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China Rich Girlfriend: A Novel (Crazy Rich Asians Trilogy Book 2)
It's the eve of her wedding to Nicholas Young, heir to one of the greatest fortunes in Asia, and Rachel Chu should be over the moon. She has a flawless Asscher-cut diamond from JAR, a wedding dress plucked from the…
- Release Date
- 2016
- Length
- 496 pages
- Publisher
- Anchor Books
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Our Review
About the book
In the second book of the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy, Rachel Chu prepares for her wedding to Nick Young and learns new details about her biological father, which draws her into the extravagant world of mainland China’s super-rich. Meanwhile, Nick’s extended family pursues its own social rivalries.
Our review
Kwan swaps Singapore for Shanghai in a glossy, gossipy sequel that makes up in spectacle what it lacks in surprise.
Kwan clearly enjoys his material, and the pleasure is contagious. The new cast of mainland billionaires, social climbers and celebrity influencers lets him satirize a different kind of wealth: newer, louder and more competitive than the old Singapore families. The footnotes are as funny as ever, the brand-name excess is cataloged with a raised eyebrow, and the Astrid subplot gives the book a more grown-up emotional thread. It’s light, quick fun.
Rachel, nominally the heroine, is oddly passive, swept along by events instead of shaping them. The plot leans on soap-opera turns that many readers will see coming, and the endless shopping and party scenes start to blur together. The satire sometimes tips over into celebration. If you loved the first book, this delivers more of the same pleasures; if you found the first book thin, this won’t change your mind.
What we loved
- Sharp, funny footnotes and social satire
- Vivid portrait of new-money Shanghai
- Astrid’s storyline
Keep in mind
- A passive heroine at the center
- Predictable, soap-style plot turns
Read it if you like
Fans of Crazy Rich Asians, The Devil Wears Prada or Gossip Girl.
The verdict
Frothy, fun and forgettable. It’s a pleasant middle chapter for fans of the series.
