by Kevin Kwan
It’s the eve of Rachel Chu’s wedding, and she should be over the moon. She has a flawless Asscher-cut diamond, a wedding dress she loves, and a fiancé 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, won’t 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.
It’s the eve of Rachel Chu’s wedding, and she should be over the moon. She has a flawless Asscher-cut diamond, a wedding dress she loves, and a fiancé 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, won’t 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.
Reviews-
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June 15, 2015
Kwan (Crazy Rich Asians, 2013) returns with an equally good-natured, catty-as-hell sequel to his bestselling roman a clef about China's new and old money dynasties. For those not cued in, Kwan's tone is breakneck and utterly disarming-part Oscar Wilde, part Judith Krantz, part Arthur Frommer-as he reintroduces his jet-setting ensemble of socialites and social climbers. They include: Nick and Rachel (star-crossed Asian-American lovers who are searching for her father while avoiding his meddlesome Singaporean mom); Mrs. Bernard Tai (aka Kitty Pong, former mainland soap-opera star, who must temper her nouveau urges if she hopes to impress members of Hong Kong's exclusive dining clubs); Astrid Leong (married "beneath" her rank, wears off-the-rack dresses that, on her, pass for designer; her jewelry and class are the real deal, however); plus a circle of spoiled-rich 20-somethings who think they're re-enacting The Fast and Furious. Whenever a character drops a salty Hokkien, Cantonese, or Mandarin phrase or an unfamiliar reference, Kwan translates in a wry footnote (a device he used to great effect in his previous book). Occasionally the sendups of squillionaire excess fall a little flat: "Look-it's a koi pond," gasps Rachel as she absorbs the decor of her Shanghai host's private jet. "God, you scared me. For a moment I thought something was wrong," answers her fiance, Nick, who stands to inherit one of China's great fortunes but prefers teaching undergrads at NYU. "You don't think anything's wrong?" Rachel presses. No wonder Nick's mom, the not-to-be-bested Eleanor Young, tries her utmost to topple their engagement! (Until she stumbles onto the true identity of Rachel's birth father-and is now using it to reel her son home to face up to his privileged heritage, with unanticipated results.) Most hilarious when he's parodying uber-rich Chinese aunties who'd "rather camp out six to a room or sleep on the floor than spend money on hotels" and professional image consultants who help clients "take [their] most embarrassing biographical details and turn them into assets," Kwan keeps more than a few plot resolutions in the air but delivers at least one priceless declaration of love: "The bathroom [renovation] is fully funded....Now please pick out a dress." Over-the-top and hard to stop. A third installment is promised.COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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May 15, 2015
The sequel to Crazy Rich Asians (2013) plunges readers back into the opulent lifestyles and torrid love affairs of the fabulously wealthy Chinese expats Kwan introduced in her debut. History professor Nick Young defies his mother, Eleanor, to marry his American girlfriend, Rachel Chu, but Eleanor surprises everyone when she shows up at their secret wedding with Rachel's birth father in tow. After meeting her father for the first time, Rachel is surprised to learn she has a younger half brother, Carlton, and she and Nick are soon swept up in Carlton's chaotic life, as well as that of his super-rich, trendsetter girlfriend, Colette. Nick's cousin, Astrid, tries to ignore the flaws in her marriage and the increasingly erratic behavior of her husband even as she confides in an ex-lover, while social climber Kitty Pong attempts to reinvent herself in the hopes of being accepted into the upper echelons of high society. Lovers of clothes, cuisine, and cars will find themselves at home in Kwan's second smart and snarky send-up of the Chinese jet set.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.) -
January 1, 2015
Crazy good fun with a smart social sting, Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians reveals New Yorker Rachel Chu's shock when she agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with boyfriend Nicholas Young and learns that he's stratospherically rich. In this follow-up, Rachel is now engaged to Nicholas, who's ready to ditch his entire fortune for her, and has had the shock of her life when she finally discovers her birth father. Crazy Rich Asians buzzed big; lots of promotion, including (no surprise) giveaways on the Hampton Jitney.
Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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Starred review from May 1, 2015
Kwan's latest follows in the footsteps of his wildly imaginative Crazy Rich Asians but adds even more conspicuous consumption and over-the-top behavior. Readers will rejoin many of the author's amusingly charming (and some not so) characters and meet some new individuals as well. The book is resplendent with gorgeous description, whether it's various locales' natural beauty or man-made palatial homes, restaurants, and private jets. The dialog is always top-notch. There are many fascinating substories; for example, the lovely Rachel Chu finally finds her birth father. Also, former soap-opera star Kitty Pong--now Kitty Pai--hires Corinna Ko-Tung to "remake" her and becomes most respectable. A sprinkling of footnotes adds local expressions, insightful asides, and Kwan's own snarky personal comments. Among the many laugh-out-loud incidents are examples of the extreme cheapness of some of these ultrawealthy people and tidbits about their staff: "He tried to steal some of his Ah Ma's impeccably trained staff while in Singapore, but those servants were more loyal than the Nazis." The conclusion offers up additional shocks and surprises that will have readers clamoring for more. VERDICT Those who enjoy splendid writing and getting a glimpse at how the other half (probably much less than 50 percent) lives will delight in this book. [See the Q&A with Kwan on p. 65; Prepub Alert, 12/15/14.]--Susan G. Baird, formerly with Oak Lawn P.L., IL
Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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May 1, 2015
Kwan's latest follows in the footsteps of his wildly imaginative Crazy Rich Asians but adds even more conspicuous consumption and over-the-top behavior. Readers will rejoin many of the author's amusingly charming (and some not so) characters and meet some new individuals as well. The book is resplendent with gorgeous description, whether it's various locales' natural beauty or man-made palatial homes, restaurants, and private jets. The dialog is always top-notch. There are many fascinating substories; for example, the lovely Rachel Chu finally finds her birth father. Also, former soap-opera star Kitty Pong--now Kitty Pai--hires Corinna Ko-Tung to "remake" her and becomes most respectable. A sprinkling of footnotes adds local expressions, insightful asides, and Kwan's own snarky personal comments. Among the many laugh-out-loud incidents are examples of the extreme cheapness of some of these ultrawealthy people and tidbits about their staff: "He tried to steal some of his Ah Ma's impeccably trained staff while in Singapore, but those servants were more loyal than the Nazis." The conclusion offers up additional shocks and surprises that will have readers clamoring for more. VERDICT Those who enjoy splendid writing and getting a glimpse at how the other half (probably much less than 50 percent) lives will delight in this book. [See the Q&A with Kwan on p. 65; Prepub Alert, 12/15/14.]--Susan G. Baird, formerly with Oak Lawn P.L., IL
Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
- Shinan Govani, The Daily Beast "His first book was a riot of high-spending extremes, and in its sequel Kevin Kwan again revels in a world where Gulfstream jets come with their own koi ponds... The equivalent of a Bubble Tea concoction laced with Henry James extracts and Jackie Collins sprinkles--tracking a level of wealth that makes even Downton Abbey look more like Downton Arriviste... Unravelling the endless modes of snobbery is sport for Kwan, and the set pieces in China Rich Girlfriend are such that even Serena van der Woodsen might gasp... Ingenious... In the same way that Edith Wharton catalogued the Gilded Age via novels like The Age of Innocence, Kwan--in his novels--is doing his bit for a China that now has the second-highest number of millionaires in the world."
- Thuy On, The Sydney Morning Herald "To be let loose into the decadent playground of the filthy rich offers the reader a heady taste of vicarious escapism...Yet to dismiss this book as merely a soulless lark would be a disservice to Kwan and his impeccable writing. Behind their dapper and chic exteriors, his caricatures have messy emotional lives and grapple with the same problems facing the rest of us not blessed with unfathomable wealth... Read China Rich Girlfriend for the exuberant spectacle of zippy vintage cars, gossipy matriarchs-who-lunch and reckless profligacy but read it also for its very engaging narrative about people like us."
- The Miami Herald "What happens when the young woman destined to marry Asia's most eligible bachelor gets derailed by a shocking family secret? That's what Kwan (Crazy Rich Asians) examines in this amusing, whirlwind novel about Rachel Chu, who discovers her long-lost father and falls headlong into a Shanghai -- the fashion! the social climbing! the secrets! -- wilder than her wildest dreams."
- Elaine Lui, Flare "I loved China Rich Girlfriend... Like Gossip Girl and Dynasty and the royal family of England all at the same time. Kwan's characters behave hideously--and it's hilarious."
- Library Journal (Starred Review) "Kwan's latest follows in the footsteps of his wildly imaginative Crazy Rich Asians but adds even more conspicuous consumption and over-the-top behavior... Resplendent with gorgeous description .... The dialog is always top-notch. There are many fascinating substories... A sprinkling of footnotes adds local expressions, insightful asides, and Kwan's own snarky personal comments. Among the many laugh-out-loud incidents are examples of the extreme cheapness of some of these ultrawealthy people and tidbits about their staff... The conclusion offers up additional shocks and surprises that will have readers clamoring for more. Those who enjoy splendid writing and getting a glimpse at how the other half (probably much less than 50 percent) lives will delight in this book."
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Readers Digest (Canada)
"Singapore-based sensation Kevin Kwan follows up his smash success, Crazy Rich Asians, which is currently being made into a film, with another sure-to-be hit. As with his first novel, Kwan takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the lives--and nuptial preparations--of absurdly wealthy society folks in mainland China." - Anne Kingston, Macleans "China Rich Girlfriend, Kevin Kwan's sequel to the bestselling Crazy Rich Asians, is perhaps even more delicious than the first... A frothy fiction focused on a multigenerational, intermarried, mega-rich clan... Kwan created a new hybrid universe--one where there's a preoccupation with lineage and marrying off daughters into rich families--that is the realm of Jane Austen, combined with an obsession with social hierarchy and status signifiers straight out of Tom Wolfe... [This] delicious sequel... manages to be more nuanced (and savage) in its social deconstruction--and even more fun... Moments of human generosity and decency are peppered throughout. But that's not the pleasure: This stems from tut-tutting the flagrant display of wealth while picking up insider tips and luxuriating in a voyeuristic glimpse into the original Dynasty."
