The story, set in Singapore, we meet Genevieve Yang an only child, living with her parents and grandmother in a cramped single-room flat. One day Genevieve is presented with an unexpected sibling when Arin appears at the door. Genevieve tries hard to create a relation ship with thus very reluctant new sister. The two girls do form a relationship and grow close, while navigating the intensity of life in a place where the urgent insistence on achievement demands constant sacrifice. Here, failure is not an option. The sisters depend entirely on each other, resisting outside friendships, recreation,, and any kind of social life, in order to focus entirely on academic perfection, creating a path to a better future.

Then a bitter betrayal seriously estranges Genevieve and Arin. Now Genevieve must weigh the value of ambition versus sibling love, home versus the outside world, and commitment to herself versus commitment to the people who made her who she is.

The Original Daughteris a beautifully written book, with believable and intricate characters. .
Be aware that this is a rather slow moving story, but still a marvelously written debut novel by Jemimah Wei.

This is a beautiful and tragic story of two sisters. Genevieve is an only child growing up in Singapore in a small apartment with her parents and grandmother. Another child, Arin, unexpectedly joins the family and brings an entirely new dynamic to the family. This story follows the sisters as they grow up as fierce allies and then become estranged by a deep hurt as adults. The relationships between each of the family members is explored in complex, delightful, sad, and heartbreaking ways, Thank you to Doubleday Books and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Doubleday books and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. It took some time for me to not only read this book, but fully get into reading it once I did. It did slowly pull me in and the novel stuck with me after finishing. The bonds between the girls as their relationship developed and ebbed, as well as the surrounding relationships were all so real and despite the bleakness surrounding much of this content, the novel itself and it's descriptions were beautifully written. The writing was able to encompass so many of the details, intimacies, and fleeting feelings that abound throughout the narrative. This book revolves around some intense and very serious subject matters, but it does so eloquently, while also sharing truths, that although often hard to read, tell a greater truth and story well-worth the read. Overall, happy to have finally finished this novel and pleasantly surprised by the writing of this debut author!

I cannot believe this book is a debut. I am legit blown away. The writing is ultimate perfection.

Young Genevieve lives in a single-room flat in Singapore with her parents and grandmother. Unexpectedly, a girl similar in age is abandoned, placed in the care of Genevive’s family, and told they are to now be sisters, nearly twins.

The orbit these two girls have on each other, the pull and push of love, comparison, and competition, makes it difficult to pick a favorite. The complex relationships that reach beyond the girls give us an intimate look inside a flawed family grasping to stay close. All it takes is one cataclysmic bump to send this family into a downward spiral of pain and incredible loss.

I wish I could read this book again for the first time.

I loved the premise of this one and initially was really into the book but for some reason I couldnt connect to the sisters and their relationship. I also couldn’t understand how their father could just leave and not have a relationship with them. I put the book down several times before ultimately skimming to finish. Genevieve was a cold character and made emotional decisions I just couldn’t understand. This book was fine but wasn’t for me.

I was pretty excited for this at the start---loved the setting, in 1990/early 2000s Singapore, and the entry of Arin into Genevieve's family is both heartbreaking and uplifting. The writing is beautiful, and the intergenerational relationships portrayed with grace and complexity.

Yet as the book progressed, I began to dislike pretty much every character, but especially Genevieve. She is petty, jealous, acts terribly, and receives no redemption from herself or others. Equally, Arin's entry into acting, prompted by Genevieve's abrupt audition for an emerging YouTube platform, is clumsy. Genevieve's father proves inept and spineless; her mother is painted as both flighty and suffocating, a depiction that felt unfair and colored by Genevieve's prickliness.

I give credit to the author for the inventive and shocking betrayal that leads to the sisters' estrangement. This act is amplified by Genevieve's lifelong resentment, though, which just made me sad, for her and for Arin.

I finished this book angry and sad.

This book is a literary fiction debut set in Singapore and looks at the bonds of family and specifically sisters over two decades. Genevieve Yang was an only child until circumstances occur that bring Arin to her family. Suddenly at eight years old, she’s an older sister.

I’ll be completely honest, I went into this book somewhat blind and thought it had more of a historical narrative, so I did have to reframe my expectations and thoughts a bit.

