Reviews

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan

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thomasr417's review against another edition

funny reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Another great one by Kevin Kwan! I love the view into the super rich life and the characters he creates. The relationship between Lucy and George felt a bit rushed; I wish there would have been more interactions with them. Overall, it was a fun read. Hope he’s working on his next novel!

amkb_'s review against another edition

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lighthearted slow-paced

1.0

rencollins's review against another edition

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lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Just not for me, honestly. It felt like it was written for the screen and included a ton of unnecessary details that really bogged down the story. At the same time, the details I wanted were often missing. I would have loved to hear more about the love story and how/why the characters fell in love. But instead, we're just supposed to believe that they love each other and have this developed relationship.

Also, I get that we're supposed to hate the original fiance, but wow, I HATED him. He's such a terrible person and it was hard to believe that the FMC would be in that relationship under any circumstance.

mizdoss's review against another edition

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3.0

It was just ok. Maybe because I’m not into high end name dropping. The story was pretty good but the glitz didn’t add to the story.

drusmilford's review against another edition

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3.0

Much preferred his trilogy.

s_h_a_r_i's review against another edition

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1.0

Incredibly vapid, and definitely not as fun or sharp as the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy was.

kdawn999's review against another edition

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2.0

2.5 stars. I like many elements of this novel—the lavish descriptions of wealth and the snobbery that comes with it, the inner turmoil of a biracial main character, the fun and ridiculous pop culture references (my favorite being a sex scene in which the main character role-plays as Mary from Downton Abbey). Unlike Crazy Rich Asians, though, this novel doesn’t reach for sharp irony, and beyond the glittering environs and dialogue, we never learn much of substance from the romantic pair. And most unforgivable of all—we have a completely unsatisfying ending, which trashes all the romantic tension built up to that point.