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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
3.5 / 5
Obśmiałam się, ale nie powiem, żebym zgadzała się z Andreą.
Obśmiałam się, ale nie powiem, żebym zgadzała się z Andreą.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
I really disliked all the characters in this book. None of them had any appeal especially Andrea who was whiny, self absorbed and completely lacked self awareness. There was no depth to the main male character Suresh and nothing likeable about him either other than the fact that he was “hot”. There were so many side characters who added nothing to the plot other than unnecessary drama and all this would have been okay if there was some kind of plot but there wasn’t. I struggled not to DNF this and eventually had to skim through the last few pages. For a romance novel there was simply no romance, it read like an author who was telling us about a girl bordering on alcoholism who hated her job sprinkled with a bit of religious hate, female hate, fat phobia and a huge dash of homophobia. Nothing good about this book at all. Zero stars if possible.
The entire time I was reading this I went back and forth asking myself "Do you actually like this book or not?"
The first quarter of the book was enthralling — I usually don't vibe with first person narratives but I was oddly drawn into Andrea's narration, particularly her sense of quippy humor. It was cute, and funny, at first.
But then it started getting old, and she felt more... flippant and tacky than anything. I felt like the author spent a lot of time focusing on Andrea's cynical, very odd monologue and in turn, everything else fell flat. There were a billion characters and I couldn't keep up with who was who in the 2nd half. Andrea and Suresh's "romance" was so shallow, it barely existed. And I really do think this is because the author didn't take time to develop outside of Andrea — who really wasn't that great of a person. Both Suresh and Linda call her "rude" and "self-absorbed" and... well.... it's not an uncalled for call out. And with Suresh being a significant part of the book/plot, I felt like we never really got the sense that we knew him.
I think a lot of the issues I ended up having with this book came from the writing style. The author is a lawyer, or previously was, and that shows in the writing quality. It's very quick, filled with punchy statements that cover big life realizations that really needed to be drawn out more in detail to be believable.
And I lost interest and skimmed through the last 50% of the book, to be completely honest. I think it has some good qualities, but overall, I wasn't invested and it dragged on. :/
The first quarter of the book was enthralling — I usually don't vibe with first person narratives but I was oddly drawn into Andrea's narration, particularly her sense of quippy humor. It was cute, and funny, at first.
But then it started getting old, and she felt more... flippant and tacky than anything. I felt like the author spent a lot of time focusing on Andrea's cynical, very odd monologue and in turn, everything else fell flat. There were a billion characters and I couldn't keep up with who was who in the 2nd half. Andrea and Suresh's "romance" was so shallow, it barely existed. And I really do think this is because the author didn't take time to develop outside of Andrea — who really wasn't that great of a person. Both Suresh and Linda call her "rude" and "self-absorbed" and... well.... it's not an uncalled for call out. And with Suresh being a significant part of the book/plot, I felt like we never really got the sense that we knew him.
I think a lot of the issues I ended up having with this book came from the writing style. The author is a lawyer, or previously was, and that shows in the writing quality. It's very quick, filled with punchy statements that cover big life realizations that really needed to be drawn out more in detail to be believable.
And I lost interest and skimmed through the last 50% of the book, to be completely honest. I think it has some good qualities, but overall, I wasn't invested and it dragged on. :/
hopeful
inspiring
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:
Complicated
Also what’s with Eric Deng? First he takes ages to get properly together with Andrea and then immediately proposes?? Interesting guy for sure
4.5/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love when books take me by surprise. I picked up Last Tang Standing on a whim, thinking it might be a buffer between some of the heavier books I’d read in February. Not only was it light and romantic, but it was so much fun to read.
Andrea Tang is a corporate lawyer, 33, and single. In her traditional Chinese-Singaporean family, this is a problem. With her friend group there to help, Andrea resolves to jump back into the dating scene, only to realize it’s much more complicated than she remembered. Last Tang Standing is not just a romance, but a conversation about living life for others instead of yourself, and finding happiness somewhere in-between.
The writing of Last Tang Standing is quick and funny. I felt completely immersed in Andrea’s world- especially her large and quirky friend group. Fast-paced without being overwhelming, I read this in under two days because it was just so much fun. Woven between humor and wit is a serious look at wealth inequality, familial obligations, and what it means to really know what you want.
The one thing I wish the author had taken more time with was the behavior of Andrea’s mother. Throughout the book, she is painted as a harsh and somewhat bigoted character who cuts off her youngest daughter for dating a Malaysian Muslim man. Andrea admits that her mother’s behavior is wrong, but when she gives a quick explanation in the final few chapters, all is forgiven. I appreciate that the topic was addressed, but I wish it had been dug into a little bit more.
This book is advertised as Crazy Rich Asians meet Bridget Jones Diary, and having read neither but watched both movies, I would agree. This was the refreshing and romantic book I needed to end February on a good note.
TW: Binge drinking, self-harm mention, drug use, sexism, racism, Islamophobia, fatphobic comments, body shaming, and classism
I love when books take me by surprise. I picked up Last Tang Standing on a whim, thinking it might be a buffer between some of the heavier books I’d read in February. Not only was it light and romantic, but it was so much fun to read.
