This was one of the most poignant, beautiful tragedies I’ve ever read. I will never forget it. I’m literally in tears as I write this.

The story starts in 2015, and is told through the eyes of our (unreliable) narrator Genevieve, who is coming to grips with the news of her mother’s terminal diagnosis. We learn about a family estranged through time and circumstance, but we are left in the dark unaware of how it came to be. The story then becomes a memoir flash-backed 19 years earlier to 1996, the very beginning… navigating the naivety of childhood to the clarity of adulthood looking back at old memories, love, loss, trauma and melancholy as we work our way back to the present and unweave the memories past that led them to this point.

Genevieve first met her sister, Arin, at age 8, Arin only being one year younger at the time. My heart pulled for these sisters, this family that had so much affection and care for each other, I was so confused at how things could turn out the way they did. There were so many times while reading, especially towards the beginning that had me wondering where things went so wrong. I was so hooked, as you keep going you start seeing where the edges start to unfurl, the jealousy, family ties/loyalty, competition and social pressure that compounds the snowball bit by bit.

The struggles that they went through that could’ve been avoided if they’d just talked to each other broke my heart. The pettiness and the jealousy… and the fact that I understand where they’re coming from, but the way it still genuinely hurt, driving actual tears like they were real people to me. Everyone is flawed, everyone is a villain… and yet no one is at the same time. This book was an onion, lots of layers and will make you cry once you cut into it.

I wish the ending was more definitive. Gen’s mother was a mirror of Gen’s grandmother, harrowing and extremely heartbreaking. I wish that was explored further. The ending felt very abrupt, like there is more story left to tell. That being said, I know that all stories don’t have to end happily, be wrapped up neatly and tied in a bow to be compelling, I just wish that we had a little more.

If you loved Pachinko or Homegoing or even The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, you might really love this one. I have to thank Jemimah Wei for writing this story so beautifully, for tearing my heart to shreds and stomping on it. And thank you to netgalley for letting me read this.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Genevieve and her family welcome a relative into their lives, and there are complicated aspects of their relationships. When Gen accepts Arin as a little sister, she does so in an overbearing manner and is accustomed to being her sister's teacher and protector. When Arin achieves success of her own, Gen reacts badly. Drama ensues.

I had so many emotions while reading through this book. It was such an emotional ride. The hardships of family, the breaking and healing of hearts, loss and gain. I couldn't put it down. I read straight through.
I believe this is a debut author. I can't believe it. I suspect this book will be much talked about in 2025

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this e galley. All opinions are my own.

From the publisher.
In this dazzling debut, Stegner Fellow Jemimah Wei explores the formation and dissolution of family bonds in a story of ambition and sisterhood in turn-of-the-millennium Singapore.

Before Arin, Genevieve Yang was an only child. Living with her parents and grandmother in a single-room flat in working-class Bedok, Genevieve is saddled with an unexpected sibling when Arin appears, the shameful legacy of a grandfather long believed to be dead. As the two girls grow closer, they must navigate the intensity of life in a place where the urgent insistence on achievement demands constant sacrifice. Knowing that failure is not an option, the sisters learn to depend entirely on one another as they spurn outside friendships, leisure, and any semblance of a social life in pursuit of academic perfection and passage to a better future.

When a stinging betrayal violently estranges Genevieve and Arin, Genevieve must weigh the value of ambition versus familial love, home versus the outside world, and allegiance to herself versus allegiance to the people who made her who she is. In the story of a family and its contention with the roiling changes of our rapidly modernizing, winner-take-all world, The Original Daughter is a major literary debut, rife with emotional clarity and searing social insight.

3.5 stars
This is the story of parents, their daughter and a child, a distant relative, who they take in and she becomes their daughter. Their life is not easy. They struggle to survive.
Over time, the two sisters become close, but as they get a bit older their relationship becomes strained and more difficult. Much later, their mother becomes ill with cancer. The family doesn’t communicate well and there is disappointment felt by all the family members at different times. None of them have very good life skills. Although the story was well written, I found the story sad. I hoped for better things for all of them.

I was initially drawn to the book out of a self-professed shallow curiosity to see what a book set in Singapore but decidedly not about the crazy rich could be like, so I did not really know what to expect from the book. That said, I was engrossed early in. Character-driven stories are not easy to pull off, yet this being Wei’s debut novel is nothing short of impressive. Her characters are layered, and even in their most hateful moments, i found myself empathizing with them. The tension that Wei wove into the book made for an absorbing and almost claustrophobic look into the characters’ struggles.

