Started off with good subject matter and held my interest until about halfway through. Too much detail and back and forth with the "sisters" in second half.

Do not recommend.

I really loved this. A character being their own downfall in so many ways. The ways in which we sabotage ourselves. The way jealousy takes hold of us and doesn't leg go. This is a good one.

Genevieve (Jen) is an only child living with her parents and grandmother in a one room flat in Singapore. They live in poverty and barely make enough to scrape by despite how hard they work.

One day they discover that the missing, long presumed dead husband of Jen’s grandmother has resurfaced. Not in a good way….he has recently died. During his long absence he had fathered another family. Arin is the youngest child of this family. The family contacts Jen’s grandmother and asks for them to assume custody of Arin for financial reasons. Out of duty to her husband the grandmother agrees and Arin comes to live in an already crowded, financially strapped household where she isn’t especially wanted.

The two girls relationship grows from resentment to devoted sisters in the years that follow. They are competitive, loyal, smart, and devoted to each other. When one experiences more success than the other, jealousy and resentment consumes and destroys their relationship.

Jen and Arin must navigate the loss of family and each other. The final undoing comes at the loss of their mother. I began the story really liking Jen. As the story unfolds I wanted to scream at her to grow up and stop thinking only of herself. Life is short and selfishness holds many regrets. I really liked Jen’s mother’s character. She had an additional child forced on her without any say in the matter, she still gave generously of herself and unconditionally loved Arin. She never once played favoritism.

Great book that leaves you with lots of emotion and lessons on hind sight.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for allowing me the privilege of an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Original Daughter is an admirable debut novel. I look forward to future books by Jemimah Wei.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

The Original Daughter is a fascinating, yet at times difficult to read, story about sisterhood and how envy can completely destroy a person. Told primarily in an extended flashback, this centers around Genevieve and how her world completely changes at 9 years old when her family takes in an unwanted daughter, Arin, a relative of the grandfather Genevieve's family thought abandoned them decades ago. After a rough start, Genevieve and Arin form what they believe is an unbreakable bond of sisterhood until their lives finally and irreparably take different courses.

What was incredibly interesting about the background of this book is much of it takes place in 1990s/early 2000s Singapore which I am not that familiar with, however it's clear that Singapore is a rapidly changing and modernizing city and poorer families such as Genevieve's are struggling to keep up economically and find success. Her father is a taxi cab driver and her mother is a librarian who was never able to advance her education and thus gets stuck trying to invent her own underground ways of surviving after she is laid off from her job because despite her intellect, she can never get ahead without the ability to receive formal qualifications.

Genevieve and Arin's whole life revolves around education in order to hopefully rise above this, yet it's only Arin who finds wealth and international celebrity, not through her smarts, but through her acting abilities. Genevieve becomes completely unhinged with jealously and resentment since as "the original daughter" she believes she is entitled to not be left behind because she struggled both academically and when she tried her hand at acting.

This book was hard to read in parts because it was clear how angry and resentful Genevieve was and that manifested in how awful she treated not just people around her, but also herself, such as allowing herself to be tokenized by Westerners when she briefly moves to New Zealand. Many people do treat her with kindness and attempt to take her under their wing, yet she doesn't seem to realize it allows her envy and self hatred to guide her interactions.

I appreciated that this book didn't sugar coat the consequences of Genevieve's behavior and while she wasn't a completely horrible person, a lot of what she experienced was understandable to an extent, the problem was how she inflicted her feelings onto other people and their reactions to her largely were realistic and made sense.

Some of the middle dragged on a little bit and seemed like it was just a slog through Genevieve's anger and self loathing, however overall this is an excellent book and excellent exploration of this topic. This is a great debut and I would read a future book of Jemimah Wei's.

Many thanks to Doubleday and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This review is my honest opinion.

