The Original Daughter: A GMA Book Club Pick

Reading Arin and Gen’s relationship was relatable and confusing at times. The way the book ends leaves me wondering if Gen finds purpose in something, in someone, starts living for herself. The death took a lot longer than I expected and Arin’s return was uneventful, which reminds me that the original daughter was the focus anyways. I can’t wait to read something else by the author to see how her beautiful writing style tells other types of stories

Reading Arin and Gen’s relationship was relatable and confusing at times. The way the book ends leaves me wondering if Gen finds purpose in something, in someone, starts living for herself. The death took a lot longer than I expected and Arin’s return was uneventful, which reminds me that the original daughter was the focus anyways. I can’t wait to read something else by the author to see how her beautiful writing style tells other types of stories

A work of art. Didn't want to put it down, and it moved me deeply.

A work of art. Didn't want to put it down, and it moved me deeply.

I absolutely loved The Original Daughter- it’s a stunning debut that left me breathless from start to finish. Jemimah Wei masterfully explores the intense bond between sisters in a tightly wound, high‑pressure Singaporean setting. The emotions feel raw, real, and universal. Genevieve and Arin’s relationship is at once tender and tense-woven through with ambition, envy, and heartbreak and Wei writes their journey with such emotional clarity and empathy.

I absolutely loved The Original Daughter- it’s a stunning debut that left me breathless from start to finish. Jemimah Wei masterfully explores the intense bond between sisters in a tightly wound, high‑pressure Singaporean setting. The emotions feel raw, real, and universal. Genevieve and Arin’s relationship is at once tender and tense-woven through with ambition, envy, and heartbreak and Wei writes their journey with such emotional clarity and empathy.

Compelling characters, a turbulent relationship, and family drama, this story has it all. Plus I learned more about colorful Singapore.I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Compelling characters, a turbulent relationship, and family drama, this story has it all. Plus I learned more about colorful Singapore.I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Would have enjoyed the book more if it was 25% shorter. Ending in contrast came and went so fast. Would have liked to get in the minds of the characters at the end to the same degree devoted to them throughout the rest of the book.

Would have enjoyed the book more if it was 25% shorter. Ending in contrast came and went so fast. Would have liked to get in the minds of the characters at the end to the same degree devoted to them throughout the rest of the book.

Great read

Great read

Intense but very good. Sad at times.

Intense but very good. Sad at times.

An epic, long sweeping drama between two sisters. This book was heavy. It was heartbreaking & emotional. Spanning years but leaving chunks of time out. There were powerful and tender moments but a lot of the book felt drawn out, full of too much prose. This is a character driven book where all the characters are flawed and unlikable. I never fully understood the motivations and choices of our main character. The whole thing was painful to read at times but that speaks to the power of the author in getting me to feel the emotions of the story. I never fully connected with the story but it did have a lot of strengths.Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this book. All thoughts shared are completely my own.

The Original Daughter is set in Singapore and revolves around a Genevieve, the daughter of a middle class family who gets a shock when they find out her Grandfather, who they thought was long dead, has only recently died and was harboring a second family. He has another granddaughter, a year younger than Gen, who comes to live with Gen's family as her sister. You find out in the beginning that as adults, the two have had a falling out and Arin is now a famous actress, but for most of the book, the two girls are very close, with Arin quietly living in Gen's shadow. I enjoyed learning about modern culture in Singapore, and a part of the book set in New Zealand, but be aware, Gen is not always the most likable or relatable character, and her decisions are frustrating.

The Original Daughter is set in Singapore and revolves around a Genevieve, the daughter of a middle class family who gets a shock when they find out her Grandfather, who they thought was long dead, has only recently died and was harboring a second family. He has another granddaughter, a year younger than Gen, who comes to live with Gen's family as her sister. You find out in the beginning that as adults, the two have had a falling out and Arin is now a famous actress, but for most of the book, the two girls are very close, with Arin quietly living in Gen's shadow. I enjoyed learning about modern culture in Singapore, and a part of the book set in New Zealand, but be aware, Gen is not always the most likable or relatable character, and her decisions are frustrating.

An epic, long sweeping drama between two sisters. This book was heavy. It was heartbreaking & emotional. Spanning years but leaving chunks of time out. There were powerful and tender moments but a lot of the book felt drawn out, full of too much prose. This is a character driven book where all the characters are flawed and unlikable. I never fully understood the motivations and choices of our main character. The whole thing was painful to read at times but that speaks to the power of the author in getting me to feel the emotions of the story. I never fully connected with the story but it did have a lot of strengths.Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this book. All thoughts shared are completely my own.

