Tag Archives: Kevin Kwan

Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Rich People Problems (Crazy Rich Asians Trilogy Book 3) eBook ...

Title: Rich People Problems
Author: Kevin Kwan
Series: Crazy Rich Asians #3
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Asia, Chic lit, Contemporary
Dates read: 29th May 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Anchor Books
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: Mummy must never look unkempt.

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Synopsis

Nicholas Young’s grandmother Su Yi is on her deathbed. While he rushes to be by her side, he’s not the only one. The entire Shang-Young clan has convened from all corners to the globe to stake claim on their matriarch’s massive fortune. With all parties vying to inherit a trophy estate in the heart of Singapore, Nicholas’s childhood home turns into a hotbed of sabotage and scandal. Taking us from elegantly appointed mansions in Manila to secluded private islands in the Sulu Sea, Kevin Kwan’s final installment in this irresistible trilogy reveals the long-buried secrets of Asia’s most privileged families and their rich people problems.

Thoughts

I’ve been meaning and meaning to get to this novel for a while. After all, it finishes out a great series that I have absolutely adored and I also hated that the very final book in a trilogy has just been sitting, unread on my shelves. Now that I’ve read it… wow… I definitely should have sunk my teeth into this WAY WAY earlier.

The scheming and insanity that is Nick’s family definitely comes to a head in this story. He’s the prodigal son who has deserted his post, and yet, at the end of the day, all he wants is to be able to say goodbye to his grandmother. Yet, there are so, so many family members who are too busy plotting and scheming for more money to make this reunion simple. To make it anything but awkward really. It’s kind of difficult to stomach in moments – I just can’t imagine that need for money and prestige to be so all-consuming.

Although the main storyline was about Ah Ma being on her death bed and all of the insane relatives rushing to her side, there were another two great side stories that had that same sense of suspended disbelief and horror. Firstly, there was the story about Kitty. She’s moved up and up in the world throughout the series, but she now has to contend with a whole new set of problems in her drive to be the “queen” of society. Then there’s the story of Astrid. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted a character to have their happily ever after more. Yet, her journey to finally get her own version of happily ever after is seriously tragic and difficult. I actually wanted to throw the book across the room in some moments – there were just so many horrible things going on.

This is a great novel. Like the first two novels, Rich People Problems is funny and witty. It completely makes fun at a set of the cohort that most of us will never come across. Yet, it also makes you fall in love with some of these characters. I may have absolutely loved this novel and blitzed through it in about a day, but I’m actually really, seriously disappointed that this series is over… I wonder if there are any more Kevin Kwan novels that I can add to my wishlist…

<- China Rich GirlfriendKevin Kwan ->

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China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover china rich girlfriend kevin kwan

Title: China Rich Girlfriend
Author: Kevin Kwan
Series: Crazy Rich Asians #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Asia, Book to Film, Chic lit, Contemporary
Dates read: 31st October – 14th November 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Anchor Books
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: NICK: WTF!

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Synopsis

It’s the eve of Rachel Chu’s wedding, and she should be over the moon. She has a flawless oval-cut diamond, a wedding dress she loves, and a fiance willing to thwart his meddling relatives and give up one of the biggest fortunes in Asia in order to marry her. Still, Rachel mourns the fact that her birth father, a man she never knew, wont’ be there to walk her down the aisle.

Then a chance accident reveals his identity. Suddenly, Rachel is drawn into a dizzying world of Shanghai splendor, a world where people attend church in a penthouse, where exotic cars race down the boulevard, and where people aren’t just crazy rich… they’re China rich.

Thoughts

This is yet another fabulous hit. At least with me. And when I say fabulous, I mean flamboyantly fabulous because seriously… talk about lives of the rich and famous!!!

I spent most of my time reading this book giggling, laughing my head off, and sending random snapchats to my friends in particularly glorious moments. There is just something that is deliciously witty and disparaging about Kwan’s writing that I haven’t found in the longest of times. It has been the perfect fit for my mood lately, and a great summer read with the gloriously warm weather coming in. Easy, fun and so completely unbelievable that you actually believe that these people exist…

China Rich Girlfriend reveals yet another facet to the lives of the rich and famous among Asian and Chinese societies. And, again, Rachel is thrust in the middle of peoples’ issues and hang ups. Almost having her life destroyed in the process. It’s incredibly drama filled, but at least this time, Rachel doesn’t so much act as a naïve lamb going to the slaughter. She’s actually able to stand up for herself and approach the whole situation with her eyes open, no happy little, dream come true delusions this time. Thank goodness. I loved this more cynical version.

This story mostly follows Rachel and her discovery of her new family. As such, Nick tends to take a bit of a step back as a main story character. He’s always there, but not in the limelight as in Crazy Rich Asians. The other two relationships that are followed, and incredibly intriguing are that of Kitty and Bernard. I never thought I’d want to know what happened to them so badly, but it turns out that I had to have their story in my life too!

The third couple that was followed was Astrid and Michael. He was a douche nugget in the movie, he’s a douche nugget in the first book. And by the time you get to the end of the second book, you will seriously be hoping that he is not going to be around in the third… serious douche nugget. But, it makes for great reading, and gives you hope that Astrid may be able to find her own happily ever after, just with a few more bumps in the road…

<- Crazy Rich AsiansRich People Problems ->

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Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover crazy rich asians

Title: Crazy Rich Asians
Author: Kevin Kwan
Series: Crazy Rich Asians #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Asia, Book to Film, Chic lit, Contemporary
Dates read: 28th – 30th October 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Anchor Books
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: Her parents supported the idea of Astrid having a “cooling-off period” away, but try as she might to maintain a low profile, Astrid effortlessly enchanted le tout Paris with her smouldering beauty.

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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.

Thoughts

I CANNOT believe how amazing this book was!!! Totally floored. Totally in love and completely gobsmacked by the awesomeness of this. I am totally obsessed with the movie, so I was kind of expecting to like that better (it rarely happens, but sometimes if I love the movie, the book falls flat). But that was not the case. This book neither ruined the movies for me, or made me never want to read the books again. I now have a double obsession, both for different reasons.

Like the movie, this book is funny, pithy and quite brilliant. Yet, there is a lot more darkness amongst the pages than in the movie. Far more manipulation and horrible activities performed by the elite that are suddenly thrust into Rachel’s life. And a more insidious approach to her relationship than the movie has. This isn’t so rainbows and puppies at the end of the story. But, in being so, it is also way more realistic and, in many ways, relatable (because who hasn’t had issues with in-laws?)

It’s incredibly obvious that Kwan has come from this society. There is a sense of intimate knowledge and understanding of how this community lives that would only be available to an insider. One that was a great piece of cultural information. Even if the anthropologist in me will never have access to such a cultural group, and, after reading this, really doesn’t want to. One of my favourite aspects of this is the fact that there are footnotes explaining all of the language, preferences and activities of the Singapore elite. It gives an extra layer of information and cultural understanding that I previously wasn’t expecting. They’re also funny and a little bit disparaging. Kind of like having the movie version Oliver’s voice as a running commentary throughout.

This book is intense, unique and completely impossible to put down. It’s not one that I will forget any time soon. It is also one that will make you want to pick up China Rich Girlfriend immediately afterwards. At least, that’s what I did. Because seriously man, I wanted to see what happened next!!!

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