Thank you to NetGalley for this free reader in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this book. It is very different from books I typically read, so I appreciated a new perspective and learning about a new family, new relationship and new culture (new to me anyway). And I think I walked away learning that resentment and anguish cross every language and every relationship. I especially enjoyed the mother daughter relationships as well and that family is often more than blood and it's about the families we create.

The prose blew me away, and I loved the Ferrantean vibes in this novel set in early 2000s Singapore. It made me think of the deep betrayals within a family, and what we owe ourselves and others in a world of increasing competition.

“𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘨𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳𝘴, 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘱. 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.”

Thank you Doubleday Books for the advanced readers copy via NetGalley as this has been a highly anticipated release for me! I had hoped to finish before pub day but I’m just glad I got to read it!

This is a stunning debut that is raw, emotional, and deeply reflective. I felt like I was right there in the middle of the story, amongst the complex characters, the entire time. I took my time reading for a handful of reasons but mostly to savor the story. To take in, reflect on, the nuance and complicated dynamics that can be mixed families, rigid and cutthroat academia environments, support and rivalry between siblings, low income vs privilege, shame/honor culture, and sense of identity.

“𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.”

While Gen is certainly not without her faults (several times I wanted to shake her to act differently!) perhaps as an eldest daughter myself I related to her in a lot of ways, probably most significantly the pressure that others and we ourselves put on ourself to perform the best, to achieve the success we’ve worked tirelessly hard for, to be someone worth being proud of, as well as our sense of duty, only to feel like we’ve failed and the shame we feel as a result. How deep familial betrayals cut us. And Arin - sigh - she annoyed me from the start. ALL of her antics, her self-absorbed nature, the manipulations… isn’t this how sibling relationships can be? Such a difference in personalities, motives, desires, that can clash over anything, big or small; that our perceptions of each other may not always be the most clear, the most accurate?

Content includes a parent with a terminal diagnosis, familial abandonment, assaults, and an intimate scene (more from a woman’s mental perspective than the act itself). I found this compelling, moody, heartbreaking, frustrating, tense, relatable, and lingers after you’ve finished. I’ll gladly read future works from Wei!

“𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦.”

Honestly heartwrenching.

I felt I understood Gen so well. Arin not so much. And their mom? A puzzle still.

"Who was I to say anything when I, too, had become a cog in the production line of academic success?"

(me too, Gen)

I had to keep reminding myself this was a debut. Good writing, character driven with one I started liking and ended up hating. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

I enjoyed this story about complex relationships. The story begins during the main character's childhood, when she gets a sister. This relationship is then followed through the years, along with the relationships between her parents and grandmothers. These depictions were compelling and thought-provoking. I found the main character's downward spiral to be extremely relatable. While both she and her sister made bad decisions over the courses of their lives, weighing what brought them together and kept them apart was an interesting consideration, especially given the open ending. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants an emotional, reflective read about complicated families and what we owe to one another.

3.5 —What an intriguing novel—I was invested start to finish. I found this to be an original story, one that went in a different direction that I expected (I love to be surprised by novels!). I found Gen to be a flawed and perplexing protagonist, and enjoyed puzzling through her thought process, decisions, and insecurities. With gratitude to NetGalley for the ARC!

I had hoped this book would be more about the tension between sisters, but I found it focused mostly on the narrator -- who was largely unlikable. The writing was good, but the pacing was a bit too slow for me. All in all, a slow paced character-driven novel which may be suited for readers who don't mind not exactly liking the central character.

Thank you to Net Galley and Doubleday for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I am always looking for book written by Asian and Asian American authors, especially debuts. Although a bit long in parts, this was a wonderful story of two sisters that stars in Singapore. Genevieve was an only child until Arin shows up one day, the grandchild of a grandfather thought long dead who has a shameful legacy. They are obliged to take Arin in and the two girls grow close. Genevieve watches over Arin as she gets used to this new home and feels a bit of ownership for her little sister. Yet, as they grow and Arin starts to excel past Genevieve, even for the affections of Genevieve's harsh mother. There is a betrayal and the girls move through life separate from one another one finding success and the other struggling in mediocrity. The book looks at family and sisterly bonds and the complexity of these relationships - how they shape us, what causes those bonds to break, and if they can possibly be repaired. The book covers about 20 years although the book starts with where the two sisters are as adults so the reader is wondering how they got there. Long in some parts but overall a good read.

This was a GMA Book Club pick, so I was really curious to try it. The sister story was interesting. The setting in Singapore was unique to me, and I liked all the storyline about A-level exams and how university admissions work—apparently private universities are seen as second-rate!

But the story just moved too slowly for me, and I couldn’t get into it. I ended up quitting at 47% completed.

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

@doubledaybooks | #gifted I generally love books about sister relationships and I’m always up for reading debut authors, which are just two reasons why I was excited about 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗗𝗔𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗘𝗥 by Jemimah Wei. The Singapore setting and turn of the century era were also appealing. Then the book was chosen as May’s @gmabookclub selection, so what more could I want? That’s a difficult question to answer, but I definitely wanted something more.⁣
⁣
At the center of this story is Genevieve, the only daughter of a struggling working class family living in a small Singapore apartment with her parents and grandmother. While she’s still in primary school, a cousin, Arin, joins their family. Though both girls are at first unhappy about this, they quickly become the closest of friends. The story proceeds with A LOT of emphasis on the pressures of school, getting good grades, taking tests, and progressing onward. It eventually moves into competition between the “sisters” and then to estrangement (where the book actually begins).⁣
⁣
All this was accomplished VERY slowly. I found it difficult to keep going less than halfway through this book. It felt so much like the same things were happening over and over with slight variations and it was so depressing, truly unrelenting. That might have been okay if I could have rallied something other than pity for the characters. Sadly, I just never cared much about any of them and all too soon, I only wanted to be done. Obviously, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘋𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 wasn’t a book for me, but I really wish it had been!🤷🏻‍♀️

Jemimah Wei’s debut novel, The Original Daughter, is a compelling exploration of sisterhood, ambition, and the intricate bonds of family set against the backdrop of modernizing Singapore. With emotional depth and cultural nuance, Wei crafts a narrative that resonates with universal themes of identity and belonging.

