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A review by dhrish
Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao
3.0
3.5 Stars
C/W: Arranged marriage, misogyny, sexism, sex-shaming, purity-obsession, classism
"Rent a Boyfriend" is an interesting look into a first-generation Taiwanese-American family whose hopes is that their 19-year-old daughter gets engaged to the local rich-family in their community. While I definitely can't speak on the specific Taiwanese experience portrayed in 'Rent a Boyfriend' I do think this is a very honest look at how some Asian communities do act. I adored the strong rom-com moments of this book and would definitely be the first in line to watch a movie adaptation.
The one thing I had a hard time believing was that Chloe, at 19, was being actively pressurised by her parents to seek marriage. This plot point did not sit well with me at all as (from my understanding) this pressure usually doesn't exist until at least after finishing undergrad. I wished that the main characters had been slightly aged-up as this would have made the plot and it's execution points more believable.
Also, I don't think there is a moment where Drew does anything wrong. As a love interest and main character his story, although not the focus was woven in so well with the main plot.
Overall this was an incredibly gut-wrenching read and a realistic look at the distance and expectations that may exist in an immigrant household.
C/W: Arranged marriage, misogyny, sexism, sex-shaming, purity-obsession, classism
"Rent a Boyfriend" is an interesting look into a first-generation Taiwanese-American family whose hopes is that their 19-year-old daughter gets engaged to the local rich-family in their community. While I definitely can't speak on the specific Taiwanese experience portrayed in 'Rent a Boyfriend' I do think this is a very honest look at how some Asian communities do act. I adored the strong rom-com moments of this book and would definitely be the first in line to watch a movie adaptation.
The one thing I had a hard time believing was that Chloe, at 19, was being actively pressurised by her parents to seek marriage. This plot point did not sit well with me at all as (from my understanding) this pressure usually doesn't exist until at least after finishing undergrad. I wished that the main characters had been slightly aged-up as this would have made the plot and it's execution points more believable.
Also, I don't think there is a moment where Drew does anything wrong. As a love interest and main character his story, although not the focus was woven in so well with the main plot.
Overall this was an incredibly gut-wrenching read and a realistic look at the distance and expectations that may exist in an immigrant household.