at least initially when she is younger. I did wish I felt like her character evolved more.

Overall though the prose and emotional impact of the story felt so compelling and tragic. I loved the exploration of the desire to pull outside of the family and become independent and the pull to stay unchanged.

Thank you @netgalley and @doubledaybooks for my ebook! #theoriginaldaughter #jemimahwei #netgalley

oh wow. oh. WOW. this is a beautiful and harrowing tale about what it means to be sisters and how tragedy can befall the tightest of bonds.

This was the perfect book to read before a trip to Singapore! It is definitely a slow burn, character-driven family story but I really enjoyed diving into the family history and drama.

I started off really enjoying this book, but as I got further along, I started to lose interest because I felt like it was way too detailed and too long. The book has a really good storyline. Living in Singapore with her parents and grandmother, Genevieve Yang was an only child until Arin is unexpectedly dropped off at their home. Now, with a new sister Genevieve and Arin must navigate through good and bad times together.

I love the idea of this book - family ties, growth, acceptance. I found the storyline compelling, but it also dragged for me a bit. I often had a hard time following along, and quite often lost my place. There is a combination of family loyalty, competitiveness and envy all combined and it made it hard for me to relate to. Generally in life we learn lessons about how to BE within society. I am not sure that the characters experienced a whole lot of growth. Rather I feel like they regressed more than grew. Gen and Arin - two cousins, really, raised as sisters. I appreciate the circumstance which brought Arin into the family; I struggled with the acceptance offered by mom, Su, Grandmother and father. Gen wants her life as the original daughter back, and will do anything to get Arin back to where both girls feel she belongs. It turns out that is not the case, and it strengthens the bond between them. Gen's life changes almost immediately - she always wanted to be the best she could be, but the addition of Arin regressed her, and as she grown into adulthood she takes the easy path, rather than face rejection. Arin ends up excelling and Gen is filled with envy. Sibling rivalry, indeed.

The mom; Su; had much promise and gave it all up for love of her husband and daughter. Her life saddened me. It seemed to me that the character studies showed women so strong in the beginning, yet giving their power away for something else later on. Arin, who started with nothing positive ends up the strongest of them all. I did not hate the story, but I also did not feel an immense love for any of the characters. They were prickly and stunted, in my opinion.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this book. It gave me all the feelz as an elder daughter and I could relate to all the pettiness, resentment, and jealousy... as well as that deep feeling that no one else could understand me as well as my sister. This is such a stunning novel. I felt the filial piety resonating in the marrow of my bones, it was so powerful. Following Arin and Genevieve's story was so heartwrenching -- to look at the scenes and dissect the dialogues that led to their falling-out was so painful but at the same time so intriguing that I could not stop reading. The character dev of Gen really blew me out of the water; how she grew from the 1996 all the way to 2015. I love that because the whole novel was first person POV from Gen's eyes, we really got to step in her shoes and feel all the feelz. I definitely am still reeling from this book. And I really want to call my mom. Oh, one of the things I did not like: sometimes it felt like the sisters knew and understood something I didn't, like on page 305 (of the galley edition) when Gen mentions questions that are too terrible to ask but says Arin knows them but doesn't list them -- there are moments like that one that are too vague and elusive. But other than that, I love this one.

A really fascinating book about sibling dynamics and the line between authentic and acting roles within a family. This book has a few content warnings to watch for. But overall well written and such an unpredictable book that will stay with me

THE ORIGINAL DAUGHTER by Jemimah Wei is a promising debut novel. Reads well, writing flows and the story kept me interested.

Genevieve Yang grows up as an only child in a cramped Bedok flat until Arin arrives—an unexpected half-sister and the shameful legacy of a long-lost grandfather. As the girls form a close bond, they are pushed to sacrifice friendships, fun, and freedom in pursuit of academic success. But a painful betrayal drives them apart, forcing Genevieve to choose between ambition and family. The Original Daughter is a powerful debut about sisterhood, sacrifice, and survival in a high-pressure world.

This is a beautifully written novel and I highly recommend it, particularly if you enjoy learning about another culture.

I really wanted to love this book, but it ended up being just so-so for me.

It's 2015 and Genevieve's dying mother has one request: To see Genevieve and her sister Arin together again.

