Scan barcode
fernakat's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
kaori25's review against another edition
challenging
informative
lighthearted
medium-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
3.0
canaanmerchant's review
4.0
I was a big fan of Crazy Rich Asians for the story, the setting, and the fun asides. This has all that plus a marked improvement in writing so that this really fills all the potential the author's other works always had.
janagaton's review
3.0
Better than Crazy Rich Asians, but I didn't get anything out of it besides entertainment. The audiobook was really good. The narrator did really well with accents and such. The plot itself was boring, but some parts did make me laugh out loud. It was a good time overall, just not something I'd want to read physically nor reread.
shelbyaye's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
crimsoncor's review
4.0
I haven't read CRA (seen the movie), so it didn't feel as duplicative of that plot as other reviewers claim. It takes a lot of skill to write a novel where every character is fundamentally dislikeable (even the ostensible "hero") and yet still have the novel be greatly enjoyable to read. See Sam Sykes for when this goes terrible wrong. But it all works here, even though you really spend most of the books rooting for something terrible to happen to everyone.
book_concierge's review against another edition
2.0
Digital audiobook read by Lydia Look
From the book jacket: A glittering tale of love and longing as a young woman finds herself torn between two worlds–the WASP establishment of her father’s family and George Zao, a man she is desperately trying to avoid falling in love with.
My reactions
Boring. Vain, shallow characters more concerned with who is wearing what, or how to upstage someone else with their over-the-top events. Whether it’s their residence, car, jewels, vacations or clothing, they are obsessed with appearances.
There were a few over-the-top scenes that tickled my funny bone, and I gave it two stars for those. I realize that Kwan means these works to be satires of “crazy rich Asians” but I just find them tedious.
Lydia Look does a good job of narrating the audiobook. Too bad she didn’t have better material to work with.
From the book jacket: A glittering tale of love and longing as a young woman finds herself torn between two worlds–the WASP establishment of her father’s family and George Zao, a man she is desperately trying to avoid falling in love with.
My reactions
Boring. Vain, shallow characters more concerned with who is wearing what, or how to upstage someone else with their over-the-top events. Whether it’s their residence, car, jewels, vacations or clothing, they are obsessed with appearances.
There were a few over-the-top scenes that tickled my funny bone, and I gave it two stars for those. I realize that Kwan means these works to be satires of “crazy rich Asians” but I just find them tedious.
Lydia Look does a good job of narrating the audiobook. Too bad she didn’t have better material to work with.
elliesbookshelf's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0