Oscillates between plainspoken narrative and bold, italicized dialogues between Gish and her kvetching dead mother. The conceit is risky but pays off. The imagined colloquies punctuate the prose like counter melodies ... The exchanges are edged with humor and skepticism: the mother scoffing at or replying brusquely to her daughter’s reminiscences, questions, speculations ... What transforms it into a transcendent work of art is Jen’s empathy for all her characters.
Jen addresses her own contentious relationship with her mother in her new novel ... Jen writes conversations with her mother in bold typeface that range from a few sentences to a few paragraphs and give the story extra depth.
This novel grapples with the tensions between mothers and daughters, generational trauma, and the immigrant experience. It is heartbreaking and stunning.
Singular ... Empathetic ... The historical context of Jen's family's journey is seamlessly integrated, providing a dynamic backdrop without ever overwhelming the personal narrative. Bad Bad Girl is a powerful reminder that while death may silence voices, it cannot extinguish the conversations that continue in our hearts and minds. This book is imperative for anyone interested in immigrant experiences, the complexities of family, and the art of writing personal history.
A great novelist distills the truth of her mother’s life, and her own ... Who cares what genre this is; as portraits of tough mother-daughter relationships go, it’s as moving as they come.
Astute and revelatory ... Throughout, the author blends sharp-witted autofiction with powerful images, such as Loo’s mother throwing her placenta in the Huangpu River where it floats away, prefiguring the sense of drifting that Loo would later experience. This is striking.