Back to top

Seen the movie? Read the book.

Cover of Crazy Rich Asians
A review of Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

This book is a trip, literally and figuratively. Crazy Rich Asians took me into the world of the crazily rich families who make up the Singapore elite. These people are wealthy beyond my imagining and I loved delving into their wild world.

Nick Young and Rachel Chu have been dating for a while now and Nick has talked Rachel into flying with him to Singapore for a family wedding. He wants her to meet everyone. Rachel is thrilled to meet the family of her handsome, professor boyfriend and looks forward to an extended trip. What she doesn't know is that Nick is 'that Nick Young' of the 'Young' family in Singapore - think Kennedys crossed with the Royal family in Britain. The Youngs, along with the Shangs and the T'siens, are among the few very elite, very rich families who control a great deal of Singapore and even some of mainland China. When they hear that Nick is bringing home an ABC (American Born Chinese) the gossip flies. Is Rachel a golddigger? Tongues are wagging and plots are hatching to save Nick from her. Though the world of these wealthy Singaporans is completely beyond my ken, the problems the various members of the families face aren't. And while ostensibly about Rachel and Nick and whether they'll get their HEA, Crazy really shines when the author focuses on the supporting characters, like Nick's cousin Astrid and her unhappy marriage. Because although these people have anything and everything that money can possibly buy, they still have ups and downs, they fight and snark at one another, and get jealous because of what they don't have. The title here is no fluke. These people are CRAZY rich.

For those of you who've seen the movie, who've not yet read the book and are wondering if they should? Read it! The book has a humor all it's own (even more biting than the movie) and there's a lot more room to fill in some of the supporting cast's stories. So if you loved the movie and need and want more of these people. Here it is!

Feb 25, 2019