Wei is no doubt a talented writer. If there is ever an Asian fiction - or even general fiction, really - to be recommended in 2025, I think this could be a contender.

If you liked the book "The Woman" by Kristin Hannah then this is a great book to put on your reading list! The majority of the story takes place is Singapore with basic characters being Gen, Arin, and other family members. The story follows Gen and Arin through their life, facing many challenges. It was a great book!

The twist and turns in Genevieve & Arin’s relationship in The Original Daughter drew me in right away and I devoured the entire book. I also really enjoyed reading a book that took place in Singapore. While I have to admit that I found some of Genevieve’s choices frustrating, it was a reflection of how connected I was to the characters in the book. While there were some things I didn’t like about the plot, overall I recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Press for an advance copy.

Man, oh man was this book so freaking good! Sisterhood was at the core of this book and the messiness and drama keeps you gripped. This is my first book from Ms. Wei and I do plan to make her one of my many autobuy authors. Thank you so much for this story. I hope to convince my sisters to read this book.

Much of the literature I have read that is set in Singapore focuses on the ultra wealthy with dysfunctional families. The Original Daughter has plenty of family dysfunction, but no wealth. I loved the story until I didn’t. Gen strives for academic success and it comes to her fairly easily setting her up for acceptance at an elite junior university. Arin struggles with her education, but Su, Gen’s mother, tutors her with great care while also running a dubious, but lucrative, side business.

Gen and Arin are not biological sisters, but are related. Arin joins Gen’s family when she is a very young girl. The transition is difficult, but Su and Gen are very accepting of her. Gen’s dad is not a particularly likable guy, but he is influential in her life. His mother also lives with the family so there are 5 people in a 1 bedroom apartment. The girls become very close, but their plans and expectations for their furnitures change drastically. And then the betrayal. I read on a kindle. If I read a paper version I would have tossed it across the room. It was so unexpected.

The book is far too long. Every time I thought THIS is a good place to end, the author plowed on. No fewer than three times could she have closed out the story and left the reader satisfied. The actual ending is weak. The other issue is the aging of the characters. Su is about 16 when she had Gen. Gen is in her mid to late twenties as the book finally ends. No one knows when the end will come, but the chosen diagnosis seems wrong. The book has potential, but it needs a good edit.

"The Original Daughter" is an insightful novel about two sisters growing up in Singapore.
One is the "original" daughter and the other is adopted although an actual blood relative.
The siblings who are best friends at first, become estranged and the novel explores academics, family allegiance, and ambition.
It's well drawn characters make for a moving story.

I was struggling while reading another book that didn’t feel engaging enough, when I decided to start “the original daughter” to see if I could get myself off the reading slump. At that moment Wei’s writing felt like a glass of cold iced water on a really hot day, so pleasant and refreshing.
The prose pulled me quickly into the book, but the plot isn’t a breeze. There are many heart wrenching aspects in this story that made my eyes well up a couple of times. This is a book about love with zero romance in it. About an unorthodox family and above all, a story of betrayal. When I was finishing it I felt like the plot left me with a feeling of a dumpster fire floating on flooded streets.
Was such a privilege to read about this two sisters growing up in Singapore, such a unique societal structure that praises academic excellence and hard work. The competitiveness and ambition, and how young people feel pressured to always outperform.
I absolutely loved this book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Sweeping and poignant, sisterhood has never felt more messy and brutal than between Genevieve and Arin.

This debut novel really blew me away. It has such an interesting premise and setting, and the author really brought each individual character to life. I was captivated by the first page, and I was eager to follow Genevieve's complicated relationship with her sister, Arin, from childhood into the present day.

The fascinating family dynamics and evolving relationships build the foundation of this riveting story. The prose is well-crafted and perfectly paced. There were definitely moments in which I felt quite frustrated at Genevieve's inability to communicate her intense and often unwarranted negative feelings she has towards the people in her life, particularly Micah and Arin. Her immaturity, stubbornness, and tendency to wallow in her shame and hurt reveals itself throughout, and it can be hard to empathize with her. However, the skill with which this story is woven is undeniable - it is sure to make an impact on anyone who reads it.

The Original Daughter is a debut novel by Jemimah Wei that explores family and cultural dynamics. I rated this book 4/5 stars because it beautifully explored dysfunctional family roles and generational trauma. I appreciated the backstory that was laid out. I felt for the main character, Genevieve, because she suffered abandonment, low self-esteem, and melancholy. Wei created a vivid picture of Singaporean life and the different roads individuals take despite being raised in the same culture. I laughed, cried, yelled, and threw my kindle down in frustration so many times throughout this book -- which in my opinion, means this book did what it came to do! I'll definitely be purchased a physical copy when it's released and I encourage everyone to do the same!

