This book is quite possibly one of the strangest things I have ever read. But it is also incredibly beautiful and raw at the same time. At times it is like a poem and at others it is like a string of folk tales that are loosely woven together. I thought it was really interesting and different. I might not recommend this to everyone, but if you're interested in folk tales and can accept the fact that the main character grows a tiger tail, this might be the perfect thing.

Book: Bestiary
Author: K-Ming Chang
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, One World, for providing me with an ARC.

So, this is a very tricky one for me to rate. I actually finished this yesterday and spent some time going back and forth between a three star and a four star. On the one hand, I really enjoyed this book. On the other, there was a lot about it that kind of bothered me. I am not a big fan of magical realism. I like magic, but having it just appear for no one reason has always been a no go for me.

The writing was beautiful and elegant. K-Ming certainly has a very atmospheric writing style. She pulls you into the story and makes it really difficult to pull away. It is very flowery, which is something that I normally don’t like. I think the pose did work very well for this story. I think something that wasn’t as lyrical would not had worked very well. I know a lot of people are saying that this book doesn’t go into graphic detail, it does. There is a lot of talk about bodily functions, the role they play, and it is pretty detailed. I was talking to someone else with an ARC and they said it’s gross, which it is. While it isn’t anything like body horror, it is still there. I’m just putting this in my review to make others aware.

This book is about a family from Taiwan, who has been forced to flee and finds themselves in the USA. I don’t know why they had to flee, if I knew more about the history of Taiwan, then I’m sure I would understand. We get to see their struggles and hardship as they try to deal with a society that will not fully accept them. There is racism, poverty, and difficult times. What I liked about this was it showed that different groups do experience racism. I liked that K-Ming brought this to light and talked about it in a very effective way. It made me think; actually, this whole book got me thinking. This is a good thing, because if people are thinking, then that are going to talk about the book. Sorry, didn’t mean to go off there… I liked this because it felt like we were getting a first hand look into the struggles that people face when they arrive in this country. Not only does it focus on the struggles on one generation, but generation after generation. We see the affects spread throughout the years and how it affects everyone.

So, let’s talk about the magical realism elements for a minute. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Magical realism really isn’t my thing. When I agreed to read this, I didn’t realize it was magical realism. It kind of took me a minute, but I did adjust. The characters are infected by nature. One can grow a tiger’s tail and swallow sandstorms. The world, meanwhile, takes on human traits. Holes become mouths and eat letters. The characters just expect this as part of their lives. While this normally isn’t my cup of tea, it works for this story. I don’t think the story could have had the punch that it did had it not been for these elements. To me, this is what kind of held the characters together.
This is K-Ming Chang’s first novel and I must say that, for the most part, it did really impress me. This is an adult title, so don’t pick it up thinking that it’s YA.

Anyway, this book comes out on September 8, 2020.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/5grFXUZVTkM

Author K-Ming Chang might be known best for her poetry and that poetic sensibility shines through on every page of her first novel, Bestiary. Filled with myth and allusion, in sentences crackling with lyric inventiveness, Chang explores three generations of Taiwanese-Americans, using the imagery of muck and filth to expose the unacknowledged beauty in otherness (trust me, it works). Employing a variety of styles and shifting POVs, there's nothing straightforward in Bestiary, but I was captivated by these characters and their lives; dazzled by the language. Just a stellar debut.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishing for reaching out to me FIRST with an ARC of this. Unfortunately, I was unable to finish the book and made it about of a quarter into it before I had to stop.

