Rating: 
Summary: a mixed review
Review: There were parts of this book that I liked and times when I rooted for the heroine, Ginger, but other times when the story seemed a bit cliche and dragged...The book deals with a mother-daughter relationship from a Korean protagonist's viewpoint. The protagonist's mother is on a mission to find her daughter a suitable Korean husband. The theme seemed a little trite but if that is the subject matter, so be it. I liked the depiction of the fashion magazine that Ginger works at, Ginger's insights and musings about her cultural identity and the struggles to define one's self, and the way the characters are fully drawn out--I could visualize them in real life. I also liked how Ginger had heroic moments of standing up for herself and standing her ground. It was a pretty good read...
Rating: 
Summary: A Delightful First Novel for Caroline Hwang
Review: What is the last thing a 27-year-old single career girl living in New York City needs at 8:30 AM on a Monday morning? If you guessed her tiny, Korean dynamo of a mother on her doorstep proclaiming, "I come to fix your life," you could be right!As if Ginger doesn't have enough issues just trying to pay her bills --- with her mother's help --- and figuring out how to get promoted from her position as a fashion assistant in the midst of guerilla warfare in the office, she now has to cope with motherly interference and concern from a little woman with big hair, big shoulder pads, a proclivity for Chanel and an iron will, whom Ginger likens to a "Korean Nancy Reagan." At the moment, Ginger's biggest interest is her career, or lack thereof. Her mother's main concern is Ginger's love life, or lack thereof. Never fear, Ginger --- Mommy's here and she's going to "find you a good Korean husband" no matter what it takes! Now Ginger is watching the caller ID at work in order to avoid her mother's calls, hiding her smoking and drinking since it isn't "ladylike," and trying to determine how to get out of any number of awkward blind dates her mother has set up with the still-single sons of Korean friends and acquaintances. While it is nice having her mother's cooking and company and a clean apartment for a change, it's not so nice receiving unsolicited advice on her wardrobe, such as "that's just ugly," criticism on her apartment --- "what a dump" --- and being told that she needs to marry because her "bloom is fading." It's also not nice being used as a secret weapon to break up the engagement between the son of old family friends and his Caucasian fiancée. As if dealing with her mother on the homefront isn't enough, work presents another challenge as secret alliances are formed and loyalties and boundaries are tested. Take, for instance, Ginger's boss Sam, who happens to be an old college friend with less education than Ginger but more of an ability to get ahead through whatever methods are necessary. She'd like to think that she could trust Sam to look out for her best interests, but as is always the case in the business world, it's each woman for herself. Amidst high intrigue both in the office and at home, Ginger and her mother make some startling discoveries about each other and themselves, their relationship as mother and daughter, and life in general. This is a heartwarming story that mothers and daughters everywhere, nationality notwithstanding, will relate to. IN FULL BLOOM is a delightful first novel for Caroline Hwang. The pages are filled with a colorful and memorable cast of characters whom you'll feel like you know intimately by the time you are done. It's also a page-turner that will keep your interest as you read page after page to find out what each new adventure of Ginger's brings. --- Reviewed by Amie Taylor
Rating:
Summary: Indications of an amateur.
Review: Yet another coming-of-age novel by an Asian American writer of mediocre talent. The premise of the story is hardly unique; in fact it falls not far at all from Amy Tan. Hwang does skate on a few sociopolitical issues but fails to go beyond the events to show readers the significance of said events. I will however credit her for springing the characters to life. They leap off the page and some of the dialogue is pretty quirky, though Hwang seems to realize this herself and relies heavily on dialogue to propel the story--indications of an amateur.
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