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samuelbrown23's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This book was just giving rich vibes, there’s not really much of a lesson to learn or show great depth of humanity. The story was indeed fun like watching a bunch of white rich people problem. Some of them problems were so simple that are their had to do was communicate, like Cory always brushing his wife feeling instead having a serious conversation; which happen only the end of story. Georgiana character is the most on point with her character like how she always rich and work for a nonprofit but never really facing the reality of her surroundings, the author did great job with her compare to the others. I would recommend this for a person whom is looking for simple story, fun and some witty content like Crazy rich Asian (the movie). I really wish the author focus more in depth of the classism of the family
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Grief
sarajjj_'s review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Grief
hannahcstocks's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
***sorry for the super long review***
Writing is engaging enough for a 3, but the characters are incredibly frustrating and that doesn’t really change much by the end, despite the book being character-driven. I love a moral grey area, but I need a lot less superficiality to actually appreciate the complexity driving the character(s).
While the tongue-in-cheek descriptions of the Stockton family was funny early on, it felt like it was slipping into territory that the 1% is somehow just as much of a victim of their wealth and power as those who are/were exploited for them to gain it, albeit in different ways. Overall, the book can’t seem to decide whether it’s lightheartedly making fun of the family for their flippant relationship to money and their behavior in a sincere way, even while empathizing them as human beings, or if the underlying message is that it’s okay to gloss over the true harm of their understanding of money and how that affects society as a whole because of “good intentions” or lack of exposure. The really wealthy and impoverished may both hate talking about money and privilege, as the author notes, but only one group feels the physical impact of avoiding those conversations and lack of change (as it relates to food, health, housing, education, etc).
As the book progresses, we get a much better understanding of the wild differences between the uber-wealthy and the middle class, and yet so much of the US population doesn’t under either of those categories. The folks in the service industry that cater to the Stocktons are used to show how many people are invisible in their world, but even the middle class “outsider” perspective wholly ignores this dynamic while making excuses for her rich husband. It’s great to employ people, and don’t think it’s bad at all that this role exists, but Berta existing as a character solely meant to serve and that never being challenged or at least reflected upon despite the “growth” of the characters seems like a missed opportunity to contextualize the full reality of class. Sasha (aka the middle class) can be wrong too! She doesn’t have to just offer understanding and reflection to the oblivious rich people but can extend that to folks with fewer resources as well. It’s quite possible this isn’t an oversight by the author but an intentional absence to show the the blind spots by the middle class as well. But the issue is there is no way to tell, and if it is the latter, then there needs to be at least some way this is brought to the character’s attention. As an aside, I do appreciate that we learn the Stocktons’ paid for Berta’s children to go to college. I think the actual relationship and the interactions day-to-day needed exploration as well though. The book also mostly highlights low income and poverty through Georgiana’s non-profit, and while global health is extremely important, the way poverty was included through this context both ignores the experience of being low-income or impoverished in the US and mildly portrayed the Global South in stereotypical ways. While I appreciate the concept of the book and can get on board with empathizing with nearly anyone as a human being regardless of background, this seems to miss the mark. A book devoted to scrutinizing class, even in a seemingly lighthearted book like this, there needs to be a bit more contextualization. I don’t have to love the characters that I find unrelatable, even in a character-driven story, but I would like to clearly recognize and respect their growth.
I also understand this is not the purpose of the book, and the absence can also be part of the point, but it could have used more diversity, or at least more conversations about race outside of the inner thoughts of one character who is married to an Asian man with whom she shares biracial children. No discussion can be had about class without discussing the impact of race and discrimination, and it has a much bigger impact than the story portrays.
<spoilers>
Also as a small rant about the characters at the end of the novel:
It felt like any major changes from the family were mostly for self-congratulation rather than from gaining a true understanding about the world. This could be somewhat intentional possibly but if so, the vagueness undercuts the point. The parents and two of the Stockton children don’t reflect much about their privilege in the end, and are just happy their personal problems are solved. One child struggles internally after her spouse loses his job (understandable), but we discover later the spouse was making 7 figures and her concern for his finding a job throughout the book seems almost trivial at that point. The three months he gets paid before receiving “nothing” after his firing is likely hundreds of thousands of dollars. She is worried about the cost of her children attending private school and having to asking parents for help, and yet she chooses to send them to a $50K/yr (each) school, and has parents who can give her $100K. The complaints of money and outgrowing their space, etc, weren’t really challenged in the end. She and her husband simply found more high-paying jobs, and then no reflection was really made about the privilege of that ability, or the literal free home they receive by the end. The Stockton son is the least reflective of the 3 children about his wealth and privilege. Outside of agreeing to moving out of the house on Pineapple Street and finally saying his wife is the most important thing to him (wtf at Sasha having to beg for this), he has little to no growth. The parents have pretty much no growth at all.
Writing is engaging enough for a 3, but the characters are incredibly frustrating and that doesn’t really change much by the end, despite the book being character-driven. I love a moral grey area, but I need a lot less superficiality to actually appreciate the complexity driving the character(s).