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for sharing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This epic saga explores the redefinition of family bonds, abandonment, estrangement, resentment, guilt, and the dysfunctional but inevitably tight relationship of sisters throughout the years. Set in millennial Singapore, it starts in the present day where Genevieve, who can be called the original daughter of the Yang family, finds out her mother has only a few weeks to live after losing her battle against cancer. Her mother keeps requesting her to connect with her estranged sister Arin, who is originally her cousin and has become an A-list movie star, living her best life while barely compensating for her mother's health expenses. Genevieve refuses to call her sister for a reason: a big betrayal in the past that takes us back to a time when her nuclear family lived under the roof of her sulky, grumpy, unhappy grandmother after her mother's family kicked her out and her father barely made enough money to keep a roof over their heads.

One day, her grandmother announces that her husband, whom she thought had gone to war in Malaysia and died there, was alive all along, forming a new family there before eventually dying and leaving his second family financially struggling. Now the son of Genevieve's grandfather has written them a request to send his daughter Arin to live with them. Genevieve's grandmother accepts this request without discussing it with her son and daughter-in-law, which creates a minor crisis, giving panic attacks to Genevieve's father who couldn't overcome his abandonment issues caused by his own father.

When little Arin gets dragged by her own father and left in their living room, the little girl barely talks, hiding in her cocoon as Genevieve does her best to make her accepted in the family, trying to make her involved. Even their mother starts writing them notes, inventing new fun games, and giving Arin private lessons to help her catch up in school. Slowly, Arin emerges from the walls she hid behind and forms a special bond with Genevieve until she discovers a big secret about her own family, which turns their bond into a sisterhood agreement.

But over the years, as Arin puts Genevieve's ideas into the spotlight in a developed version which gains her stardom while Genevieve's academic dreams slowly fade away, ambition turns into resentment and jealousy, pushing the sisters against each other and burning the bonds they had hardly built.

As their mother's health deteriorates, Genevieve finally pushes her pride aside to connect with her sister, which resurfaces unresolved past problems they have to face, which will not be easy to absorb.

Overall: The realistic tone of the book and the author's unique and reliable approach to themes of abandonment, forming your own family, burying your resentment, and healing your insecurities engage you with the characters easily and elevate your reading experience to another level. I enjoyed every part of it. I highly recommend this strikingly poignant but also powerful debut.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for sharing this amazing debut's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

I laughed; i wept; i marveled at this book. THE ORIGINAL DAUGHTER is a story about two girls in singapore, Arin and Genevieve. The book studies their turbulent relationship: the ways that they both uniquely possess the ability to make and destroy one another.
With Arin and Genevieve, Wei has achieved that striking, rich and elusive ferrantean mixture describing a certain kind of relationship that exists between women--something that resides somewhere in the realm of best friend and sister, but also paramour and enemy and mother and daughter and lover; something between than all those things put together, and more. In this, Wei has created some of the most compelling characters I've read, set in a clamorous and ever-changing Singapore (and, unexpectedly, a lush New Zealand too).
Wei's pro/antagonists are traitorous, prideful, jealous, begging, deceitful, conniving, cruel; i railed against them, rooted for them, and loved them too. I got the things i turn to literature in search of. This is not a book to be missed.

Why is this the first time I have read anything from this author? Her writing was nuanced and descriptive at the same time and read like someone who has several books under her belt.

The Original Daughter is set in Singapore with flashback to the past to bring you up to speed to the present day where we see the Mother is dying of cancer. It revolves around two girls (Genevieve and Arin) who discover that they share the same grandfather. Their Grandfather literally picked up and left the family in Singapore when the father was young and was presumed to be dead. Plot Twist, he was indeed alive with a whole second family in Malaysia (Arin's family)! The younger of the two, Arin, is dropped off with Genevieve's family one day when she is seven and left there to be raised by the Grandfather's original family.

The Story progresses from there where you see Gen make overtures to win Arin over as a new sister. She's open to the prospect and can't wait to take the new duckling under her wing. Arin is basically shell-shocked at being abandoned by her family and it takes a runaway attempt to break her out of her shell and integrate well with the family.

The author proceeds to continue telling the life story from Gen's point of view. You see her loner mentality show up IMMEDIATELY in school where she scorns all her classmates attempts to be friends. You see her treat everyone as competition or not even a blip on her radar-depending on where she thinks they are in the hierarchy of things. Every overture to friendships or truces are violently scorned and you as a reader never really find out WHY she treats her classmates like this. The problem is, it's not just her classmates. It's her family and later, coworkers. It’s her roommates and the people she works for. You never see her give of herself and in fact be so self-centered to not even see suffering right in front of her face.

