The title and the description of the book drew me in immediately. There is a lack of stories that talk about adoption, especially all the complexities involved in a white couple adopting from other countries. The loss of culture, the feeling of being dropped from the sky, having no blood relatives are all really interesting concepts to explore. What I found really hard is the first chapter of the book. I really wished it didn't open with so many open threads and questions. I wish there was many just one track of story atleast to begin with and to situate the reader. Because I couldn't find that, I found just skimming the book until a storyline really drew me in, like the one where she calls the agency to learn more about BioMom. The story and context of the book is super interesting but the way it is laid out makes it hard to follow

Inconvenient Daughter tells the story of Rowan, a transracial adoptee trying to come to grips with her identity.

This novel is a must read if you're interested in the psychology of identity, acceptance, and self-love. The writing is raw, I found myself wanting to give Rowan a big cuddle. There's no way you could possibly find fault in any of her actions, regardless of the mistakes she may have made.

The story flicks back and forth between present day Rowan, and adult, and various events in the past that led to her current reality. The imagery is very vivid and you can hear the author's voice through her words.

Disclosure: I would like to thank the publisher for my advanced reader copy of the book. This is my honest review.

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This book is about the realities of trans-racial adoption, which is what drew me in as it's such a complex and interesting subject. The book didn't live up to my expectations.

The characterisation is flimsy. The main character, Rowan, has no real personality or interests beyond boys. Her friends are just flat characters there for the sake of it. And there is so much wasted potential. For a book on adoption, it barely mentions it. We never find out the parent's motivations for adoption (beyond a sentence on infertility), they never have a real confrontation or conversation about it. Why did they adopt trans-racially instead of within their own country? There is so much that could have been explored with her adopted brother (who is again, barely mentioned), her not feeling connected to her heritage, how it impacts different areas of her life, There could have been commentary on the ethics and social issues around trans-racial adoption itself - it's a fact that those who give up their children for adoption are sometimes coerced, for example. Even when Rowan looks up the details of her biological parents, there is hardly any exploration of how this makes her feel. A couple of paragraphs at most.

Instead this book focuses on the boys Rowan fancies, her abusive relationship, and how this turns her spiralling into some self-destructive and dangerous behaviour with other men, eventually leading to her ending up in the sexual assault crisis centre. Apparently, this is because of her never feeling like she belonged, never feeling she is loved enough by her mother. The only problem is we see hardly any evidence of this in the book. Throughout, we are told and told and told, but never shown.

It says a lot that after the guy Rowan is dating goes to New Zealand for 6 months, the whole story of her life in those 6 months is ignored. Within a couple of sentences we go back to the guy (6 months passed without a word about Rowan's life). Then in the final few pages there is a sudden jump from Rowan being 24 to suddenly being 30. All of the potential for complex emotions, for how Rowan recovers, how she feels about being adopted, are just bypassed.

I really wanted to like this book because the premise was so promising, but I ended up wishing it was over.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had a hard time liking this book. The writing and storyline was great, but I couldn’t find myself connecting to the character of Rowan. I had a hard time understanding some of her choices though perhaps I understood her motivations. This is a story of adoption, domestic violence and a search for belonging.

It's easy to imagine that a poor, unwanted child, abandoned - for whatever reasons - by her parents must be amazingly thrilled to find a happy, comfortable home half a world away. Easy, but by no means accurate. People tend to focus on all such a child had gained rather then what they've lost - the knowing who they are and where they come from, whether they have their mother's laugh or their father's nose, being part of the mainstream instead of a kid who doesn't look like her new family. In Laren Sharkey's fictional novel about such a girl, we find Rowan, a Korean-born and American-adopted girl, living on Long Island.

I have a friend whose sister was adopted from an orphanage in Malaysia. She's in her 60s now and you would be hard-pushed to find a more selfish, manipulative and money-grabbing person. She couldn't be more different than my friend, but reading 'Inconvenient Daughter' helped me to think again about how she turned her lucky break (escaping poverty and unwantedness by getting adopted) into a mission to prove to the world that she was better and richer than everybody else. What we learn is that an adopted child can potentially behave in horrible ways whilst trying to prove their value and to make themself special.

