Hello, beautiful people! I’ve finally done it — I’ve succumbed to the hype surrounding Crazy Rich Asians! Some lovely bookstagrammers let me join their buddy read, so I obviously couldn’t say no. Though it took me a couple weeks longer to finish it, I really enjoyed reading Kwan’s drama filled novel!
Source: Goodreads
Title: Crazy Rich Asians
Series: Crazy Rich Asians, Book One
Author: Kevin Kwan
Published on May 20th 2014 by Anchor (first published June 11th 2013)
Format: Paperback, 527 pages
Genre / Themes: Contemporary | Humour | Realistic Fiction | Romance
Point of View: Third Person
Synopsis: When New Yorker Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home and quality time with the man she hopes to marry. But Nick has failed to give his girlfriend a few key details. One, that his childhood home looks like a palace; two, that he grew up riding in more private planes than cars; and three, that he just happens to be the country’s most eligible bachelor.
On Nick’s arm, Rachel may as well have a target on her back the second she steps off the plane, and soon, her relaxed vacation turns into an obstacle course of old money, new money, nosy relatives, and scheming social climbers.
THE PROS
Kwan’s novel is FULL OF EPIC DRAMA TO THE MAX! Seriously, the entire book is one big soap opera but WAY better. Full of family secrets, plots to destroy lives, so much gossip and romance at every turn, true drama lovers will devour Crazy Rich Asians.
The novel’s also INSANELY story focused, with a great emphasis on the plot development of the characters as a whole. There’s a beautiful fluidity to the story, progressing in a remarkable order even with SO many different characters and the omniscient (all-knowing narrator) point of view. It makes you really feel involved in their lives, NEEDING to know what happens next in this crazy drama.
I truly enjoyed the rich and detailed focus on Singapore and Chinese culture, making the little wanderlust in me desire to travel even more! Much of this book is based on Kwan’s own life experiences in Singapore, which is ultimately why this books FEELS so authentic in comparison to other novels surrounding these cultures. The description of the food’s ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTFUL — my mouth LITERALLY watered at some points. The code switching (use of non-English language) in the book made the story feel more authentic as well, using key words that are commonly used (i.e. Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien, and Mala). Even the importance of mannerisms and family heirs was incredible to learn about. Honestly, I would recommend this book SIMPLY for this element alone.
THE WOES
There are just too many characters and relations to keep up with! It’s not just remembering the names, but remembering how every family is related or connected to one another. Personally, this made it difficult to maintain focus for long periods of time … I will say though, Kwan does provide a family tree at the beginning and it REALLY does help.
I also found a lot of the characters felt two-dimensional, with little room for character development. Since there are so many characters to explore in this novel, a lot of the main characters don’t receive as much attention. There are so many lovely characters — I truly love Astrid and Rachel — but having a large cast took away from their stories and character development a lot of the time.
OVERALL
Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians is an over-the-top drama filled story, full of hilarious banter and juicy gossip to spice things up! Reading more about different Asian cultures was not only an eye-opening experience, but a breath of fresh air — there’s definitely not enough contemporary novels that correctly explore Singapore and Chinese cultures. Yes … there are a LOT of characters and things to remember. But Kwan’s beautifully written dramatic tale is COMPLETELY worth the read.
I recommend this novel if you enjoy: over-the-top drama; exploring Asian and East Asian cultures; plot driven novels; romance.
Discussion time!
Have you read Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians? Have you finished the Crazy Rich Asians series? Have you read Kwan’s other novels? What are your thoughts?
Sometimes all I need is a good drama to have fun, so I’ll add this to my TBR just in case. 😅 I’m glad that despite some things you enjoyed it, love, INCREDIBLE REVIEW, as always ❤️❤️❤️
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Ooooo yay! I hope you end up liking it! I am starting book two and so far, it’s really intriguing! Thank you so much, darlin’! ❤️❤️❤️
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My daughter just finished this one, and I think she’s onto the next one in series. I hear it’s pretty good so I may have to check this one out.
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It’s definitely a worthwhile read, especially if you like drama. I’m actually not really into drama books but this one was done so well! I started book two as well and it’s good to far!
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I like drama, mystery, and true crime, but I’m up for anything so as soon as I’m done with The Select by F. Paul Wilson, I think that one might be next in line.
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Lovely!!! I hope you enjoy it!!
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Great review, Jenna! I haven’t read this book or seen the movie, but now you’ve got me really interested in it. It sounds like so much fun! ❤
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Awe yay! I hope you end up reading it and enjoying it! I actually watched the film first which helped with knowing who is who in the books 🙂
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I enjoyed the entire series and look forward to reading his latest.
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Ahh i haven’t started these yet but I’m sure I will given the hype around them. Excellent review – these sound like such fu reads even if they are over the top.
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Highly recommend!!!! I hope you enjoy the books!!
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This book was so fun ❤
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I’m excited to get into book 2!
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Such a good book!!
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Definitely 🙂 have you read the other books ?
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No, are they good as well?
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I’m currently reading book two. I’m not too far yet but so far, it’s good!!
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I’ll have to check that out!
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I’ve had my eye on this book for a while and who doesn’t want to read a soap opera drama every now and then haha. I love that the book feels authentic and I can definitely see the book fuelling my wanderlust, especially with all the food descriptions.
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It’s honestly really good. Highly recommend! It can be A LOT to take in with all the characters and stories, but it was totally worth it in my eyes 🙂
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I tried watching the movie adaptation and fell asleep 😀 But tbh, it’s been happening more often recently. Lol The book does sound better, so I might give it a go! Thank you for reviewing it, hun ❤
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I loved the movie! But I get that ha-ha! I actually preferred the movie in a lot of ways — mainly less of an information overload. But the book was really good and worth the read in my opinion! Thanks for commenting!
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Surprisingly, my bf actually finished watching the movie while I was asleep 😀 I might give it another go, when I’m less tired and it’s not too late. Lol
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LMAO! I’m like that. Even if a film is interesting, I can’t stay awake if it’s late and/or I’m tired
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