I started off really enjoying this book, but as I got further along, I started to lose interest because I felt like it was way too detailed and too long. I did not feel as connected to the characters as I hoped I would. I think it is an interesting story with a great premise, but it was nearly 400 pages and I think it could’ve been 300 pages. Please do not be discouraged by my review as it could’ve just been my mood at the time when I read the book. I think if you are considering reading it, you should give it a go.

I started off really enjoying this book, but as I got further along, I started to lose interest because I felt like it was way too detailed and too long. I did not feel as connected to the characters as I hoped I would. I think it is an interesting story with a great premise, but it was nearly 400 pages and I think it could’ve been 300 pages. Please do not be discouraged by my review as it could’ve just been my mood at the time when I read the book. I think if you are considering reading it, you should give it a go.

While the novel’s pace is deliberately slow in places, allowing room for psychological complexity and emotional tension, some readers may find it emotionally heavy. But for those willing to engage deeply, The Original Daughter offers a resonant and rewarding reading experience.The Original Daughter is a striking debut that balances poetic language with raw emotional truth. Jemimah Wei has delivered a novel that lingers long after the final page—I just struggled a little with the characters.Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

While the novel’s pace is deliberately slow in places, allowing room for psychological complexity and emotional tension, some readers may find it emotionally heavy. But for those willing to engage deeply, The Original Daughter offers a resonant and rewarding reading experience.The Original Daughter is a striking debut that balances poetic language with raw emotional truth. Jemimah Wei has delivered a novel that lingers long after the final page—I just struggled a little with the characters.Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

The writing is thought ful and impeccable. I could not put it down. The characters were very much alive to me.

The writing is thought ful and impeccable. I could not put it down. The characters were very much alive to me.

This complicated family drama and coming of age story is set primarily in Singapore. The author does a great job fleshing out the characters and making you feel the tension of the academic expectations of the parents and children. The relationships between the mothers and their daughters and the relationship of the sisters are layered with love and expectations, that are strong and complex. The ending is sad as the selfishness of the main character plays out, but the final resolution was satisfying.

@doubledaybooks | #gifted I generally love books about sister relationships and I’m always up for reading debut authors, which are just two reasons why I was excited about 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗗𝗔𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗘𝗥 by Jemimah Wei. The Singapore setting and turn of the century era were also appealing. Then the book was chosen as May’s @gmabookclub selection, so what more could I want? That’s a difficult question to answer, but I definitely wanted something more.⁣⁣At the center of this story is Genevieve, the only daughter of a struggling working class family living in a small Singapore apartment with her parents and grandmother. While she’s still in primary school, a cousin, Arin, joins their family. Though both girls are at first unhappy about this, they quickly become the closest of friends. The story proceeds with A LOT of emphasis on the pressures of school, getting good grades, taking tests, and progressing onward. It eventually moves into competition between the “sisters” and then to estrangement (where the book actually begins).⁣⁣All this was accomplished VERY slowly. I found it difficult to keep going less than halfway through this book. It felt so much like the same things were happening over and over with slight variations and it was so depressing, truly unrelenting. That might have been okay if I could have rallied something other than pity for the characters. Sadly, I just never cared much about any of them and all too soon, I only wanted to be done. Obviously, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘋𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 wasn’t a book for me, but I really wish it had been!🤷🏻‍♀️ 2.5 stars

This complicated family drama and coming of age story is set primarily in Singapore. The author does a great job fleshing out the characters and making you feel the tension of the academic expectations of the parents and children. The relationships between the mothers and their daughters and the relationship of the sisters are layered with love and expectations, that are strong and complex. The ending is sad as the selfishness of the main character plays out, but the final resolution was satisfying.

@doubledaybooks | #gifted I generally love books about sister relationships and I’m always up for reading debut authors, which are just two reasons why I was excited about 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗗𝗔𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗘𝗥 by Jemimah Wei. The Singapore setting and turn of the century era were also appealing. Then the book was chosen as May’s @gmabookclub selection, so what more could I want? That’s a difficult question to answer, but I definitely wanted something more.⁣⁣At the center of this story is Genevieve, the only daughter of a struggling working class family living in a small Singapore apartment with her parents and grandmother. While she’s still in primary school, a cousin, Arin, joins their family. Though both girls are at first unhappy about this, they quickly become the closest of friends. The story proceeds with A LOT of emphasis on the pressures of school, getting good grades, taking tests, and progressing onward. It eventually moves into competition between the “sisters” and then to estrangement (where the book actually begins).⁣⁣All this was accomplished VERY slowly. I found it difficult to keep going less than halfway through this book. It felt so much like the same things were happening over and over with slight variations and it was so depressing, truly unrelenting. That might have been okay if I could have rallied something other than pity for the characters. Sadly, I just never cared much about any of them and all too soon, I only wanted to be done. Obviously, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘋𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 wasn’t a book for me, but I really wish it had been!🤷🏻‍♀️ 2.5 stars