Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

21 reviews

cherrycoloredphoenix's review against another edition

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lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Entertaining overall - very soap opera-like, and it was fun to vicariously experience the  characters' extravagant lifestyles and vivid personalities. It delved into family politics, class disparities, culture clashes, and more, with a packed and fast-paced plot that really captures the hectic nature of the wedding week itself.

I don't know if I was quite the right audience for this book though, because I found some characters to be rather flat, and others that I was probably supposed to like (e.g. Astrid) to be insufferable in their own way. The fact that
it took ALL of that to make her realize that hey, maybe she shouldn't let her entire family treat her husband like their personal appliance technician at every opportunity, was absolutely bonkers.
 

The writing style grated on me a little - a lot of telling and not showing, especially when it came to characters' emotions. Some of the clothing descriptions with profuse amounts of designer names were thrown into the middle of scenes so abruptly that it made me feel like I was reading Wattpad fanfiction about a teenage girl waking up and getting dressed in her Abercrombie t-shirt and Converse sneakers. The book also suffers from a dated sense of humor in places, particularly in dialogue (jokes about a guy being gay because he wears eyeshadow, for example).
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rrgitt's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

So much to unpack here. Themes of old money vs new money, and how the demographics live up to and subvert their stereotypes. 

Also, it gave me strong Megan Markle and the BRF vibes. 
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gwyndae's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted relaxing tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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kailiyahknight's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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alexutzu's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny informative lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a long adventure throughout the world of these extremely rich people. So much happening all the time, it was a lot to keep track of! I would really like to check the movie adaptation next and possibly continue the series.

šŸ˜ The good:
I felt that the narration was authentic and I enjoyed the diverse perspectives. The story seemed realistic and it kept having cliffhangers, which really made me curious about what is next. I really felt immersed while learning more about the culture. It was fun, while also having some thoughtful scenes. The audio version was really fast-paced, almost like a movie, and I liked the narrator.

šŸ˜… The not-so-good: 
There were a bit too many characters to keep track of, even though I can understand their purpose. It also was a bit overwhelming in terms of jumping from one character to another... I kept forgetting what was happening to each of them.
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sarah_readz's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted 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? It's complicated

4.0

Although I got bored of the endless descriptions of luxury, I can appreciate that they're meant to be boring. Youre meant to be bored by luxury beyond your wildest dreams, because a lot of the characters are, and by the end of it semi sentient closets don't even phase you. 
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sohva's review against another edition

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

3.0

The book was fun to listen to while doing chores and needing something to follow but with not too much stakes. The premise is interesting and the plot certainly entertaining. However, way too much of the book is descriptions of different expensive things, which got boring quickly. Also, the main character had hardly any personality. 
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mattyvreads's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

Urmmmā€¦ soā€¦ I didnā€™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 couldnā€™t shake: ā€œthis book was so glaringly written by a man.ā€ 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 bookā€™s length, there is absolutely no resolution to Nickā€™s conflict with his family. There is barely a resolution between Rachel and Nick, too, and theyā€™re the main characters! The twists left me more confused than enlightened.


Plus thereā€™s like a whole chapter full of racial/homophobic slurs for some reasonā€¦. Iā€™m remainā€¦ confused. 

Regardless, I think Iā€™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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theuncannydani's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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