I liked Rowan though I'm not sure if it was in spite or because of her behaviour. She rails against her mother's authority, repeatedly tells her that she hates her, and gets into some terrible dysfunctional relationships with boys and men in the hope of becoming somebody's first choice instead of a substitute for what they really wanted. Boy, oh boy, does she choose some utter stinkers in the love stakes.

I found the whole thing very sad but very believable. I've seen young women go off the rails and end up so far on the wrong side of the tracks that they can't get back again. Rowan does things that many readers will find deeply disturbing but you'll need to read 'Inconvenient Daughter' because telling you more would potentially give away too much. For those who need trigger warnings, there's both physical and sexual abuse by the bucketload. It's an uncomfortable read but it doesn't exploit the violence just for titillation or shock factor.

I read a lot of books about immigrant experience, but this book offered something I'd not really thought about enough before - the impact of not just being an immigrant in a new country but also in a new family. It raises a lot of questions (and not too many answers) about the potential risks of trans-racial adoption.

In the unlikely event that the author is looking for any more book ideas, I would LOVE to get this story - or one like it - told from the perspective of the parents.

I received a free pre-publication ebook from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I recommend this book highly.

I managed to fly through this one quickly which is always a good sign for me. My only gripe is I wish it came with TW's more evidently because there is some really horrible stuff in the book. The writing was great and I thought it was a well crafted story.

Huge trigger warning! I expected this to focus on the way she felt with regards to being adopted and the struggles she went through, but it is more about her life events and ultimately takes a very sinister turn part way through the book which is explored in graphic detail. The teenage years are written exceptionally well, Sharkey portrays the difficulties of being a teenage girl with real authenticity. I would have liked more reflection of what being adopted meant to her and for her, but overall this was still a good read even though it wasn’t what I was expecting.

I really wanted to love this book. I requested to read it because I am half-Korean and always gravitate toward books written about Koreans or characters that are trying to understand their identity as a Korean-American. I enjoyed the perspective of a trans racial adoption that doesn't focus on reuniting with the birth mom, but rather focuses on the relationships made with others and the struggle it can entail.

Lauren J Sharkey is a good writer- in many parts of her story, there is a nice flow that is very easy to read. However, I gave this book 3-stars because I felt that the second half of the story had pacing issues that made it feel rushed and awkward- we spend a lot of time with the main character, Rowan, in childhood through high school and onto college. I do not want to write any spoilers, so the most I want to add for this is that the end comes at a considerably later date.

This book should have had a trigger warning- there is a lot of domestic abuse that is a bit graphic and sexual assault- I read an ARC copy of this book and I would hope that this is something that could be added for the final publication.

I enjoyed this debut book by Sharkey- it is well worth the read. Thank you Netgalley and Kailey Jones Books for an advanced reader's copy of this book.

As an adoptive mother to three Korean children, this book caught my eye. Whoa. I was not prepared for the emotional rollercoaster this book took my momma heart on. As I hurt for Rowan, I just kept picturing my three kiddo’s faces. I love a book that leaves me wanting to do better, and this book was one. I recommend this read for every adoptive parent!

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book .im sad to say this book wasn’t it at all for me as it was very hard for me to get into it

This book might be amazing to other people depending on the genre you like so you can definitely give it a try

I was gifted a copy of this book from @netgalley and @KaylieJonesBooks in exchange for an honest review. This book is due out on June 23, 2020 ⭐⭐ ⭐ This is a difficult one to review. Based on the summary, I would rate it low as the blurb did not sufficiently explain what this book is about. I went into this thinking it would be about adoption. It is so much more than that and you need to be prepared! This book took a huge turn in the middle and it's an emotional, shocking one if you're not prepared. This is a sad story and there were points that I hated almost every character in it. It's a short book that packs a punch! #inconvenientdaughter #netgalley #kayliejonesbooks

This just wasn't the book for me. I don't want to say anything negative about it because I think for someone else it could be a great book just not me. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read it.

