A review by olivia_piepmeier
The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo

dark mysterious relaxing fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

For people that had to read The Great Gatsby (TGG) multiple times throughout their education and/or watched the movie(s) a lot, this will likely feel like a familiar but new friend. At least that's how I felt to me. It immediately starts off establishing this world is a little different in a magical way, or not. TGG is written from the perspective of Nick and this is written from the perspective of Jordan, so one could argue this was all happening in the original book but we didn't get access to this side of the story until now. Vo does such a great job making this feel like the original story in the way it's written with beautiful, floral language. It wouldn't have worked as well if this read in a way that didn't feel like it was the same characters or time period as TGG, especially because it's a book that's hammered in the heads of all US public schools and English majors. The fantasy elements to this are subtle but work well, though I did find myself a little confused sometime about what was happening. 

After reading this, I feel a little salty Jordan got such minimal air-time in TGG. Fitzgerald wouldn't have done her justice like Vo, though, so it's okay. Just like TGG, everyone is a mess. Truly. They're in their 20s and Gatsby is not but he's hella obsessive. Mistakes are made left and right. It ends in a way that I feel hope for only Jordan, out of all these characters. Unfortunately, part of the reason why she's on to new things is due to a super racist legislation that was passed. Jordan's racial background is not the focus of her character, but it's a facet that is mentioned just enough to help the reader understand how she viewed herself, others viewed her, and how she played a part in this different version of the 1920s.

Overall, a very satisfying read! It was fun to go back into a new and improved world of TGG. 
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