I could hardly tell that this was a debut, as the relationships and threads of this book were so layered, complex, and nuanced. The sister relationship at the core of the story held me fast in its grip as a reader, from shared victories to taut tension. The framework of the novel, as well, worked beautifully, tossing the reader into the future to then walk backwards in the past to understand the estrangement, the shift in the familial dynamics. I can't recommend this book enough.

Genevieve and Arin become sisters in an unconventional way. The Original Daughter is about their relationship from young girls to adults. We experience their ups and downs through school, their family relationships and careers. High expectations are a theme throughout the book, whether its what the expect from themselves, or everyone else. In the end I felt the stab of regret as they try to come to terms with things they said and did to each other. 3 stars because It moved slow for my taste. For a debut, I think Jemimah Wei did a solid job. Thank you NetGalley and Doubleday for the ARC of this book.

Well written and engaging from page one. This was a great book that I could not put down. I loved everything about this book.

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.

This is a powerful, well-written family saga that is set in Singapore. Jemimah Wei brings a level of reliable understanding with the themes found in this book. I love that I get to learn more about the Asian / Southeast Asian cultures. This may well become a classic family saga. It's that good! 5⭐

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

If you suddenly became a sister to someone only a year younger than you and not an infant, you might feel a way too. Gen and Arin genuinely come to love each other, to root for each other, to want the best for each other. But childhood pacts are broken when the drudgery of adulthood seeps in. I really enjoyed this for the exploration of their relationship, and their refusal to talk to one another. That felt very true of many sister relationships. There is a thread of jealousy that runs through their interactions as well, even as they try to keep it within healthy bounds. The writing, the setting, the pacing, all contribute to an excellent read.

This story broke me into tiny pieces. It broke me because I have a very shaky relationship with my sister and I saw a lot of Arin and Genevieve in us.

Gen lives with her parents and her grandmother in a tiny apartment that barely fits the four of them. When a relative drops off Arin because they can no longer care for her, the family accepts her and they do the best they can. It takes Arin a long while to warm up but Gen doesn’t give up on her. They have a relatively strong bond, though their relationship is very complex. When Gen decides to move away, Arin becomes, at least in Gen’s eyes, the favorite daughter. And when tragedy strikes for Gen, it is Arin who rescues her from her self-inflicted prison of loathing and hatred for everyone and everything. But why did Arin come to her rescue when Gen was so awful to her?

The plot is fraught with emotion, the characters are very real and complex, and the family dynamics are confusing, which all makes for a fantastic story. This may very well be one of the best books of 2025. Thank you, NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the advanced reader copy.

So enjoyed this tale of sibling rivalry, coming of age, growing up in Singapore and end of life. The writing was powerful and transported me from their little home, their work places, even McDonald’s at midnight and the smell of French fries. The tortoise and hare aspect of the ‘daughters’ relationship was beautifully portrayed, and realistically frustrating. The ‘failure to launch’ trajectory of the original daughter, along with the sexual assault plot line, though important to the overall story, dragged for me. The coming together of the ending was very satisfying. I hope for good things for Jemimah Wei, her star will be fun to watch.

Such a mature, haunting novel from a debut writer! Gen, an only child growing up in working-class Singapore, acquires a “sister” in Arin, a cousin abandoned by her family of origin. The girls closely bond, yet remain competitive, their intense relationship forged in both love and jealousy. As Gen seeks her independence as a secretary in New Zealand, a visit from Arin ultimately results in betrayal and estrangement that severs the two. The dying of their mother/auntie unites them physically, but whether their emotional bond rises from the ashes is left for the reader’s determination. Definitely keep your eye on Wei!

"The Original Daughter" marks a remarkable debut novel by Jemimah Wei, showcasing exceptional writing skills and a captivating narrative. This poignant tale explores the complex emotions inherent in a family saga centered around siblings. Genevieve Yang, the only child of a Sinapote couple, finds her world transformed with the arrival of her sister, Arin. As they grow up together, their close bond faces the challenges posed by societal pressures that begin to drive them apart. The story is rich with deep-rooted themes and intricate layers, leaving a lasting impression. If you appreciate family drama, this novel is definitely one to add to your reading list.

