Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Sex and Vanity

Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan

11 reviews

bookedbymadeline's review against another edition

funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I picked this up because I loved Kwan’s debut work, Crazy Rich Asians, as well as the sequels. I was pulled in right away and read this pretty quickly because it’s a lighthearted, modern homage to A Room With a View! I haven’t read Room With a View yet but it’s high on my classics TBR.

In Sex and Vanity we go from Capri, Italy in part 1 of the novel and then jump 5 years later to NYC for part 2. I enjoyed Capri a lot more, but the NYC chapters grew on me after a few chapters.

For the most part, I liked the characters! They were all well written and complex, although some of them (Lucie) annoyed me at times 😅 But I did love how outrageous some of the characters were and it made for an entertaining read!

The one thing that really bugged me was with each new character introduced, Kwan writes out EVERY school they went to from Pre K to college 🙃 it got annoying very quickly, like all the labels and pop culture references could be a bit much at times and unfortunately will end up dating the book in years to come. The name dropping/brand insertions were numerous and felt like Kwan was trying to reach the word count for an essay 🙈

Kwan also adds footnotes (just like in Crazy Rich Asians), but this time I didn’t enjoy them as much. Sometimes they were contradictions or clarifications for something a character said, instead of informational, and meant to be funny-which felt forced/unnecessary and didn’t hit the same way they did in CRA (or like I think Kwan expected).

The ending was really well done! It left things sort of open ended but also wrapped up in a sense, it was a satisfying ending for the novel. It’s a fun, quick read that I enjoyed but I think Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians trilogy is still his best work 💗

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lateromantic's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

2.5

Very fun, very frothy in the best way, fabulously knowledgable about fabulous things like art and fashion and interior design. Plot was meh and very not the point of this kind of read, but I'd have liked to see it longer and have some of the plot beats be described in as much detail as the luscious moments.
I loved how it ended with one character -

Cecil, and everyone's attitudes towards him in the end - he wasn't portrayed as a villain or a buffoon, just the wrong man

Equally, I didn't love the ending for another character -

Charlotte. It seemed to come out of nowhere that she's nice now, and then to be dating the nicest character in the book? nah this bit was very pure fiction happy-ending.

I also loved how Kwan handled the theme of

racism - both internalised and from external sources. He really made it seem realistic what the character felt for herself and how she was interpreting others' actions, and he leaves it up to us to decide how far it was true or a problem that the characters can overcome. Perfect for this kind of frothy read - places you in a realistic world and gives an understanding of serious issues, somehow without detracting from the lightness of his book? Masterful.

My favourite part was the footnotes - charming and informative. I wish more chick lit told me about arty Chinese cinema and European trends in porcelain.

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mishaps's review against another edition

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lighthearted slow-paced

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

2.0

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nouveau's review against another edition

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

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

5.0

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literarydumpling's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

4.25

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spacecowgirl's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

i don't think i've ever read a book with as many unlikable character as this one had.

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sarahholliday's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.75

I'm a big Kevin Kwan fan, and though Sex and Vanity lacked the nuanced commentary that made Crazy Rich Asians such a fantastic read, I still enjoyed this over-the-top, escapist novel.

I think it's helpful to keep in mind that Kwan wrote S&V as an homage to A Room with a View. This story reads as a comedy of manners, more concerned with what people do than why. If you're looking for introspection and satisfying character development you might be disappointed.

I agree with other reviewers that, though Kwan does an excellent job cataloguing the myriad ways in which Asian Americans experience racism & microaggressions, there's never any consistent effort to further interrogate those experiences. I think this story lacked an outsider's perspective (like the one Rachel offered in CRA), which meant many of the moments meant as satire instead came off as caricatures.

All of that being said, Kevin Kwan is an "automatic read" author for me. Even at his "worst," his writing is still witty, unique, and the kind of indulgent treat that makes for great summer reading.

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berodatheelf's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.5

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womanwill's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

2.5

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manon_misheck's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.25

This book may not go down as one of my favorites, but it was exactly what I needed! Kwan brought his signature style to Sex & Vanity that makes you feel like you’re gossiping with your friend who knows all the tea. Us average people of course can’t relate to the ultra-rich characters, but it’s so fun to be a fly on the wall in their world for a bit to escape the heaviness of our reality. Our book club agreed that we would love an entire story about Marian or Freddie! This book came at the perfect time for me, & I really enjoyed it. Now I will continue impatiently awaiting the second Crazy Rich Asians movie!!

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