Book reviews

Spilled Water
Sally Grindley Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography Video
Sally Grindley Books
New book search
Sally Grindley Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of Spilled Water
"Lu Si-Yan is an 11-year-old farm girl in China. Her family is very poor, and when her father dies, her rich uncle must take care of them. He sells her as a servant to a wealthy city family who wants her to marry their mentally-handicapped son when she is old enough. However, when the grandmother finds out that this is what her daughter-in-law has in store for Lu Si-Yan, she gives her money and helps her escape.

Unfortunately, once outside, Lu Si-Yan's money is stolen, and she goes to work at a factory for extremely low pay. She wants to earn enough money not only to afford the boat-ride home, but to take back to her poor mother. But can she do it with a crooked employer who manipulates her pay rate, and will she survive the hard labor, long hours, poor conditions, and little food?"

Sarah Bastin, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Spilled Water
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - depressed
Time/era of story - present (2000-2010)
Kids growing up/acting up? Yes
Kids: - struggling to earn a living to survive
Inside culture (main char) - Chinese
Other aspects: - story of the poor
Is this an adult or child's book? - Age 11-14
Ethnic/regional/gender life Yes
Age group of kid(s) in story: - grade school

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - servant
Age: - a kid
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
Ethnicity/Nationality - Chinese
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence - Average intelligence

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - wealthy
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 5 ()
Asia/Pacific Yes
Asian country: - China
Water? Yes
City? Yes
City: - wealthy
Farm/Ranch? Yes
Farm/Ranch: - farm
Misc setting - fancy mansion

Style
Person - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Unusual Style: - a lot of stream of consciousness
Amount of dialog - significantly more descript than dialog
Most similar books to Spilled Water
Chu Ju's House by Gloria Whelan
Ties That Bind, Ties That Break by Lensey Namioka
Dear Lola by Judie Angell
The Skin I'm In by Sharon G. Flake
The Buffalo Tree by Adam Rapp


Click here for more information about this book


Sally Grindley Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Sarah Bastin  

SCHOLARS:


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Literature books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Animal story

Crime & Police story

Ethnic/regional/gender life

Exploring into the wild

Family, caring for ill

Family, loving relations

Family, struggle with

Internal struggle/realization?

Job/Profession/Status story

Kids growing up/acting up?

Political/social activism

Poverty, surviving

Pregnancy/Child rearing

Religion theme?

Romance/Romance Problems

Sports Story?

War/Revolt/Disaster on civilians



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
17 FREE Sci-Fi Ebooks!
FREE "How to be happy" Ebook!
Feedback


Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
Norah Lofts 12:50:53 AM
Suzanne Weyn 4:47:34 PM
Wilma Counts 1:23:32 PM
George W. Bush 5:33:46 PM
Kin Platt 12:58:29 AM
Anonymous 12:47:34 PM
Lilian Jackson Braun 10:05:52 PM
Jane Rubino 10:04:38 PM
LaVyrle Spencer 10:04:00 PM
G.A. McKevett 10:03:31 PM
David Williams 10:03:01 PM
Steven Pressfield 10:02:30 PM
Jeanette Walls 10:00:19 PM
Darryl Ponicsan 9:59:27 PM
Ann Rinaldi 9:58:30 PM
R.L. Stine 9:57:34 PM
Geoffrey Huntington 9:57:14 PM
Betty Mahmoody 9:56:38 PM
Deric Longden 9:56:11 PM
Mary Downing Hahn 9:55:48 PM

More message boards