(Copy received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

This book is the story of Rowan Kelly, a young woman who was born in Korea and then adopted as a baby by a white catholic family from Long Island. The description of moments of Rowan's life from her own point of view since she was four years old until she was thirty creates a book that is filled with family moments and daily events that somehow shaped Rowan, her identity, and her perception of her self-worth. It is an intimate, honest story that talks about family, emotional issued, identity, and self-worth. Overall, I would recommend this book because it talks about some difficult topics that need to be discussed and because it was pleasant to read.

What I liked: The author knows how to portrait a teenager properly. I think this story shows very clearly how a young woman's desire to fit in, feel accepted and special, and her need for approval and for a proof of her self-worth is usually projected to her love life. I consider it is extremely necessary to acknowledge that this a potentially harmful belief in many girls' minds, so I really valued that Sharkey chose this topic for her book. I found myself thinking many times about my teenage years and how I was desperate to find true love because I have abandonment issues as well, and I liked how this book made me reflect on that, but it was not triggering, which I appreciated very much.
Even when a couple of times I was annoyed at Rowan because I didn't understand why she made her biological mother, her adoption, and her Asian background a taboo, then I realized that it was actually one of the best parts of the novel because it depicts Rowan's need to find out who she was as an individual, beyond and above the most notorious categories that society recognized in her: being adopted and being Asian. I think her continuous and confusing quest for her identity is very well constructed in the story because it is formed by everyday, meaningful events that have big emotional consequences (as it is in real life).
I was also surprised because I thought this was going to be a predictable (yet interesting novel) about how hard it is to be a teenager, how it is harder if you are adopted, and how it is even harder if you belong to a minority group that you don't feel part of. However, when I had read 60% of the book I realized the story actually was about her emotional wounds and how she desperately tried to deal with them.

What I did not like: There are some characters and relationships that could have been developed some more, especially her mom, Marie. The reader gets that Rowan has a deeper understanding of why her mother behaved the way she did and how she loved her but didn't find the words to say it because Rowan explicitly says so, but it is never mentioned how she came to realize that. I didn't like that Marie ignored Rowan's complaints and questions, or laughed when she said she felt ignored, and it is okay, Marie doesn’t have to be a perfect character or a perfect mother (to my standards), but I really wish I could have understood why she behaved like that, especially after her child had been through so much. Actually, even when Rowan says that her mother wanted her to have the opportunities she never had o that Marie was trying to deal with her own pain, very little is said about her mother's background, so those sentences are pretty vague. Her relationship with Aidan was something that I wanted to know more about, as well.
Also, there were many episodes of her life that seemed irrelevant to the story because the introduction to a certain situation took several pages and the outcome was written in a couple of lines, for example, the visit of the Malaysian cousins or her relationship with Travis. I understand what those parts of the book wanted to say, but I think that the importance of those moments wasn't deeply explored (at least not enough to justify all the time that the author spent writing the beginning of those events in Rowan's life).

My main issue with this book was the way the plot was structured. It jumps back and forth from a singular moment in Rowen's adult life to other snapshots of her life through various ages. As a reader, I was very confused the first few times this occurred. It may be because the ebook I received was an ARC and the formatting just hasn't been finalized, but I wish the author had made a clear distinction between scenes. In addition to the issues with the book's structure, I also didn't care for the ending. I felt that the scenes we were given for Rowen at her oldest age (30) didn't give us any resolution about the issues she dealt with as a young adult. This was a quick read for me and held my attention, but because of the issues listed above, I cannot recommend this read. If you do decide to give it a try, please note that there are instances of domestic violence - I thought it was worth mentioning in this review, as that topic can be triggering for some readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kaylie Jones Books for providing me a copy of Inconvenient Daughter, for exchange of an honest review!

Inconvenient Daughter tells the story of Rowan Kelly, a girl struggling with her identity as a transracial adoptee (Rowan is Korean, adopted by an American family) living in Long Island. The story takes you through Rowan’s life, while simultaneously following her account at a hospital after a traumatic encounter.

The story describes Rowan’s struggle trying in vain to establish a maternal bond with her adoptive mother, yet the demons of feeling like an outsider follows her every moment of her life. Rowan’s foray into relationships is a string of harrowing life lessons, causing her to believe that her life will forever be one of abandonment. The need to reach out to a loving, maternal figure is a constant theme in Inconvenient Daughter. The absence of a biological mother paints a picture of detachment in every encounter she has. The friction between Rowan and her adoptive mother is also constant.

