A review by readwithdrb
Number One Chinese Restaurant by Lillian Li

emotional sad tense slow-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

2.5

I was looking forward to reading this book because it's set in Rockville, Maryland (where I lived for several years before moving a few towns over). I was incredibly bored throughout most of the story (my interest piqued here and there). There was a lot of drama among family members in this particular Chinese restaurant, from the elders whose dream it was to open up shop all the way to the children and grandchildren who were getting into their own troubles. Overall, I did feel like the story is very true to the intergenerational family dynamics within an Asian family (I see this in my own), but I was unfortunately let down with this read.