Overall, this book is a tricky one to talk about because I didn’t have any super strong positive or negative thoughts about it. I love a sibling story and it was interesting to read the different dynamics at play with these two sisters. I think what lost me a bit was that this book is 100% a character driven novel and I struggled with my feelings about the characters. I found them somewhat unlikable and specifically Genevieve so selfish and manipulative (well I guess Arin too for that matter.)

And I know the point of the story is not for you to fall in love with these characters, it’s to tell a story. But when I’m reading a character driven novel, personally, I want to like at least one of the characters. I absolutely didn’t hate it, it just wasn’t a favorite and I did have a few issues.

I love that this was set in Singapore (and a bit in New Zealand). It’s a country that I haven’t read a lot about and I appreciated that setting. I think this would be a really good book club pick as there is a lot to discuss.

3.5 stars.

"The Original Daughter" draws you in from the very beginning. The characters are well developed and explained. The plot has plenty of foreboding to keep you wanting to read more. I enjoyed the book and recommend reading it.

The Original Daughter is a debut novel concerning the creation and dissolution of a family in Singapore. Up until she was eight, Genevieve was an only child. But then, seven year old Arin arrives, a half-cousin to Gen, given up by her family in Malaysia. Slowly, Genevieve and Arin become tightly bound. But then, as young women, that bond breaks and they become estranged.
The story is beautifully written. While told solely from Genevieve’s PoV, both characters felt fully formed. Gen wasn’t an easy character to like. If she’d been real, I would have wanted to shake some sense into her. Yet, I felt her pain - the losses she suffered, the jealousy and finally the hurt from the betrayal. Even when I disliked what she did, I could understand why she did it.
The story speaks of familial duty, resentment, abandonment, lost dreams, independence and ambition. It was a book that really made me think. At the end, I felt bereft from the pain of someone holding on to bad choices for too long. It would make an excellent book club selection.
Wei also did a strong job of taking the reader to both Singapore and Christchurch.
My thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday Books for an advance copy of this book.

The Original Daughter

Two cousins are raised as sisters in a tiny, two-bedroom, SIngaporean apartment. How they discover their individual paths in life, and find their way back to each other makes an enthralling story. This book gives the reader a fascinating look into Singaporean culture as well as a deep insight into the human heart,

My Brilliant Friend fans will find much to love in this striking debut that explores the price of ambition between two women who have loved each other like sisters.

The opening prologue shows that Arin, one of the novel's central figures, has broken into Hollywood. We also understand that the bond between her and her family member, Genevieve, was severed eleven years ago. What we don't know is how, and uncovering that mystery is one of the novel's most compelling threads as we journey through these pages.

Genevieve has always been an only child, raised in a cramped flat with her parents and grandmother in working-class Singapore. But everything changes when Arin appears, the daughter of Genevieve's grandfather's secret family. Taken in by their grandmother, Arin is suddenly, irrevocably, part of Genevieve's world.

The two girls forge an unbreakable bond, solidified by a blood oath under the moonlight to never abandon each other. As they navigate a relentless environment that demands academic perfection, their paths divide—one burdened by the weight of familial expectation who takes a secretarial role out of the country, the other effortlessly capturing attention, first through a YouTube channel and later finding fame on the indie film circuit.

Their sisterhood is shattered when a shocking betrayal fractures their relationships, sending them spiraling on separate journeys. This separation may be equally surprising and frustrating for the reader, as neither party is entirely in the right. Still, as the tensions mount and more details unfold, you hope for a reunion, especially as they navigate a new urgent layer to their reconciliation.

As Genevieve finds herself in New Zealand chasing a new job opportunity, she encounters an American who marvels at Singapore's technological advancements—its pristine streets, its robotic efficiency—offering a stark contrast to her cluttered childhood, where her mother made ends meet by running an underground photocopying business for study guides. These sharp juxtapositions make the novel a rich discussion piece for book clubs.

As Arin embraces the pull of the spotlight, the consequences ripple through her relationship with Genevieve and throughout her career, forcing them to redefine who they are—both together and apart. One passage cleverly shares, "Anyone who's ever had the slightest brush with fame understands that it's like a contagion. Once you've let your image out, you can't sweep it back into a jar, the only way forward is through."

