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A review by literarypenguin
The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Chosen and The Beautiful is a fantasy retelling of the classic novel, The Great Gatsby, where Jordan Baker a minor character from the novel has a more prominent role with a magical twist. I really thought this retelling did the original book justice while still being it's own interpretation making it standout on it's own!
I loved the magical elements added to the story, like the paper cutting which was a real art that originated during that time. I adored that the author weaved that bit of real history into the story using the main character Jordan as a way to do that. The writing was also really enchanting and painted such a vivid picture of each scene. Like I could see each thing that happened in every paragraph and it was truly beautiful! Though I wish that we could have seen more of this magic in use and seen how it affected the world that this book took place in.
The characters were equally great as well! I loved how Jordan was written as this strong willed and queer woman who has had to navigate a world that was not made for people of her race. She was also an orphan that was taken from her home country of Vietnam and adopted by a rich white family that raised her well but she still felt like something was missing from herself. Gatsby was a man who was implied to have sold his soul to demons for money and fame, having these lavish parties to attract attention to himself and admiration from those around him. Daisy was a woman who was desperate to escape her loveless marriage and live a life that is filled with more excitement than the one she is currently living. Nick was a man haunted by the horrors of war and has to deal with the trauma from these events. All of the characters were in a way queer, it didn't effect there character too much but it made them all the more interesting to read about!
I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more books by this author! I hope that they are as great as this one was!
I loved the magical elements added to the story, like the paper cutting which was a real art that originated during that time. I adored that the author weaved that bit of real history into the story using the main character Jordan as a way to do that. The writing was also really enchanting and painted such a vivid picture of each scene. Like I could see each thing that happened in every paragraph and it was truly beautiful! Though I wish that we could have seen more of this magic in use and seen how it affected the world that this book took place in.
The characters were equally great as well! I loved how Jordan was written as this strong willed and queer woman who has had to navigate a world that was not made for people of her race. She was also an orphan that was taken from her home country of Vietnam and adopted by a rich white family that raised her well but she still felt like something was missing from herself. Gatsby was a man who was implied to have sold his soul to demons for money and fame, having these lavish parties to attract attention to himself and admiration from those around him. Daisy was a woman who was desperate to escape her loveless marriage and live a life that is filled with more excitement than the one she is currently living. Nick was a man haunted by the horrors of war and has to deal with the trauma from these events. All of the characters were in a way queer, it didn't effect there character too much but it made them all the more interesting to read about!
I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more books by this author! I hope that they are as great as this one was!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol and Racism