thraeg 's review for:

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

3.0

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The comparison that struck me a short way into Crazy Rich Asians and never really let up was to Ready Player One. This is most obviously for the endless paragraphs of name-dropping real-world proper nouns (just with high fashion and food instead of '80s movies and games), but it also holds true for the simplistically drawn characters and blatantly telegraphed twists, as well as the breezy and broadly entertaining pace. Both are the literary equivalent of potato chips -- quick and easy to consume, pleasant enough in the moment, but lacking in substance.