However, the sisters have been estranged for some time. When Gen was eight, Arin came to live with her family after it is revealed the Gen's grandfather hadn't left the family, he'd actually left them and started a whole new family. Arin is his granddaughter.

Gen and Arin's relationship yo-yos between super-close and competitive and distant. Gen's often strident personality can take some getting used to, but she really does go through many challenges, from her father leaving, to surviving an assault, to seeing her sister shine while she falters. Although I felt the relationship between the sisters was complicated and real, I still felt like the novel was missing a strong ending.

While I appreciated the family dynamics, personal stories, and a shocking plot point near the end, this complex sibling story still left me wanting for a little more emotional depth.

The Original Daughter is the kind of book where it feels like nothing is happening, until you realize that, oh, wait, no actually everything is happening. That’s the magic of Jemimah Wei’s debut novel, which is a sprawling chronicle of two sisters’ incredibly close, and often tumultuous, relationship over the years, tracking them from age seven and eight, up until their late twenties.

This immersive and heart-rending piece of literary fiction is a two-for-one coming-of-age story, focusing mainly on ambitious, driven Genevieve Yang (the titular ‘original daughter’) after her life is upended by the arrival of Arin, a little girl from an estranged family member no one knew existed. She moves into Gen’s family’s already-cramped apartment in the Bedok neighborhood of Singapore, much to Gen’s irritation. However it’s not long before the pair find common ground as they “navigate the intensity of life in a place where the urgent insistence on achievement demands constant sacrifice.”

Though not sisters in the technical sense, Gen and Arin become just as close — if not more so — than most biological siblings. The symbiotic relationship between them is all-encompassing; Gen and Arin reject all forms of outside friendships, hobbies, and any semblance of social lives as they throw themselves into the pursuit of academic perfection. Though life tosses a few wrenches into their carefully laid plans, they know they can always lean on each other. Well, at least at first, until a betrayal violently splits their sisterhood in two, leaving Gen to question her place in the world and whether or not her sacrifices along the way have been worth it.

Certain characters in The Original Daughter leap off the page, so vivid in their physicality and mannerisms. I had to remind myself a few times at the start of reading this that it’s not a memoir — that’s how fully-realized Gen, Arin, and the world they inhabit all feel. It’s a beautifully written slice of life. Lovely prose that wraps around you and tugs you right into the sisters’ complicated orbit in (and out of) their neighborhood in Singapore.

That being said, I did find this book to be quite slow. (Not necessarily always a bad thing.) As dramatic as Arin and Gen’s dynamic is, the story as a whole never becomes much more than a meandering stroll through their lives, pausing for a disagreement here, stopping to process some simmering resentment there. My issues with the pacing were perhaps compounded by Genevieve’s story overall. It’s grim in a really average, normal, relatable way. (Very much the ‘gifted and talented kid to aggressively mundane adulthood’ pipeline.)

Wei makes sure you really feel for Gen, as if her life is your own. You watch as she’s gradually eclipsed in everything by Arin, feeling the heat of boiling resentment wafting off each of their conversations. The author nails the very specific pain of watching someone you love achieve the dreams you yourself wanted, and needing to be happy for them even if, deep down, a part of you is jealous and angry and vicious. (“How much easier it would’ve been if Arin were proud, or at least a little selfish.”)

The Original Daughter feels, to me, like a tragedy. It’s an ode to self-sabotage and wasted potential and fractured sisterhood, even if it wraps up on a (very slight) sliver of hope. And I do hope for Gen and Arin — I desperately hope they can figure it all out. For better or worse, Wei makes sure you won’t walk away from her book without taking her characters with you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was truly excellent on a sentence level, but my god the book dragged. There was an emotional intensity that was almost like a thriller - what will happen to these sisters that makes them estranged? - but the plot was so meandering it really took away from the effect. This book depicts the high stress, high stakes of Singaporean academic life, and I appreciated the strong sense of place, but I cannot say I enjoyed the book. It felt like it could not make up its mind if it wanted to be plot-driven or character-driven and thus became neither.

3.5 Stars ⭐️

Enjoyed this book. I had a hard time reading this as the Mom is Terminally Ill and you this causes a Rift between the Sisters. Yet, it is also quite relatable. Genevieve was originally an only child, but comes to realize she has a sister Arin. The need for success and achievement twists Genevieve to a point that causes you to think if she really has gone too far.

