Scan barcode
rcw's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
sad
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? Yes
4.0
jadeverbick's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
laurakh's review against another edition
2.0
I really liked Crazy Rich Asians for what it is: a fun, frivolous read. I enjoyed the glimpse into high society in Singapore and all the fashions and name dropping. I especially liked it because I picked it up, entirely by coincidence, to read ON MY FLIGHT TO SINGAPORE this summer. I felt like it gave me some fun and interesting knowledge into the country, food and fashion, and made me enjoy my visit even more. I gave it 4 stars.
HOWEVER, my entertainment dropped dramatically between book one and book three. The fashions and extravagance could really only dazzle me for one book before I got bored. And once I was bored I noticed the poor writing that I chose to ignore for the most part when I started the series. By the end I was audibly groaning at the overused phrases that plagued the book. I wish I had counted every time someone "quipped" or a room / dress / person was "impossibly chic" because I'm sure the number would be in the 20s at least.
The characters were basically just mannequins to showcase the designers that are the real focus of the book. This isn't a huge deal in a book meant to be more about the fashions and drama, but a few more serious themes were added in to presumably "flesh out" the characters. When 90% of the book is describing clothes and houses, it feels insulting to add a paragraph or two on something like suicide or depression over a miscarriage. The characters we are meant to cheer for (Astrid, Rachel, Nick and friends) are TOO PERFECT. They are all decadently rich and spoiled and yet are meant to serve as a foil to their society and rule obsessed relatives with no explanation as to how they became so grounded and humble. The one character I was super entertained by was Kitty, and her multiple image changes (especially the chapters with the reports from her image consultant) were my favorite parts of the whole book.
The main problem with book 3 was the pacing. The author did a great job with book 1, which was why I was so shocked by the plot of Rich People Problems. It felt like he wrote the first half, got bored, and suddenly wrapped up half the plots in the epilogue while leaving some completely unaddressed. I was reading this on an eReader and didn't notice my progress, and I literally checked the table of contents when I suddenly hit the epilogue, thinking I'd accidentally skipped chapters. The epilogue wraps up everything in the most lazy way: suddenly every couple that has been even hinted at is either happily married or engaged, and several businesses have been dreamed up and are wildly successful. Basically EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER is rich, successful, in love, and following their dreams, with one bizarre exception:
Overall, this series started as a fun and entertaining, but the reasons I liked Crazy Rich Asians grew really tiresome by the end. The entertainment factor of reading about the extravagant lives of Asia's elite was perfect for one book, but didn't work when stretched to three.
HOWEVER, my entertainment dropped dramatically between book one and book three. The fashions and extravagance could really only dazzle me for one book before I got bored. And once I was bored I noticed the poor writing that I chose to ignore for the most part when I started the series. By the end I was audibly groaning at the overused phrases that plagued the book. I wish I had counted every time someone "quipped" or a room / dress / person was "impossibly chic" because I'm sure the number would be in the 20s at least.
The characters were basically just mannequins to showcase the designers that are the real focus of the book. This isn't a huge deal in a book meant to be more about the fashions and drama, but a few more serious themes were added in to presumably "flesh out" the characters. When 90% of the book is describing clothes and houses, it feels insulting to add a paragraph or two on something like suicide or depression over a miscarriage. The characters we are meant to cheer for (Astrid, Rachel, Nick and friends) are TOO PERFECT. They are all decadently rich and spoiled and yet are meant to serve as a foil to their society and rule obsessed relatives with no explanation as to how they became so grounded and humble. The one character I was super entertained by was Kitty, and her multiple image changes (especially the chapters with the reports from her image consultant) were my favorite parts of the whole book.
The main problem with book 3 was the pacing. The author did a great job with book 1, which was why I was so shocked by the plot of Rich People Problems. It felt like he wrote the first half, got bored, and suddenly wrapped up half the plots in the epilogue while leaving some completely unaddressed. I was reading this on an eReader and didn't notice my progress, and I literally checked the table of contents when I suddenly hit the epilogue, thinking I'd accidentally skipped chapters. The epilogue wraps up everything in the most lazy way: suddenly every couple that has been even hinted at is either happily married or engaged, and several businesses have been dreamed up and are wildly successful. Basically EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER is rich, successful, in love, and following their dreams, with one bizarre exception:
Spoiler
Colette is revealed to have been electrocuted and is now basically a drooling vegetable, and this is framed as a fun, hilarious take down of a villain?!? Maybe it was just me, but in the Kitty v. Colette showdown, I perceived them both to be equally spoiled, self centered, and ridiculous. I actually thought at many points that Kitty was meant to be the villain of the story. The electrocution thing felt super dark and out of the tone of the rest of the book, especially when Kitty came out unscathed. Were we meant to cheer for her all along?Overall, this series started as a fun and entertaining, but the reasons I liked Crazy Rich Asians grew really tiresome by the end. The entertainment factor of reading about the extravagant lives of Asia's elite was perfect for one book, but didn't work when stretched to three.
jena_33's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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? Yes
4.5
mckennah's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
happylilkt's review against another edition
3.0
2.75 stars Always outrageous, full of gossip and ostentatious spending. (And still crass.) I liked this one slightly less than the first two but it has a more of Su Yi's backstory which was interesting.
ptonna's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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? Yes
5.0