I was very drawn in by the idea of Asian folklore and queer inclusion, but the book quickly devolved into a stream of consciousness narrative that my brain could not follow. If you asked me where I left off what was happening, I honestly could not tell you. And then…there was this weird realism to it. The writing is very poetic at times, very gritty and it’s like the scene is right before your eyes, so at first it was heavily reminiscent of Han Kang’s prose, very unsettling at times to read but not necessarily bad. But the content in this book…I can take gore, and scenes of blood, but for whatever reason, this book was really bluntly focused on details of bodily functions and strange metaphors of the same. I saw another review mention the “scatological” vocabulary of the book, and that tracks. I found myself…very grossed out by what was happening and being described. A little too gritty, a little too realistic. I think there’s a niche set of readers who may enjoy this, and unfortunately, I am not one of them.

In a clear minority.

I love a book in a different cultural setting--and folklore. I love beautiful language. BUT.

The setting:
"Three generations of Taiwanese American woman are haunted by the myths of their homeland...visceral debut about one family's queer desires, violent inpulses, and buried secrets." Pretty much sums it up.

Some of the descriptions that caught me:

"Sweat sequined his upper lip."

"...the sky bruised into night"

"We'd just begun seventh grade sex education, which mostly meant our teacher explained that the adhesive "wings" of a Maxi pad were not literal wings and could not equip us with flight." [BTW, very little humor]

And too many eeewww/brutal/graphic moments for me. Also, dislike notes at the end of a chapter--prefer them at the bottom of the page.

In the end, just paged through it. But maybe you will see it differently.

A unique and experimental look at how family narrative and cultural mythology shape us by exploring the lives of three Taiwanese women. Beautifully and brutally written, Chang discusses sexuality and poverty in an often graphic manner that may not appeal to all readers. Chang's prose is both lyrical and blunt, but it draws the reader in and leaves one thinking about and reflecting on the book long after finishing it.

This is a very unique and ambitious novel. I really was blown away by the linguistic creativity. The writer is undeniably talented and has gorgeous, gorgeous prose. Her descriptions, sentences, and the mood of the writing is really astounding. That said, sometimes I did feel that the story was bogged down in language to the point where things rang a little over the top or meaning got obscured because things were so written "up." I do think that's a matter of taste, however, so I would definitely still recommend this book, especially if you're a lover of poetry or value reading slowly and really sitting with each sentence or paragraph. I was also impressed by the way the writer weaves in so many stories, and how she depicts family and intergenerational trauma. I also like the way queerness was handled in the piece. This book isn't quite my favorite but I strongly recommend it.

Bestiary is a raw and unflinching examination of parental violence and psychological warfare, the fighting of self against history and trauma, and the ways in which co-dependency becomes anger and hatred and inability to live at ease. It tells intergenerational stories of fact mingled with folklore, blended with history and escapism. Throughout there is beautiful writing and heart-breaking writing and writing about disgust and disgusting things, and at times I wasn't sure if this rollercoaster would make me feel exhilarated or make me nauseated, but I persevered, and found the experience worthwhile.

One Taiwanese American family grapples with their history as the mythology of their homeland haunts them. From tiger tails to missing toes to an all-knowing hole in the yard, three generations of women are plagued by fantastical family lore come to life, and the youngest in the line wonders if she can change their destiny.

Bestiary often feels like a fever dream - with reality and impossibility mixed into one, jumping from one location to another and not entirely sure how you got there. It's lyrical and mystical and moving, absolutely, but often hard to follow. This book is a fascinating way to explore migration, generational differences, and family history. But my best advice is to release control of the journey and let the book take you where it will.

I struggled with Bestiary and still don't know if I'm the right audience for this book. You know those books where you wonder, "Am I missing something? Will everyone else understand this but me?" That's my entire experience with Bestiary. Bestiary is incredibly experimental in a way that either readers will LOVE or HATE (to be clear I don't hate this!) Full of little almost vignette style chapters, Bestiary is a book steeped in imagery and felt surreal. Chang's queer debut is, at times, both grotesque and gorgeous. There are sentences and chapters that made me take a pause. Almost like Chang records the thoughts, fears, and feelings we have which are actualized.