Liked the writing, but at some parts just felt it dragged out for pages with nothing much happening. Had a hard time relating to the MC.

Overall, good read and compelling storyline. Definitely made me think.

Thank you NetGalley and Doubleday Books for a copy of this book. I always leave reviews of books I read.

I was so looking forward to this one, especially once it was chosen for the GMA book club. But at only 10% in I had to put it down. it didn't capture my attention, something I need in my books right now. And judging from the reviews of others, I wasn't alone. It could have been a case of right book, wrong time, but I'm in a period of needing to move on if a book hasn't grabbed me, so I put this one down.

Wow.

I’ll be honest with you: I went in expecting to hate this, or at least feel indifferent about it. I only made it two chapters into the e-ARC, but really disliked the characters. So when the audiobook became available on Libby, I thought to myself, “Look, Steph, just give it one more chance… one more chance to attempt to know enough about the story to write a review about it.” I came away with total respect for Jemimah Wei, and my fangirling for Eunice Wong as an audiobook narrator has reached stratospheric proportions.

The interesting thing is, I can’t say that I LIKED the book. Certainly the characters themselves are not very likable, realistic though they were. Everyone–and I mean everyone, from our first-person narrator, Genevieve, to Gen’s sister Erin, to their mother and father–make poor choices that hurt themselves and others. You’ll end up spending most of the book either wanting to wring their necks or to comfort them.

And yet, Wei helped me to understand exactly how and why each character came to be the way they are. This is a really nuanced, Tolstoyian picture of the ways in which family hurt and shape us. Even secondary characters introduced later on are given a similar level of character development as the main characters. I was impressed.

Finally, I want to dedicate a whole paragraph solely to Eunice Wong, audiobook narrator extraordinaire of Asian lit. Usually a slow-paced book such as this one would have me checking out much earlier, but Wong held my attention spectacularly using her signature distinction between voices and emotional delivery. If you are considering reading this and like audiobooks even a little bit, I would actually recommend that you give the audiobook a try. You might be as blown away as I was.

Despite my initial reservations (there is only so much litfic I can take), THE ORIGINAL DAUGHTER is a tremendous debut, and I can see this being a strong contender for this awards season. In addition, Eunice Wong’s audiobook narration pairs perfectly and enhances/elevates the experience by circumventing an otherwise slow pace. I can wholeheartedly recommend this story (with the caveat that you check trigger warnings beforehand).

I always struggle to express my opinion when I've read a book that is incredibly well written and makes me think, but I don't like the main character. My heart breaks for Arin, who has been abandoned twice; once by her parents and again by her new family. Yet we are never in Arin's head. We are privy only to her sister Genevieve's thoughts and feelings. Genevieve's life is not turning out the way she hoped and she is angry and vindictive and blames others. The struggle of this poor family in Singapore and the ways they fail to meet each others' expectations is heartbreaking. I will think about this book for a long time to come.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ecopy. My opinion is my own.

The Original Daughter is set in Singapore and revolves around a Genevieve, the daughter of a middle class family who gets a shock when they find out her Grandfather, who they thought was long dead, has only recently died and was harboring a second family. He has another granddaughter, a year younger than Gen, who comes to live with Gen's family as her sister. You find out in the beginning that as adults, the two have had a falling out and Arin is now a famous actress, but for most of the book, the two girls are very close, with Arin quietly living in Gen's shadow. I enjoyed learning about modern culture in Singapore, and a part of the book set in New Zealand, but be aware, Gen is not always the most likable or relatable character, and her decisions are frustrating.

An epic, long sweeping drama between two sisters. This book was heavy. It was heartbreaking & emotional. Spanning years but leaving chunks of time out. There were powerful and tender moments but a lot of the book felt drawn out, full of too much prose. This is a character driven book where all the characters are flawed and unlikable. I never fully understood the motivations and choices of our main character. The whole thing was painful to read at times but that speaks to the power of the author in getting me to feel the emotions of the story. I never fully connected with the story but it did have a lot of strengths.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this book. All thoughts shared are completely my own.

I was given an advanced reader copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thoroughly enjoyed this book! Characters were so well developed and the family drama very authentic. Highly recommend !