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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
An easy addictive weekend read. The main characters were even more bland than in the 1st book, but the supporting cast's increasingly outrageous decisions make up for it.
This is the sequel to [b:Crazy Rich Asians|16085481|Crazy Rich Asians (Crazy Rich Asians #1)|Kevin Kwan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1364852559s/16085481.jpg|21571970], and it fulfilled my expectations. Brand name dropping, conspiracy brewing, snobbery abounding, and the occasional nice person suffering.
Funny and enjoyable!
Funny and enjoyable!
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
ummm very silly wish Rachel was like an actual person instead of the most one dimensional character ever written! feeling very poor!
The writing and story were a tad better than the first book, but the overall product was still garbage. Kevin Kwan continues to do this annoying thing where he segways from character to character in the hope of capturing their points of view, it doesn't work. In contrast, all this style of writing succeeds in doing is generalizing all the characters and making them feel like the same person. Speaking of the characters, they continue to be complete asshats and I pray that the final book has some sort of consequence for their actions. Given the fact that they're ultra-rich billionaires, however, I cannot be too hopeful of that outcome
fast-paced
Good fun, highly readable if forgettable. Enjoyed this second look into the world of the crazy rich and ties together plots from the first book in a satisfying way. Wish they had included the family tree from the first book.
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Good:
The stakes are dramatically raised in this book by the sheer amount of wealth being thrown about. Whereas Rachel was overwhelmed before, now even Nick is shocked by the amount of money Rachel’s family has to play with. I enjoyed her reunion with her half brother, Carlton, immensely. The two are poised to be rivals initially, but get along from the moment they meet–in part due to how similar they look. I loved Charlie Wu’s story–a continuation really of his devotion to Astrid in the first book. He’s one of the more level headed rich characters, and has such a strong moral center. I also thoroughly enjoyed how much time Kitty got in the story and how she ultimately had to choose her own path to societal acceptance. Also that she got custody of her daughter, I loved that part.
The Meh:
Michael Teo became the villain of Astrid’s story surprisingly quickly. The first book sets him up in such a sympathetic light, despite his supposed affair. Even getting glimpses of his perspective helped with giving more nuance to his conflict with Astrid. But he becomes cartoonishly greedy in this book–very reminiscent of Eddie actually.
Final Thoughts:
It was highly impressive how quickly the stakes rose from Crazy Rich Asians to China Rich Girlfriend. Very quickly, Kwan establishes just how next level some of the billionaires of mainland China are–and how complicated things can become when balancing wealth. There are also more mentions of generational trauma. In the first book, trauma from the Japanese occupation of Singapore plays a part in the social dynamics of the elder generation. In this, the purges of Communist China are addressed obliquely. I do wish there was a bit more of that in play, but there was already a lot going on for Kwan to juggle when writing. Carlton was my favorite addition to the cast, and Kitty was my favorite reappearance. I loved how fleshed out Kitty became throughout the book–from her real backstory to the reinventions she goes through. Altogether, this book was a high energy follow up to Crazy Rich Asians, keeping the trend upwards.
For a more in depth review, click here to read on my book blog!
The stakes are dramatically raised in this book by the sheer amount of wealth being thrown about. Whereas Rachel was overwhelmed before, now even Nick is shocked by the amount of money Rachel’s family has to play with. I enjoyed her reunion with her half brother, Carlton, immensely. The two are poised to be rivals initially, but get along from the moment they meet–in part due to how similar they look. I loved Charlie Wu’s story–a continuation really of his devotion to Astrid in the first book. He’s one of the more level headed rich characters, and has such a strong moral center. I also thoroughly enjoyed how much time Kitty got in the story and how she ultimately had to choose her own path to societal acceptance. Also that she got custody of her daughter, I loved that part.
The Meh:
Michael Teo became the villain of Astrid’s story surprisingly quickly. The first book sets him up in such a sympathetic light, despite his supposed affair. Even getting glimpses of his perspective helped with giving more nuance to his conflict with Astrid. But he becomes cartoonishly greedy in this book–very reminiscent of Eddie actually.
Final Thoughts:
It was highly impressive how quickly the stakes rose from Crazy Rich Asians to China Rich Girlfriend. Very quickly, Kwan establishes just how next level some of the billionaires of mainland China are–and how complicated things can become when balancing wealth. There are also more mentions of generational trauma. In the first book, trauma from the Japanese occupation of Singapore plays a part in the social dynamics of the elder generation. In this, the purges of Communist China are addressed obliquely. I do wish there was a bit more of that in play, but there was already a lot going on for Kwan to juggle when writing. Carlton was my favorite addition to the cast, and Kitty was my favorite reappearance. I loved how fleshed out Kitty became throughout the book–from her real backstory to the reinventions she goes through. Altogether, this book was a high energy follow up to Crazy Rich Asians, keeping the trend upwards.
For a more in depth review, click here to read on my book blog!
Slow to get into. Probably would have been better if I’d read this sooner after Crazy Rich Asians.