3.5 stars, rounded up.
Siren Queen tells the story of a young Chinese-American girl who desperately wants to become a movie star in the 1930s, even though it means fighting against racism, sexism, and the actual literal monsters that run the studios behind the scenes.
The beginning had me hooked. I had read the first few chapters on BookishFirst, and the little hints at magic were creepy and enthralling. The story slowed down a little bit after the first few chapters, though, and there was a lot of waiting and watching our protagonist try to land roles.
The story shined when it leaned into its magical realism elements - the idea that you can buy and sell immortality, the leaching away of actors' voices and images by virtue of recording them over and over, the monstrous sacrifices demanded by the studio heads. In between these elements of almost-horror, however, there wasn't much going on until perhaps halfway through the book, when the protagonist delves into the queer community and finds her fellow "monsters."
The story picks up again toward the end - there is real risk, real danger and loss. Overall I enjoyed the book for the atmosphere moreso than the plot, but the world created here was interesting enough to make it worthwhile.
Siren Queen tells the story of a young Chinese-American girl who desperately wants to become a movie star in the 1930s, even though it means fighting against racism, sexism, and the actual literal monsters that run the studios behind the scenes.
The beginning had me hooked. I had read the first few chapters on BookishFirst, and the little hints at magic were creepy and enthralling. The story slowed down a little bit after the first few chapters, though, and there was a lot of waiting and watching our protagonist try to land roles.
The story shined when it leaned into its magical realism elements - the idea that you can buy and sell immortality, the leaching away of actors' voices and images by virtue of recording them over and over, the monstrous sacrifices demanded by the studio heads. In between these elements of almost-horror, however, there wasn't much going on until perhaps halfway through the book, when the protagonist delves into the queer community and finds her fellow "monsters."
The story picks up again toward the end - there is real risk, real danger and loss. Overall I enjoyed the book for the atmosphere moreso than the plot, but the world created here was interesting enough to make it worthwhile.