Unfortunately this book was. DNF for me. I found the writing difficult to enjoy and the story too much of a slow burner.

I’ve read other rave reviews and I’m disappointed that this one just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for and honest review.

My word, this book captured me from the beginning and never let me go. For lovers of historical fiction, it checks every possible box. The nine year-old main character demands engagement and empathy from page one. His traumatic journey from China to Guyana, along with an endearing mentor/father figure, sets a foundation for the rest of the book, and we are privileged to come along.

I’m choosing not to give any more details to avoid potential spoilers. Chan’s skill at layering episodes and characters deftly is on full display, and it would be criminal of me to rob any reader of one iota of the experience.

Thank you to Michelle Jana Chan, Unbound, and NetGalley for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I didn’t get to read this book before it was archived. I was drawn firstly by the beautifully illustrated cover then by the description of the story, it sounds as though it’s written with rich description and poignant detail. I’m putting it on my reading list!

Song is an unusual story following the fortunes of a young Chinese boy as he searches for a better life for himself in late 19th century British Guiana. The descriptions of life in these melting pot towns and upriver prospecting for gold were really vivid.

Song himself is a complex character, moving from being a likeable boy to a determined man. While I didn't like all aspects of his personality it certainly made him feel true to life. The story is simply structured, following Song's life and development and along the way interrogating many of his decisions.

I mostly enjoyed this book although at times it did feel a little long, and though many of the characters were distinctive, there were quite a few of them to keep track of and a dramatis personae might have been helpful.

This is the story of Song - a 9 year old boy from China seeking a better future for himself.
This is an very well written book. I was engrossed and couldn't put it down.

It is a tender heart warming story that tackles hard hitting topics. I loved Song by the end of the book and was behind him all they way.

Here, Michelle Jana Chan tells the story of Song, a young boy who leaves his impoverished family in rural China in order to find his fortune in the British Guyana of the late nineteenth century. We follow his story over the decades that follow.

I found the first half of the book, dealing with Song’s childhood and journey to Guyana to be absolutely captivating. The descriptions are excellent, painting a visceral picture both of Song’s lengthy sea journey and of Guyana and its local people and wildlife. The character of Father Holmes is extremely well written and his interactions with Song are really do engage.

The second half of the book, however, was very much a disappointment to me. I felt that the plot lost its drive and focus, whilst the characters suddenly felt paper thin. The book also ended very abruptly with no crescendo or resolution beforehand. Ultimately I came away from the book feeling decidedly underwhelmed.

No book resonates with every single reader; regrettably this one wasn’t for me.

The author uses simple language to tell a mostly engaging story. I'd characterize this as literature, and does not contain action scenes. It includes some very interesting characters and includes some resilient characters. Amazon categorized this as a textbook, so it must be used in some schools. The author's talent shines here, and I look forward to her future work.

I really appreciate the ARC for review!!

This was a book that I struggled to read. Although Chan had chosen an interesting topic and worked hard to build the world for us, the struggles and adventures of this young boy leaving China for Guiana and his growing there and the hardships he faced, the writing let this book down for me. In some parts, such as the descriptions of lush rainforest, there was potential, but for the most part it was quite clunky. This book might work better for a reader who enjoys a plot focused book where character develop takes a back seat, as there was a lot going on in this book and it ran at a fast pace. But the dialogue felt unnatural and the character motivations changed to serve the plot, leading to them feeling like automatons.

First off, I have to say, this cover is just GORGEOUS! 🙌

So on to my review...I LOVED this book. Seriously LOVED it. The writing. The setting. The wonderful cast of characters. What a fabulous debut novel for this author. It was heading towards a 5-star rating, then the ending happened. Sigh...what is it with books lately that just end SO abruptly?! Maybe I am a just a reader that prefers my endings a little more wrapped up. 🤷 For me, this one needed a few more chapters. There were plot lines that were just left hanging (the issue with the governor) for one. I also would have loved to see a peek into the future of some characters. However, even with those minor issues, this was a 👍👍 read.

This one is a hard one to review. I enjoyed the experience of reading the book, for the most part, but was left frustrated by the end.

What I enjoyed were the descriptions of life in Guyana in this time period; the local cast of characters, the cost of colonialism, and the role of the "pork knockers" looking for gold. The first half of the book is slower paced, and more focused on drawing you into the setting, which I certainly enjoyed.

The latter half is faster paced; Song ages years from chapter to chapter, and jumps between locations frequently. This is where it started to lose me. I understand having flawed protagonists, but I truly don't know whether the author wanted us to root for Song or not. Furthermore, I have no idea what the author wanted us to take away from the book. Should we take it as a cautionary tale against greed? Should we be convinced that Song lived a life that was a "story worth telling," and that makes up for the casualties along the way, or are we supposed to realize that sometimes pursuing a "story worth telling" can harm ourselves and those around us? I found the ending the opposite of uplifting, and it left me wondering whether I, or Song, had truly learned anything in the process.

A 9-year-old boy, hoping to support his family, leaves them and crosses the ocean. After enduring a horrific voyage, Song arrives in British Guiana where he undergoes more strife and heartache in his quest for a successful life.

A beautiful, heartwarming, heartbreaking and soaring novel, about following your dreams no matter where they lead you. About a young boy leaving his home and discovering friends, enemies and love along the way. I fell in love with this story and one that people who love Washington Black should pick up and read.

Michelle Jana Chan’s Song begins with the title’s namesake journeying from his impoverished village in rural China to British Guyana, where he arrives in the British colony with literally little more than the shirt on his back. What proceeds from there is his saga of working to build a life worth living for himself while jumping back and forth between potentially the dangerous yet mineral-rich lands upriver in the jungles, the rough frontier streets of Bartica, and ever-pretentious, prejudice-ridden Georgetown.

"Song" and its setting in lush 19th-century British Guyana literally took me to a world that I literally have never been to before. Meanwhile, the title character’s successes and hardships that he encounters as an immigrant outsider also showed me a new lens for a world that I have already encountered all too many times before. And between this mix of the new and also the unexpectedly familiar, I was more than happy to get completely and utterly lost in this beautiful and gutwrenching tale.