By Ann Liang
A beautiful mix of culture and storytelling, I Could Give You the Moon by Ann Liang tells the gripping story of Chanel and Ares while they both navigate their secrets. With imperfect characters and true representation of Chinese culture, this book offers Ann Liang’s signature style of powerful prose and an even better story.
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Summary:
Everyone loves Chanel Cao—except Ares Yin.
While Chanel has spent her entire life curating a picture-perfect social media personality—from her body to her hair to her camera-ready smile—Ares has spent his trying to hide in the shadows. But Ares’s brother is missing, and Chanel’s parents have secretly separated, and their only hope is each other.
Ares is willing to do whatever it takes to find his brother, and Chanel will do anything to keep her parents’ secret. When the two meet and share a vision of the future—where Ares’s brother appears, as Chanel’s house burns to the ground—they are determined to use each other. Ares believes Chanel is the key to finding his brother, but Chanel is convinced if she gets Ares to fall in love with her, she’ll save her family house—and her parents’ crumbling marriage.
But Ares isn’t interested in the fake personality that Chanel has used her entire life to get affection and adoration. If she’s going to save her reputation, she’s going to have to let Ares get to know the real her—and risk real feelings.
Summary from The StoryGraph
Review:
I Could Give You the Moon delivers the classic mix of culture and beautiful storytelling that can always be expected from Ann Liang’s novel. Between the unique characters and little Easter eggs from her other novels, this book was truly a joy to read.
First, the plot is quite unique and always keeps you guessing. With perfectly placed tension and multiple POVs that came together wonderfully, it was truly engaging. With Chanel’s perfect image and Ares mysterious past, they both have their secrets. But the tension of how far they’re willing to go to hide them and how close they will get to each other in order to protect themselves provides constant entertainment.
Also, the characters themselves are also very well written. Each of them challenges what ideas we hold about the people we see and the facade they may have. These characters serve to remind us that everyone has their secrets, and even the most perfect lives might not actually be that perfect. In addition, it reminds us that we must always try our best to form those human connections, no matter what we think people are like or who we think they are.
Lastly, the little bits of culture weaved through the story are amazing. While in today’s media, China is often villainized or overly glamourized for small bits of its culture instead of actual true representation or celebration. Ann Liang helps challenge this by sharing her own love of China and actually creating a book that truly celebrates the culture.
If you’re looking for a contemporary story with a magical realism twist that features complex characters that are never as perfect as they seem, then be sure to grab a copy of I Could Give You the Moon.
Thanks so much to Netgalley and HarperCollins for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
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