Lauren J. Sharkey does not hold back in documenting Rowan’s emotional experiences in her young adult years. There are some parts that are uncomfortable to read, as Rowan experiences severe hardships once she’s in the outside world. Through all of the challenges she receives in life, Rowan manages to move forward and rebuild her purpose in life. Rowan’s journey in discovering and valuing herself is an immense, uphill battle.

I really enjoyed Inconvenient Daughter, as it’s a powerful account of a young woman’s search for identity and family bonds!

This is the story about a Korean girl adopted to white parents, her growing up in an environment that made her feel like she's not enough, and how she ends up in a very dark place. Rowan herself tells the story from her perspective, switching from various points in her life, starting with a hospital visit after a traumatic experience, and then following up on her whole life—her school years in an all-girl catholic school, her prom, her first college experiences and the fights with her adoptive mom—oh, the fights! From Rowan's perspective, it looks like her mom doesn't love her at all, but to the reader, it's clear that she obviously just wants the best for Rowan. Unaware of this, she grows up with the strong feeling of not being enough—not only for her adoptive mother, but also for her 'BioMom', as she calls her, since she gave her up as a baby. In her later school years, she begins to actively seek affection by others, and by that she gives herself up to the wrong kind of guys. When she's in college and meets Jason, I had a bad feeling coming, but it turned out I was way off—it did get even worse. I don't recommend this book for the faint of heart, since it will break your heart seeing little Rowan get into this whole mess. 'Inconvenient Daughter' takes you to very dark places of the human soul and you should definitely be prepared for this kind of read. I would have liked it more if Rowan had developed at least somehow—and if the ending wasn't so rushed.

Was really looking forward to reading "Inconvenient Daughter," but it didn't live up to my expectations. I thought it was contemptible and try-hard. At best, I would call it an early draft that has a good core but needs more work.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy!

Inconvenient Daughter touches on many topics (adoption, sex, loss of identity, loneliness), and does so very well. The book runs in a non-sequential order, with 23 year old Rowan reminiscing on past memories and that tell us how she got in that predicament. As the book progressed, I felt for Rowan, felt her pain and her loneliness. She seeks to know why she feels so alone, why her mother gave her up, all while not seeing the very real love her adoptive mother had for her. I remember being aggravated with Rowan, not understanding why she just didn't see what her mother was offering to her and how great her family was, but this made me love her even more. All I wanted to do was protect her and wrap her up in a big blanket. Overall, this book made me look at my mother in a different light and made me appreciate those rough-talkings she gave me that made me the woman I am today.

"I didn't realize all she wanted was for me to have power over my own destiny, and thought a college education would give me the tools to harness and wield that power. I didn't know her only desire was for me to have the best of things, and that she didn't have the words to tell me."

What an amazing read! Inconvenient Daughter portrays the mother-daughter relationship so vividly and accurately that it makes me want to apologize to my mother even now, decades past my teens. I also saw quite a bit of myself in Rowan’s actions, seeking validation where there is none to be found, taking needlessly dire risks in an effort to feel worthy even for a short time. This would be a great warning read for teens, and their parents. Highly recommend!

Thank you to the author, Kaylie Jones Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was interested to dive into the topic of transracial adoption through this story - but I found this to be more a cathartic recounting of adolescent rebellion than anything else. Yes, the protagonist, named Rowan after a recently deceased relative of her adoptive parents, is adopted, and thus grows up feeling unwanted (by her birth mother) and also feeling less favored by her adoptive mother as compared to her also adopted brother. I would think the internalized negative messages about self-worth and identity are fairly common among adoptees. Here, there is an extra layer on top, of being outwardly "different" from her adoptive parents - but that is never really explored. The story escalates as Rowan starts acting out, although it's never quite clear why this happens. I found Rowan's story lacking in depth, and instead it's a vivid account of some very bad choices and turbulent emotions.

The story is told in the first person, which works very well - but makes for harrowing reading in parts. I found the time jumps confusing, the timeline is all over the place. The ending seems very abrupt. The book works as a diary/memoir of a conflicted young person, but it definitely could use some editing to gain overall cohesion.