carissa morais > Recent Status Updates

Enjoying this so far! Pacing is slower, but doesn’t feel draggy.

Besides squirming at the poor Malay translation and grammatical errors, I think this story has potential. It’s a comfort read if you’re Malaysian/Singaporean.

Not gonna lie, but I am STRUGGLING to finish this book. Slow pacing and lots of dialogue. The only part I like is the third person POV, and the straightforward writing style.

Nothing remarkably exciting has happened…yet (I’m comparing against the first book). But let’s see. 🤔

first impressions:
- good writing; nice blend of a poetic style and clarity.
- there's already insta-love within 25% of the book?
- FMC is "not like other girls" (why, WHY do authors do this?).
- very strong male characters; probably the best i've read when compared to fiction I read in 2025
- the setting + chinese mythology is top tier

It's too early to DNF at 40%. I'm trying to see past Fortune's "sexy voice fetish" and her repeated references about being "seventeen" again -- like, girl we get it!

something tells me the whodunnit element might be underwhelming. two things i liked: a strong first-person narrative, and a vivid depiction of grief.

this is my third emhen book -- safe to say, it will be my last. there's only so much recycling you can do with a painfully delicate FMC, another grumpy MMC and daddy issues for depth.

also, if i have to read one more "heat filling my abdomen" and his "sexy, evil smile", imma just bang my head against the wall.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that I’m holding back tears as I read this book. Allie writes in a way that a modern woman can relate to the struggles that we face in the Self-Affirmation culture, a.k.a “Me-ology”. This book really hit a nerve.

Allie presents the gospel so clearly amidst all this, it makes me see the profoundness of love of Christ that truly satisfies. So much more to dive in this book!

I was surprised that this is becoming an easy read. Definitely helpful for those who are teaching (amongst women) or leading discussion groups. Her framework helps the reader think through Scripture and point the subject matter to Christ, rather than committing the common mistake of self-interpretation of the Bible. Let’s see how this ends!

Chapter 9: A New Story for Work.

"...but it is a mistake to think that the Christian worldview is operating only when we are doing such overtly Christian activities. Instead, think of the gospel as a set of glasses through which you 'look' at everything else in the world."