Reviews with content warning for Racism - Crazy Rich à Singapour

Urmmm… so… I didn’t care for this book. Parts of it were wonderful! I think it is definitely successful as a romance novel. There were real moments of humor and genuine surprise, but overall the storytelling and the content did not work for me.

My main critique all boils down to one pervasive thought I couldn’t shake: “this book was so glaringly written by a man.” In every description of the female characters, to the sexualized POV of the supporting female cast. Those elements were so distracting and strange that they really took me out. The book could have definitely used some major editing.

Besides that, the pacing and structure of the story made absolutely no sense to me. The twists (which do not make sense) are misplaced in the story.

Despite the book’s length, there is absolutely no resolution to Nick’s conflict with his family. There is barely a resolution between Rachel and Nick, too, and they’re the main characters! The twists left me more confused than enlightened.

Plus there’s like a whole chapter full of racial/homophobic slurs for some reason…. I’m remain… confused.

Regardless, I think I’m glad I read it?

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macliffe's review against another edition

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emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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nataliebootlah's review against another edition

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funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I know, I know. I’m late to the party.

I’ve learned a lot about the wealth gap, classism, and money in general as I’ve grown up (and wiser, as they say 😉). But Crazy Rich Asians was something else entirely. While I know this is fictional, I wouldn’t be surprised at the amount of money people surely drop on crazy things simply because they can.

Crazy Rich Asians follows Singapore’s richest families as they work very hard… at upstaging their fellow rich frenemies. While the characters flaunt their money in abhorrently lavish ways, the author really draws attention to class discrimination, how many ways someone can turn up their nose at someone or something, and just how incredibly unlikable these characters were. But I guess that’s the point.

This one is for you if you love gossip, extravagance, scheming, and drama. Now I’m off to finally watch the movie!

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