Time moves on from school and progresses to college where she rapidly realizes that she is no longer the big fish in a small pond. She is less qualified, more narrow minded than all her other classmates and it's apparent. She eventually drops out to work as an ice cream scooper, yet with no motivation to be the best or learn the business even though she is handed the reigns of the business from the owner. Arin is always there reaching out to her Jie but is rebuffed for whatever is going on in Gen's head at the moment.

We see Arin's life in periphery to Gens and she is the more successful shadow of Gen. She takes ideas and foundations that Gen has tried and abandoned and makes it successful for herself by not giving up, by applying herself, by being flexible to take feedback. EG: Gen originally wanted to make money so she started auditioning for YouTube roles and failed. She stopped trying after one failed interview. Arin later takes that same idea, and doesn't stop interviewing until she lands herself a minor role. She then catapults that role into roles in movies and later, success.

Over and over you see Arin "one-up" Gen and with each success, Gen becomes more and more bitter, resentful, and isolated.

SPOILERISH STATEMENT: It all accumulates in Gen chasing off Arin and their mother getting terminal cancer. All during that time, the mom (who is a whole forceful character that I haven't even touched on) is telling Gen to reach out to Arin. Over and over she asks her to call Arin. Gen refuses until the very end until their mother is literally in a coma. Eventually, she breaks and Arin flies over from the movie location she was filming at to be with her mom. Too late. Her mother never regains consciousness to say goodbye.

The amount of growth and development we see in Gen and Arin during the final pages of the book is so real. So poignant. Often reconciliation is painted as an all at once fairy tale when in reality it's a progression

This book is well worth the read. In it, you see realistic depictions of narcissism in a bit of all the characters. I say "realistic" because often narcissists are shown as 100% evil 100% of the time. But here, you see the flaws in their armor, the reasons perhaps they walked that path. You see how families can be broken because of a person’s choices....and also fused because of choices. There were passages that I highlighted because of how poetically they flowed. I felt the same internal pressure to succeed Gen has. The same harshness with others who are not up to par. Through this mirror, I see the shortsightedness and selfishness that type of thinking has on a person’s life and outcomes.

Thank you Net Galley for approving me for the arc of this book. I was quick engrossed into this book. The book follows a story between sisters Genevieve and Arin. Arin is actually Genevieve’s cousin but she was given to the family at an early age due to an affair. The story is told from Genevieve’s perspective and I found insufferable but I couldn’t help but continue to read! Seeing the secrets within the family unfold and seeing the cruelness and love that Gen and Arin have for each other was nothing like I’ve ever read before. There were truly happy and heart breaking moments throughout the entire story. Definitely not like one I’ve read before.

If I could give Jemimah Wei's debut novel 10 stars, I would, because it so richly deserves all the stars and more! The Original Daughter will be among the best fiction of 2025, and I feel lucky to have been able to read an advance copy. One of the most nuanced stories I've ever read about a complicated family dynamic across decades and generations, about success and failure and the personal and systemic forces at work in determining futures, about the love and betrayals and jealousy and regret between two sisters, I was captivated and then eventually weeping until the very end.

Escaping poverty, breaking the cycle, is never easy. Generational trauma runs deep, ever ready to rear its ugly head. Jemimah Wei's moving debut novel, "The Original Daughter", is a nuanced, highly charged bildungsroman bound to stay with readers long after the final page is turned.

The narrative is primarily based in Singapore, but not the immaculate, sophisticated, "no gum-chewing allowed" one that we have been taught. Wei's family's existence is centered on the hardscrabble crammed-room, shared bathroom, stuffy, close, everyone in your business neighborhoods of Singapore. Making ends meet is a daily struggle. Educational achievement is the only route out. Competition is fierce, leaving no room for error. Some make it. Most don't.

While the descriptive language of "The Original Daughter" is rich, visual, and ever appealing, the tone is often suffocating, claustrophobic, and ominous. We are rooting for the protagonists, Genevieve and Arin, but are constantly worried lest "the other shoe" drop at any time. Will they make the right choices? Will they navigate our often cruel world?. Key themes of belonging in the face of abandonment thread throughout. Life is hard, often unfair. I easily imagined "The Original Daughter" as a series or a movie. It is that cinematic. Jemimah Wei is a talent to follow moving forward.

Thank you to Doubleday and NetGalley for the eARC.