This family drama explored the lives of Genevieve Yang and her cousin Arin who shows up when Gen is 8 years old as her long-lost family member. Set to the backdrop of Singapore in the 1990s-2000s, Genevieve and Arin grow up together despite the rocky start to their relationship. The push and pull of their “sisterhood” propels the book, which is highly character driven. There were parts of the story that felt too drawn out, but overall I really enjoyed this book and think it’s a stunning debut novel!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The "sisters" were both interesting and complex. Good writing and good story.

Genevieve Yang is an only child to a working class Singaporian couple; until a new sibling, Arin, comes to stay with them. The two girls grow closely together, but a society that values perfection and competition begins to tear them apart.

It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel. It’s deep and shows complexities within sibling relationships. There’s so many layers to this story and while it may be slow paced at times, it never loses heart or meaning. This is a powerfully emotion story that doesn’t necessarily end on a happy note, true to life and the damage of jealousy and competition within families.

“Our violent amputation took eleven years. My independence from her was hard won, it was the most precious thing I owned. But if she came home, I wasn’t certain I could leave her again.”

The Original Daughter comes out 5/6.

I really wanted to like this book, the set up was interesting and the writing is fluid and engaging, but I am afraid that ultimately, I did not enjoy this book as much as I had hoped
Jemimah Wei writes very well, this is a very nice first novel. The characters develop over the course of the book in interesting ways. My issue is that the pace is slower than it needs to be and several sections felt stagnant. The protagonist kept making poor choices or getting the wrong end of the stick. The constant negativity without much justification felt suffocating. I wanted to see some hope or reasoning in her misery but it was simply frustrating.
It is a nice book and I am sure many readers will enjoy it, but it did not work for me as much as I had hoped. Wei is very talented and I would like to see what she does next as she matures as a writer.

I received a copy of the book, "The Original Daughter" by Jemimah Wei from NetGalley. it starts out in the 1990s Genevieve lives with her family in Singapore. When she is about seven years old her family gets a surprise. Her grandmother was told that the husband she thought died in a war in Malaysia had lived and started a second family. The son of her husband from this surprise family shows up with a six year old girl named "Arin" the girl is heartbroken for being left behind and it is Genevieve who helps bring her out of her shell. Arin considers "Gen" to be her big sister. Though out their childhood they grow up close. But in Gens senior year of school and she faces the college entrance exams she his disappointed in the results while her life seems to go downhill Arin's is going very well with good test results. Eventually Gen moves away hoping for a different life. Meanwhile Arin becomes a famous actress. Their sister relationship becomes damaged with Gen resenting her own life. the sister bond becomes strained. When Gen's mother becomes very ill and on her deathbed, Gen knows she has to try and get Arin to come to say her goodbyes. This is a good story of sisters and their relationship over the years. The author did a fine job with her debut book.

Immediately needed to get my hands on this after reading Roxane Gay's review on Goodreads, and I was not disappointed. There were many times while reading this book that I felt like I was appreciating it more than enjoying it. The writing is fantastic, the character studies are BRILLIANT, and the exploration of one ambitious young woman's life not turning out the way she and everyone around her thought it would, and how the shame, embarassment, self-loathing and resentment that crops up from that completely alters the course of her life was sometimes so unflinchingly real it sometimes felt like a gut punch. But for all of their realness, the characters can be slightly infuriating, and the pace does take a few up and down turns throughout (from totally gripping to "how many pages are left in this chapter?") If you're a plot-focused reader you might find this unbearbly slow, but if you're interested in following characters over the course of several years, almost too-close-for-comfort explorations of women's lives, the expecations versus reality therein, and how women whose lives take both similar and wildly different paths relate to one another, you'll find so much to love in this one.