The story centers on Genevieve Yang, who, at eight years old, discovers that her grandfather—previously thought deceased—has passed away, leaving behind a second family in Malaysia. This revelation brings Arin, a seven-year-old girl from that family, into Genevieve's life as her adopted sister. As the two girls grow up in Singapore's competitive environment, their bond is tested by personal ambitions and a profound betrayal that leads to estrangement. Years later, with their mother terminally ill, Genevieve grapples with the decision to reconnect with Arin, now a successful actress, to fulfill their mother's dying wish.

Wei delves into the complexities of familial relationships, particularly the dynamics between sisters who are bound not just by blood but by shared experiences and secrets. The novel examines how societal pressures and personal aspirations can both unite and divide, highlighting the sacrifices made in pursuit of success. Set in the turn-of-the-millennium Singapore, the narrative captures the tension between tradition and modernity, and the personal costs of navigating these forces.

I enjoyed The Original Daughter's insightful portrayal of complex characters and relationships. I walked away feeling very satisfied with this poignant and thought-provoking novel that offers a deep dive into the complexities of family ties and personal identity. Jemimah Wei's storytelling is both intimate and expansive, making this debut a noteworthy addition to contemporary literature

The premise, centered around a dying woman and the emotional tug-of-war between her daughter and bonus daughter as they struggle to find their place in her life and their own, had the potential for a compelling, heartfelt story. Unfortunately, I found it difficult to get into. The beginning felt extremely slow and drawn out, and it simply didn’t hold my interest. I truly wanted to like this book, but I’m sorry to say that it just didn’t work for me.

This is a difficult one to review. The writing was good and author really brought the main character Genevieve to life. Unfortunately for me, she was just so unlikeable this story was so character driven that it was hard to really like the book. I wish we had gotten inside of her "sister" Arin's head more to balance things. Still, this was a true to life story. There are people that just can't break out of their spiral of negativeness. This definitely would be a great book for discussion.

this book felt far longer than it actually was. i get it's all building up and part of the story, but it just felt so long and boring. i don't think it was necessary for the narrative to focus on the day to day lives of the characters. it made the story repetitive, but maybe that was the goal; the repetitiveness of an average life. the ending felt lackluster and not very resolved. also, so much happened throughout the book that it all just honestly became a blur. the whole story felt like it was building up to something big and climactic, but it just dropped off. it felt like running to the edge of a cliff and jumping off only to land 2 feet below. i really don't have too much to say. the idea was there, but it was just not well executed. the carnal urge for success and greatness on your own only to become average and letting failures and pride from trying to succeed. honestly, i'm a little disappointed, mostly by the ending, but that's ok. but thank you netgalley for the arc!

A tragic yet beautiful account of sisterhood, this novel genuinely brought me to tears at some points. It did a good job of capturing the ways in which academic pressures and familial issues can splinter even a close sibling relationship, and I found the protagonist's characterization to be particularly adept. My only qualms about this book hinge on a plot point late in the novel which I found just a tad too meta, re: the nature of art, and also not particularly convincing. The heart-wrenching sections of the book, however, were so well done that I would recommend it to others.

Thank you for letting me read this book. I was disappointed in that I had expected to become involved in the characters and care about their difficulties. I did not find that to be the case. I will not be blogging about this book because another person may react entirely differently, and I don’t want to take away their pleasure.

A complicated story about how family members treat each other. The situation is complicated due to the family dynamics of an original daughter and another daughter who is thrust upon this family. The character driven story examines all the relationships through Gen’s narrative. It is quite sad the way the members of this family relate to each other, but there are all kinds of families and relationships. A well written sad read. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

This is a very mundane book about a character and the very normal life things happening to her, reminding me a bit of an Anne of Green Gables or Little House on the Prairie type of story (in the storytelling sense, as this is modern day). It's very slice of life. You might think the throughline is something to do with the siblings' relationship, or the "original daughter's" relationship with the mother, but I wouldn't call that the plot, though of course those topics are very prevalent. While I love slice of life stories, or stories focused on relationships rather than plot, there truly was just not much happening in this book at all.
The main character is pretty awful, and there's not really redemption anywhere to be found in this book. The other characters all have pretty severe shortcomings too (though some more than others for sure, and some unfairly take a lot of heat from the MC).
This is where I struggled: if this is a story with little plot, and it should revolve around the relationships, but there's not a lot of character development for anyone, or any life lessons (good or bad) that come across...what is the point of the book?
I'm not sure I would read again from this author, but I would recommended this to people who are looking for a modern day story told in the likeness of an Anne of Green Gables or Little House on the Prairie. Just not quite right for me.
Thank you to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for the eARC, and for the opportunity to leave an honest, voluntary review.

we are all so stupid about each other. 
the characters in this book are so frustrating, as they test each other and push and shove and seek pointless success and prioritize the wrong things and make cruel mistakes and, in other words, spend 350 pages being so unbearably human. 
this is a slow and hurt and emotional story. it took me ages to read the first half and a matter of hours to consume the second. i loved it.