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tammie_reads 's review for:
White Ivy
by Susie Yang
3.5 stars
Thank you to Libro.fm for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review!
I have mixed feelings about this book, but I think overall I really liked it. I mean, I read it in a day so I think that says a lot about just how much I enjoyed it. It has the addictive quality of a thriller, but at the same time, I wouldn't necessarily call it a commercial thriller, per se. It definitely feels more like literary fiction or contemporary in terms of the writing style, but with the addictive nature and tension of a thriller.
I can't quite put my finger on it, but there was definitely something about this book that just made me incredibly uncomfortable. To be completely honest, I don't know if this actually means that the book did what it was supposed to do or not, but I would say you should definitely go into this book expecting all the characters to be morally grey (like a *dark* grey), and expect them to behave in problematic ways and have problematic values.
What I did really like about this book and what I think sets it apart from a very white-dominated thriller market is how Yang explores the darker sides of the Chinese-American experience. The main character, Ivy, is an incredibly flawed and insecure person who romanticizes both wealth and whiteness and is ashamed of her upbringing. The book explores themes of internalized misogyny, white supremacy, racism, classism, etc. and I think it does a good job of highlighting these issues.
Overall, I would recommend this, with the caveat of I don't think this book is for everyone. I think if you're unfamiliar with Chinese-American culture, you may find some of the ways in which Ivy grapples with her culture and identity a bit jarring, unrealistic, or even offensive at times, but for me personally, I did feel like a lot of what is touched on in this book felt very authentic, albeit dramatized and over the top.
Thank you to Libro.fm for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review!
I have mixed feelings about this book, but I think overall I really liked it. I mean, I read it in a day so I think that says a lot about just how much I enjoyed it. It has the addictive quality of a thriller, but at the same time, I wouldn't necessarily call it a commercial thriller, per se. It definitely feels more like literary fiction or contemporary in terms of the writing style, but with the addictive nature and tension of a thriller.
I can't quite put my finger on it, but there was definitely something about this book that just made me incredibly uncomfortable. To be completely honest, I don't know if this actually means that the book did what it was supposed to do or not, but I would say you should definitely go into this book expecting all the characters to be morally grey (like a *dark* grey), and expect them to behave in problematic ways and have problematic values.
What I did really like about this book and what I think sets it apart from a very white-dominated thriller market is how Yang explores the darker sides of the Chinese-American experience. The main character, Ivy, is an incredibly flawed and insecure person who romanticizes both wealth and whiteness and is ashamed of her upbringing. The book explores themes of internalized misogyny, white supremacy, racism, classism, etc. and I think it does a good job of highlighting these issues.
Overall, I would recommend this, with the caveat of I don't think this book is for everyone. I think if you're unfamiliar with Chinese-American culture, you may find some of the ways in which Ivy grapples with her culture and identity a bit jarring, unrealistic, or even offensive at times, but for me personally, I did feel like a lot of what is touched on in this book felt very authentic, albeit dramatized and over the top.