While the tongue-in-cheek descriptions of the Stockton family was funny early on, it felt like it was slipping into territory that the 1% is somehow just as much of a victim of their wealth and power as those who are/were exploited for them to gain it, albeit in different ways. Overall, the book can’t seem to decide whether it’s lightheartedly making fun of the family for their flippant relationship to money and their behavior in a sincere way, even while empathizing them as human beings, or if the underlying message is that it’s okay to gloss over the true harm of their understanding of money and how that affects society as a whole because of “good intentions” or lack of exposure. The really wealthy and impoverished may both hate talking about money and privilege, as the author notes, but only one group feels the physical impact of avoiding those conversations and lack of change (as it relates to food, health, housing, education, etc).
As the book progresses, we get a much better understanding of the wild differences between the uber-wealthy and the middle class, and yet so much of the US population doesn’t under either of those categories. The folks in the service industry that cater to the Stocktons are used to show how many people are invisible in their world, but even the middle class “outsider” perspective wholly ignores this dynamic while making excuses for her rich husband. It’s great to employ people, and don’t think it’s bad at all that this role exists, but Berta existing as a character solely meant to serve and that never being challenged or at least reflected upon despite the “growth” of the characters seems like a missed opportunity to contextualize the full reality of class. Sasha (aka the middle class) can be wrong too! She doesn’t have to just offer understanding and reflection to the oblivious rich people but can extend that to folks with fewer resources as well. It’s quite possible this isn’t an oversight by the author but an intentional absence to show the the blind spots by the middle class as well. But the issue is there is no way to tell, and if it is the latter, then there needs to be at least some way this is brought to the character’s attention. As an aside, I do appreciate that we learn the Stocktons’ paid for Berta’s children to go to college. I think the actual relationship and the interactions day-to-day needed exploration as well though. The book also mostly highlights low income and poverty through Georgiana’s non-profit, and while global health is extremely important, the way poverty was included through this context both ignores the experience of being low-income or impoverished in the US and mildly portrayed the Global South in stereotypical ways. While I appreciate the concept of the book and can get on board with empathizing with nearly anyone as a human being regardless of background, this seems to miss the mark. A book devoted to scrutinizing class, even in a seemingly lighthearted book like this, there needs to be a bit more contextualization. I don’t have to love the characters that I find unrelatable, even in a character-driven story, but I would like to clearly recognize and respect their growth.
I also understand this is not the purpose of the book, and the absence can also be part of the point, but it could have used more diversity, or at least more conversations about race outside of the inner thoughts of one character who is married to an Asian man with whom she shares biracial children. No discussion can be had about class without discussing the impact of race and discrimination, and it has a much bigger impact than the story portrays.
<spoilers>
Also as a small rant about the characters at the end of the novel:
It felt like any major changes from the family were mostly for self-congratulation rather than from gaining a true understanding about the world. This could be somewhat intentional possibly but if so, the vagueness undercuts the point. The parents and two of the Stockton children don’t reflect much about their privilege in the end, and are just happy their personal problems are solved. One child struggles internally after her spouse loses his job (understandable), but we discover later the spouse was making 7 figures and her concern for his finding a job throughout the book seems almost trivial at that point. The three months he gets paid before receiving “nothing” after his firing is likely hundreds of thousands of dollars. She is worried about the cost of her children attending private school and having to asking parents for help, and yet she chooses to send them to a $50K/yr (each) school, and has parents who can give her $100K. The complaints of money and outgrowing their space, etc, weren’t really challenged in the end. She and her husband simply found more high-paying jobs, and then no reflection was really made about the privilege of that ability, or the literal free home they receive by the end. The Stockton son is the least reflective of the 3 children about his wealth and privilege. Outside of agreeing to moving out of the house on Pineapple Street and finally saying his wife is the most important thing to him (wtf at Sasha having to beg for this), he has little to no growth. The parents have pretty much no growth at all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism
bella_cavicchi's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I love a story about rich people. That said, I think the characterisation gets lost in the author's (earnest!) effort to make a point. I found myself comparing it to Christopher Beha's The Index of Self-Destructive Acts and craving more of the nuance Beha strikes there.
But as I said: sometimes simply reading about the lives of the ultra-wealthy is very fun!
But as I said: sometimes simply reading about the lives of the ultra-wealthy is very fun!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Fatphobia, Misogyny, and Racism
c_dmckinney's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Grief, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Body shaming, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship
notartgarfunkel's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual content, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Racism
julieriley99's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Classism
Minor: Racism
javafenn's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Darley, Georgiana, and Sasha are not likable. To be fair they aren’t exactly unlikable but they are all brats. Darley and Georgiana treat Sasha like she is nothing but a joke and not like family despite Sasha being their sister-in-law. The Stockton family fixes everything with money and are unforgiving of anyone they view as less than them. Georgiana is a privileged princess who finally comes to her senses at the end but it’s after making dozens of mistakes and hurting lots of people. Darley isn’t so bad honestly but she treats Sasha poorly despite knowing her family treats her husband less than stellar. Sasha is not assertive enough and truthfully never should have married into the family but she does come into her own towards the end and it seems her husband grows a little bit of a spine. All in all it was an interesting insight into the lives of New York’s elite. It was a good summer read and I couldn’t put it down because I had to know how these people were going to either fuck up their lives of make them better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Infidelity, Sexual content, Grief, Pregnancy, and Classism
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
kimveach's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I almost stopped reading this book after about 30 pages. It appeared to be another "poor little rich kids" book set in New York. However, I continued and ended up with a book with a different take on the same old story. I applaud the author's direction with the book, but there were enough dull moments that I can't give this book four stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Car accident
sambo_0103's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Alcohol, and Classism