A review by emilyinherhead
The Family Chao by Lan Samantha Chang

challenging mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

After emotions are felt, expressed, where do they go? Is there a place where spent passion collects? Surely it can't simply vaporize, disappear like smoke. There must be a secret hiding place. For every old love affair, a locked room.

This novel is full of characters, both within and outside of the Chao family, that aren't easy to like. We're in many of their heads through the lead-up to, and unraveling after, a seemingly easily-solved murder, and what we find there isn't super flattering. There is jealousy, resentment, emotional suffocation, greed, inadequacy, fear, and even maybe some hate. It's both slightly repulsive and incredibly juicy. And since the family owns a restaurant, there's a lot of drool-inducing writing about delicious food.

I don't want to give away any of the plot, since following it as it unfolds is part of the joy of the reading experience, but I'll just say that if you enjoy digging into family dynamics or if you're interested in immigrant stories and/or literary mystery, you'll probably really like The Family Chao.
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