Overall, to truly enjoy Bestiary, I think it's a book that has to sit with you. To find the kernels within the text and to accept that you might not understand everything. They are stories of survival, of trauma, of acceptance, and sacrifice. It definitely pushes the boundaries and expectations and I can always appreciate a book that challenges our anticipations. If you're looking for a literary fiction novel that will shock you, then definitely check out Bestiary.

At times this book could be hard to follow, especially at the beginning, but when I took time to really block out everything else that was happening around me.. that was when I found myself transported inside the novel. I am absolutely mystified by Bestiary and I appreciate everything it stands for. Thank you to netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

I really tried to give this book a fair chance but about 10% into it I had to jump ship. The language makes the book very hard to read and you jump into multiple characters without any back story. I feel like the author uses a lot of sexual language in order to be provocative without actually saying anything.

**I received a free ARC from netgalley**

I enjoyed this book. It was different than most the books I've read recently, which was a nice change. The characters had some strange but wonderful things happening to them and I was intrigued by this. There were a few things that caught my attention, like how often people peed their pants. And the fact that everyone talked about bowl movements and penises like it was a normal conversational subject. The one thing that really struck me as odd was how the rain was always F*ing their mouths. Its a strange visual I can't even wrap my head around.

If you are not OK with potty language being a passive conversational piece, then don't read this book, but for the rest of you rebels who snicker anytime someone says penis, then please, pick up this really interesting read. You won't regret it.

My review will go live on the Book Confessions blog on 6-11-20.

Just like its characters, this book cannot simply be put on one shelf. Multidimensional and poetic, "Bestiary" is simultaneously a Taiwanese folklore fantasy and a touching contemporary novel about migration, sexuality and family.

I have a university degree in China Studies and as such, modern Instagram-age Chinese diaspora is one of my main interests - and this aspect of the book is truly brilliant. "Bestiary" follows a Taiwanese immigrant family in the US struggling with identity and poverty in the aftermath of trauma. But as they go about their normal, messy lives, we witness some crazy AF, supernatural drama evolve; we're talking growing animal body parts inside and out as well as wild animalistic instincts. These instincts blended to the point where I wasn't sure which of those were human and which weren't - a sign that the author absolutely nailed it.

Are we humans with animal desires or animals with human features? Are we even in control of our minds and bodies, or are we just an intelligent species with an ego big enough to think we're in charge?

Oh, and we NEED to talk about the writing in this book. I loved the raw, lyrical prose that doesn't stray from difficult and often brutal imagery. It's very graphic at times - with sex and bodily functions - which is certainly not for for everybody, but I think it ties masterfully with the subject matter explored in this book.

I highly recommend "Bestiary" to adventurous readers looking for something new and totally unusual. However, be warned, it's not a light read without need for reflection, be rather one that will leave you weirded out and amazed for a long while.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t think our readership would jive with this debut of Chang’s; I found it to be dark and a little crude for our audience.

***Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC***

I had a hard time getting through this book, largely due to its style. While the subject matter, three generations of Taiwanese American women, was right up my alley, I struggled with the mythical aspect of the writing. Chang weaves the mystical all throughout, but if you think this makes it a fairy-light read, you'd be mistaken. The language is brutal. It's fully of piss and shit; rage and desire; and violence in all of its forms. It's unpretty in the most useful way, and I think this threw me for a loop oftentimes because the in-your-face sentences somehow still added up to create a dreamy landscape. The dissonance of it all is jarring, and yet it was worth reading for the odd sentence that knocked me off my feet in its perfection. There are true gems here if you are patient enough to persevere.

In her abstract debut, K Ming Chang blurs the line between animal and human as she travels through three generations of Taiwanese folklore. Telling the story of Ben and her lover, "Bestiary" is an exploration of what it means to be a human. Turning anthropomorphism on its head, Chang instead explores what it would be like to be an animal with human tendencies, how love transverses bodies and physicality and seeks something much deeper inside. A fun, brief read that will leave you in wonder!