By Kevin Kwan
Doubleday, 2013. 403 pgs. Fiction.
Rachel Chu an ABC (American-born Chinese) had no clue what she was agreeing to when her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, invited her home to Singapore for the summer and to attend his best friend's wedding. They'd never really talked about money so it was a complete shock to learn that Nic was not only heir to one of the most massive fortunes in Asia but considered one of the most eligible bachelors to boot. The latter being the reason for the dislike of Rachel among the super-rich and pedigreed Sinaporean families.
What ensues over the course of the summer is a voyeuristic look into the scheming, gossiping, and backstabbing lives of the fabulously wealthy Southeast Asian set.
Debut author, Kevin Kwan, doesn't quite pull this book off. There are certainly funny parts, and it is interesting reading about Singaporean culture (especially the food), but there are far too many characters and not much of a plot line. This book was mostly interesting to me in relation to other Asian pop-culture I have been learning about. On its own, I'm not sure I would recommend it.
AJ
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