The Hundred Secret Senses

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Summary: My review for the 100 secert senses...
Review: I read The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan during my winter vacation. I chose to read this book because my friends told me that Amy Tan is a great writer, and I'm really interested in the topic, which is about Chinese Americans and the issues between sisters.
The story begins when Olivia's father dies; she is told that she has a half sister in China, Kwan, who then comes to join her family soon after their father's death. When they are all little, Olivia doesn't like Kwan at all, she thinks that Kwan only brings her trouble and embarrassment because of her poor English. When Kwan admits that she has a special ability that she is able to interact with the dead people she sees around the world, Olivia tells her mother about the yin stories Kwan has been telling her, which causes her mother to send Kwan to the psychiatric ward for years. However, after all those shock treatments in the psychiatric ward, Kwan still appreciates her sister, and has always been taking care of her like a mother more than the real one. After more than thirty years, time has changed Olivia's attitude towards Kwan, she finally realizes that Kwan and her share a love that is not only inseparable, it is also limitless and endless.
I can relate myself to the story utterly because I have a sister too. I am annoyed with my sister sometimes, but I always find it nice to have someone that you can talk to as a close friend who is actually closer to you more than any of your best friends. As we grow up, we come to realize that we can experience everything with something better than the five senses ¡X¡X our hearts. With our hearts, we not only feel the connections between us as sisters; we also "feel" the world and the people around us. I think the book is trying to tell us that love is everything, it can be both happiness and sadness, anger and forgiveness, it all depends on how we learn to be grateful to everything that's been given to us.

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Summary: Traveling Between Two Worlds
Review: Once again, Amy Tan has managed to blow my mind. I have read "The Bonesetter's Daughter" and was deeply impressed by how well Tan can weave a multi-dimentional story..."The Hundred Secret Senses" is no different.
The main character is Olivia. She is likeable but extremely self-absorbed. Her half sister Kwan is more than just an annoyance in Olivia's life, but is the one who ultimately shows her what life is about; what's truly important.
The book deals with reincarnation and zigzags between the past life that Kwan recalls in China and her present one in the U.S. This may sound hokey to some who have not read the book but it is done in a wonderful way that makes you want to suspend disbelief as a reader and wonder "what if?"
The text is wonderfully fast moving and the dialect she uses for Kwan is absolutely amusing and touching at the same time (her poor English is absolutely adorable and you can almost hear her talking when you read the book.)
All in all, it is a coming of age story for a very late bloomer (Olivia), who up until now, has forgotten to turn around and notice the rest of the world.
If you've never read Amy Tan, you don't know what you are missing. Her ability to tell a complex story with ease is unparalleled.

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Summary: "The Sixth Sense", Amy Tan style!
Review: This book could kind of be called "The Sixth Sense, Amy Tan Style". After all, there is a strange similarity between the first line of this book ("My sister Kwan believes she has yin eyes.") and the often quoted line from "The Sixth Sense" ("I see dead people!"). Yet, Amy Tan's tale is a story of Chinese mysticism, family ties, and modern and historical China - a fascinating albeit weird novel!

This is the story about the relationship between half-sisters Kwan and Olivia. Kwan comes from China and serves as a mother-figure for the young Olivia, haunting her with tales of ghost and past lives. These mystical tales are engrossing because they also give a history of Manchu China.

This book goes where Amy Tan's other novels haven't - it actually travels to modern-day China. This was my favorite part of the book! The descriptions were so well-written that I felt like the characters who were seeing China for the first time. I'd like to thank Ms. Tan for "showing" me this unique culture!