Wei skillfully balances a strong narrative with deeply developed characters, ensuring that even readers hesitant about literary fiction will find themselves absorbed. The novel spans from the 1990s to the early 2000s, allowing readers of a certain age to reminisce and escape from today's headline news.

A gripping family drama and a layered commentary on ambition and identity, The Original Daughter showcases Jemimah Wei's powerful storytelling chops. A Columbia MFA graduate, she has a background in media and broadcasting, and her expertise is smartly woven into this novel. Once you start this one, you'll have difficulty putting it down.

This Is well written and original, but also boring and depressing.

Genevieve Yang was an only child when Arin, who is a year younger, suddenly gets dropped off as the half-sister Gen didn’t know she had. They struggle to come to terms with the secret of Gen’s grandfather and how to be sisters. Parts of that story I really liked, but the parts about Gen’s academic achievements and then failures was really hard to read. She allows her resentment of something I think she should have gotten over to essentially let her life spin out. There is some hope at the end, but we never read about it.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES MAY 6, 2024.

would recommend this one. the story is very interesting and the characters are well written, and i found that the idea was awesome. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Jemimah Wei's "The Original Daughter" is a beautifully crafted novel that explores the complexities of family, identity, and the journey of self-discovery. Wei masterfully portrays the relationships between sisters,and parents highlighting how love can be both a source of strength and a a place for animosity and competition.

The heart of the story lies in family relationships, and what it means to be a family. Wei paints a vivid picture of the dynamic between Gen and Arin, two sisters who are seemingly inseparable, but who have deep unspoken rivalries. It shows how even the strongest of bonds can be strained by envy and the constant need for validation.

"The Original Daughter" is a wonderful debut. The prose is beautiful, and the characters are expertly drawn. Reading this is an emotional journey for sure, but one you will not regret.

The Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei is a compelling debut exploring family, betrayal, and identity, with strong prose and an engaging reverse-chronology structure.

The Original Daughter was 4.5 ⭐️ for me. It was a coming of age sort of book that was heartbreaking, yet moving story. I was encouraged with the writing style to take a front row seat into these two sister’s lives and experience their journey into adulthood. It was messy and real. It was also hard, painful and raw with an honesty that would not let me go. This author did a great job and I can’t wait to see what she does next.
Thanks Doubleday books via NetGalley.

Family is complicated, I enjoyed watching these two ladies grow and experience life. Highly recommend for those who want to see family change over time.

I devoured this yet wish I could've paced myself to savor the truly exquisite prose. This captivating novel explores so many things at once, yet manages to do it well. Breaking the generational curse, balancing stubborn ambition with guilt and resentment, the importance of family and forgiveness, all the complexities that come along with being a sister... all told through rich, multifaceted characters. I adored this. What a triumphant debut!

Sisters through circumstance, Genevieve and Arin are seemingly on similar paths and yet they end up in vastly different places. They love each other fiercely, but also hold resentment with the same ferocity. Status, whether it be academic or socioeconomic, came up a lot and the ambition to rise in status drove much of the plot. Their mother exemplified the loss of such status and her futile attempts to improve on it could have served as a cautionary tale, but instead it drove them to pursue more and more achievement. The exhaustion that comes with treading the status waters was palpable in Wei's prose. So was the cost of maintaining a pridefulness.

The Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei is a compelling debut, exploring family, betrayal, and identity through the intertwined stories of Genevieve (Gen) and Arin. With themes of familial love, female relationships, and ambition, the novel has a lot to offer. Wei’s prose is excellent, and the pacing—especially the choice to start at the end and work backward—keeps the narrative engaging.

However, while the writing is strong, the execution feels uneven. The novel sets up emotionally charged family dynamics and complex relationships but lacks the cohesion and narrative punch to fully deliver on its potential. The biggest challenge is Gen herself. Unlikable protagonists can be effective, but here, it’s unclear why we should invest in her story. Her self-involvement and often callous behavior—toward classmates, friends, and even employers—go largely unexamined. The supporting characters feel underdeveloped, seemingly there to highlight Gen rather than offer their own depth, making her arc feel unbalanced.

There’s a lot to admire in this novel, and Wei’s talent is clear. But the story doesn’t land with the power I was hoping for. While I can’t say I loved it, I found it thought-provoking and see real promise in Wei’s work. I’ll be watching for what she does next.