By Kevin Kwan
What’s it about?
Rachel Chu is just your average New Yorker who is an econ professor at NYU. That is until her boyfriend, Nick Young, invites her to travel around Asia for the summer. Starting with Singapore for his best friend’s wedding, where she can meet Nick’s family for the first time. Shouldn’t be a problem, right? Except that Nick might have left out a few details, such as the fact that his family is one of the richest families in Singapore and their family house, Tyserall Park, is basically a palace. Suddenly, Rachel is thrown into a world of riches that puts her relationship with Nick to the test, and challenges her to navigate her new life of old money, new money, nosy relatives, and ruthless social climbers
My Rating
Crazy Rich Asians is a book that continually made me laugh and scream with joy, but it was lacking in some places. Here’s why this book has a 4 star rating!
What I loved
The book is extremely fun and (mostly) lighthearted! It was a book I enjoyed so much not just because of the plot but because of the culture. Crazy Rich Asians has so much Asian culture embedded into it and it is truly an educational read that has a fictional plot! It has many footnotes that educate the reader on different phrases, cultural norms, and more!
What I Disliked
The book has a lot of characters! So much so that I was wondering for the first half of the book what character Kevin was talking about. The perspectives were always changing which made it even harder to follow along. Eventually you get it, but at the start it can be quite confusing, which makes the read slightly less enjoyable.
I didn’t love all of the characters. Characters usually make or break a book for me. While I absolutely adored Rachel and Nick, some of the other characters weren’t as interesting. Considering the book jumps around perspectives so much, it makes part of the book bland and less entertaining. This caused me to constantly be waiting for the next chapter where it took place in one of their POVs.
Book vs. Movie
Please note that I watched the movie first. I didn’t know a book existed until several months after watching the film.
The movie is what everyone knows, but is the book better?
I’m a firm believer that the book is always better and you have to read the book first, but for once I don’t know if that is true. Both the book and the movie are really good in some places, and only okay in others. The movie is fun, lighthearted, and overall really amazing. The book is so perfect, but, as mentioned above, it can be a little confusing at times. Watching the movie first (oops! 😬), helped me keep track of the characters more easily. Honestly, I’d say they are both equally amazing, but the book has a bit more Asian culture which I enjoyed a lot!
How similar are they?
I was absolutely shocked by how similar the book and the movie were in the beginning of the story, but farther in, the stories started to differ a lot. Some major plot points (such as what characters caused certain conflicts), were strikingly different. Overall, I’d say they are pleasantly similar, but the film producers could’ve done a tad better in sticking to the plot. That being said, it was still better than other movie adaptations, looking at you Maze Runner (and many more)!
Should You Read It?
YES!!! You should definitely read this book if you enjoy a lighthearted read with a bit of drama! It’s also decently educational! While it may seem I have more complaints than likes, I’m just giving an honest review and finding anything that I disliked in this read, and would still totally recommend this book to a friends!
Conclusion
Crazy Rich Asians is an amazing read about Nick and Rachel navigating their relationship while many family members are meddling. The book deserves a 4-star read because I loved Nick and Rachel’s characters, and the Asian culture is extremely well integrated into the story. The plot can be confusing at times, and there are a lot of characters to keep track of. The book and movie are both amazing, but the book is a little bit better! Crazy Rich Asians is a great read that I totally recommend to any and all bookworms out there! Happy reading!!!
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