WTRW: Crazy Rich Asians

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Hey, Alicia back again with another What to Read Wednesdays post for you. I was basically on vacation for the last month or sick so my mom stepped in for me. (Thanks Mom!)

This month I have a book that we featured on our podcast awhile back but I want to recommend again: Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan. 

What to Read Wednesdays: Crazy Rich Asians

This novel is a fun and exciting look into the lives of people with so much money they could probably use it as toilet paper (they don't).

It takes place in Singapore and follows a few rich families and Rachel Chu an ABC (American Born Chinese) as the book puts it, who is dating Nick Young, son in one of the richest families in Singapore. Rachel is thrust into Nick's world when he decides to bring her home for the wedding of his best friend, but doesn't warn Rachel beforehand about the amount of wealth his family has.

Hilarity and drama ensue as the gossip around Rachel spreads and Nick's mom, Eleanor tries to convince Nick he can't marry someone so below his station. 

While Rachel and Nick are the main focus of the story, one thing I really like about the book is that the story is told from different character's perspectives. In addition to Nick and Rachel, we also see things from Eleanor, Astrid (Nick's cousin), and Eddie (Nick's other cousin). It's interesting to see how the wealth plays into each of their lives and affects their choices. While some are trying to keep up appearances, others try to hide their privilege. The character development in the story is excellent our main characters are pretty well fleshed out and suck you into the story.

Another thing I love is the language and slang thrown into the story, and translated in footnotes. It's only translated once so you've got to remember what the words mean. They are from various languages including Malay, Hokkien, & Cantonese.

Crazy Rich Asians is one of those books that when you finish it you immediately want more. As soon as I finished, I went on Amazon and bought the other two books in the series. And with a sequel to the movie in the works, you might want to do the same. The books are a fun look into a different world and culture. They're also a fast read perfect for an airplane ride or reading before bed.

Kevin Kwan is actually from Singapore and many of the scenes and characters are based on people he knew growing up. The idea for the novel came when he was reminiscing with his father about their days in Singapore (they moved to the states when he was about 11). He says his intention was to "introduce a contemporary Asia to a North American audience." <via> It's a brilliant novel that you've probably heard about, maybe even seen the movie, but now I'm telling you to go read it. Crazy Rich Asians is fantastic.

So have you read it? Or will you be reading it soon? Let us know in the comments below!