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A review by kaspersbooks
The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“Under the wrack and wreck of what had come before, the sky was new, and I reached for it with a yearning eager hand.”
the picture this story creates is enticing and beautiful. the writing is gorgeous, lyrical and dark.
it provided a retelling of the great gatsby that i have always wanted: queer.
focusing the retelling through the lens of a reimagined queer vietnamese adoptee jordan baker is incredibly intriguing given she does not get much of a voice in the original. though one could also say she does not truly have a voice here either given she is often treated like an exotic piece of art to be admired.
the dynamic between jordan, nick, and gatsby intrigued me the most and it left me wanting more. i never cared for the drama between daisy, gatsby, and tom in the original and the same could be said here. there were times i did dislike just how strictly it followed the original simply because i wanted more of jordan, nick, and gatsby and less of daisy and tom.
i do wish it touched a bit more into jordan’s self discovery of her heritage and the magic that connects her to it. but the book is just as whimsical and fleeting as the characters contained within it.
the book does take a whole new look into gender, race, and class during 1920s america.
the picture this story creates is enticing and beautiful. the writing is gorgeous, lyrical and dark.
it provided a retelling of the great gatsby that i have always wanted: queer.
focusing the retelling through the lens of a reimagined queer vietnamese adoptee jordan baker is incredibly intriguing given she does not get much of a voice in the original. though one could also say she does not truly have a voice here either given she is often treated like an exotic piece of art to be admired.
the dynamic between jordan, nick, and gatsby intrigued me the most and it left me wanting more. i never cared for the drama between daisy, gatsby, and tom in the original and the same could be said here. there were times i did dislike just how strictly it followed the original simply because i wanted more of jordan, nick, and gatsby and less of daisy and tom.
i do wish it touched a bit more into jordan’s self discovery of her heritage and the magic that connects her to it. but the book is just as whimsical and fleeting as the characters contained within it.
the book does take a whole new look into gender, race, and class during 1920s america.
Content Warnings
Minor: Abortion, Racism, and Homophobia