Author: Kevin Kwan
Started: January 12, 2019
Finished: January 21, 2019
Pages: 398
Genre: Fiction
First Sentence: Bettina Ortiz y Mena was not accustomed to waiting.
Summary: [From BN] When Nicholas Young hears that his grandmother, Su Yi, is on her deathbed, he rushes to be by her bedside—but he's not alone. The entire Shang-Young clan has convened from all corners of the globe to stake claim on their matriarch’s massive fortune. With each family member vying to inherit Tyersall Park—a trophy estate on 64 prime acres in the heart of Singapore—Nicholas’s childhood home turns into a hotbed of speculation and sabotage. As her relatives fight over heirlooms, Astrid Leong is at the center of her own storm, desperately in love with her old sweetheart Charlie Wu, but tormented by her ex-husband—a man hell bent on destroying Astrid’s reputation and relationship. Meanwhile Kitty Pong, married to China’s second richest man, billionaire Jack Bing, still feels second best next to her new step-daughter, famous fashionista Colette Bing. A sweeping novel that takes us from the elegantly appointed mansions of Manila to the secluded private islands in the Sulu Sea, from a kidnapping at Hong Kong’s most elite private school to a surprise marriage proposal at an Indian palace, caught on camera by the telephoto lenses of paparazzi, Kevin Kwan's hilarious, gloriously wicked new novel reveals the long-buried secrets of Asia's most privileged families and their rich people problems.
Thoughts: The melodrama that is the Crazy Rich Asian series finally comes to an end. I'm extremely happy that it was less melodramatic than book two, but I thought the ending was a bit too tidy. Kwan tries to keep you guessing what's coming to happen throughout the book. Ultimately, it kind of ends exactly as you expected it might. I'm not trying to give away spoilers, but every character gets what they deserve... sometimes richly so.
What I enjoyed most about this book is that it gave us Su Yi's backstory. She was always a dominate character in the books, but her power just came from everyone around her treating her like she was special. This book shows how she she attained such power and respect in the first place. I liked how Kwan built her up as a powerful women without over lionizing her work. It was a rich way to develop a character even as the series was ending.
The rest of the story-lines remained a bit crazy (particular Eleanor's grandbaby madness), but that's what makes the books fun. These folks don't live in my reality. Instead, their foibles and relationships make great fodder for fiction.
Rating: 6/10 [Good]
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