Andrea Tang is a corporate lawyer, 33, and single. In her traditional Chinese-Singaporean family, this is a problem. With her friend group there to help, Andrea resolves to jump back into the dating scene, only to realize it’s much more complicated than she remembered. Last Tang Standing is not just a romance, but a conversation about living life for others instead of yourself, and finding happiness somewhere in-between.
The writing of Last Tang Standing is quick and funny. I felt completely immersed in Andrea’s world- especially her large and quirky friend group. Fast-paced without being overwhelming, I read this in under two days because it was just so much fun. Woven between humor and wit is a serious look at wealth inequality, familial obligations, and what it means to really know what you want.
The one thing I wish the author had taken more time with was the behavior of Andrea’s mother. Throughout the book, she is painted as a harsh and somewhat bigoted character who cuts off her youngest daughter for dating a Malaysian Muslim man. Andrea admits that her mother’s behavior is wrong, but when she gives a quick explanation in the final few chapters, all is forgiven. I appreciate that the topic was addressed, but I wish it had been dug into a little bit more.
This book is advertised as Crazy Rich Asians meet Bridget Jones Diary, and having read neither but watched both movies, I would agree. This was the refreshing and romantic book I needed to end February on a good note.
TW: Binge drinking, self-harm mention, drug use, sexism, racism, Islamophobia, fatphobic comments, body shaming, and classism
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Andrea Tang is a successful lawyer, she’s living in Singapore and is on her way to making partner. She’s got it all sorted then? Well, not exactly. Her family, despite her achievements, only seem to focus on the fact that she’s almost made it to her mid-thirties and is still not married. With a mother to appease and a career demanding almost every waking hour of her day, Andrea just doesn’t have the time to find a husband. And what’s worse is that her colleague Suresh is trying his best to make partner too – and she has to beat him. Then along comes Eric Deng, who seems to have their whole lives and futures mapped out, but it’s hard to know what choices to make, and while she’s busy trying to please everyone else, Andrea needs to choose what will make her happy too.
This book is just hilarious. Not only was Ho a fantastic writer for her ability to craft a compelling and engaging storyline, but her wit and humour throughout is absolutely spot on. I’ve never felt so innately connected to a character and on so many occasions thought “that’s me!” Andrea was by no means perfect, but that’s exactly what makes her lovable. And while I definitely don’t think I could go to work on that many hangovers (and I’m 10 years younger than Andrea) I loved how she didn’t always handle situations in the best way – because aren’t we all guilty of that?
If the quote at the beginning wasn’t enough to convince you of the might of Ho’s writing, here’s another snippet which had me laughing out loud: “Ah shit, Am now crotch-to-shlong with a poker-faced blond cyborg in cycling gear so tight I could see inside him. If the train makes an emergency stop I will fall pregnant. It’s not the way I wish to go about it, so have placed expensive handbag between us as a makeshift condom. Sorry Prada.”
Hilarity aside, this book also had deeper moments which kept it nicely grounded. There are decisions and choices Andrea must weigh up which I’m sure has crossed the minds of many of the people reading it. You really get the feeling while reading this that Andrea is just muddling through, just doing her best with what life has handed her, and I loved her for it.
As characters, Eric and Suresh were both likeable as well. I especially liked getting to know Suresh because the more Andrea learnt about him, the more she realised he was more complicated than she first thought. Andrea’s friends and colleagues were all also plausible and fleshed out as personalities; I really felt as if I had stepped into someone’s real life.
Humour is always a tricky thing to convey in books because you don’t have the luxury of controlling the timing or pacing, so it’s hard to get right. Last Tang Standing however, absolutely nails it. Lauren Ho’s writing is so refreshing, compelling, and just down-right hilarious – I cannot wait to read another of her books!
This book is just hilarious. Not only was Ho a fantastic writer for her ability to craft a compelling and engaging storyline, but her wit and humour throughout is absolutely spot on. I’ve never felt so innately connected to a character and on so many occasions thought “that’s me!” Andrea was by no means perfect, but that’s exactly what makes her lovable. And while I definitely don’t think I could go to work on that many hangovers (and I’m 10 years younger than Andrea) I loved how she didn’t always handle situations in the best way – because aren’t we all guilty of that?
If the quote at the beginning wasn’t enough to convince you of the might of Ho’s writing, here’s another snippet which had me laughing out loud: “Ah shit, Am now crotch-to-shlong with a poker-faced blond cyborg in cycling gear so tight I could see inside him. If the train makes an emergency stop I will fall pregnant. It’s not the way I wish to go about it, so have placed expensive handbag between us as a makeshift condom. Sorry Prada.”
Hilarity aside, this book also had deeper moments which kept it nicely grounded. There are decisions and choices Andrea must weigh up which I’m sure has crossed the minds of many of the people reading it. You really get the feeling while reading this that Andrea is just muddling through, just doing her best with what life has handed her, and I loved her for it.
As characters, Eric and Suresh were both likeable as well. I especially liked getting to know Suresh because the more Andrea learnt about him, the more she realised he was more complicated than she first thought. Andrea’s friends and colleagues were all also plausible and fleshed out as personalities; I really felt as if I had stepped into someone’s real life.
Humour is always a tricky thing to convey in books because you don’t have the luxury of controlling the timing or pacing, so it’s hard to get right. Last Tang Standing however, absolutely nails it. Lauren Ho’s writing is so refreshing, compelling, and just down-right hilarious – I cannot wait to read another of her books!