Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

I first heard about this book back when it was released and I saw an interview with the author on television. It seemed like a fun read, but I never got around to it. A couple of weeks ago I was in a book store with a gift card and it was on display again, preparing for the upcoming release of the movie. While in the store both a staff member and other customers saw me looking at it and recommended it highly. So I picked it up.

I'd call this one a fun summer read. Definitely not my favourite book of all time, but still fun.

This is the story of Rachel Chu, a Economics Professor in New York City. Her boyfriend, Nick Young, invites her to travel to Singapore with him for his best friend's wedding. What he doesn't tell her is that his family is one of the wealthiest families in Singapore and that this wedding is on par with a royal wedding. Rachel is completely unprepared for the lavish, extravagant lifestyle Nick's family leads and it leads to all sorts of problems.

Nick's mother doesn't know he is dating Rachel and isn't happy that Rachel doesn't come from a recognizable family tree. She wants Nick to marry someone rich, who can add to the family fortune. Nick's wife must be someone from the "right kind" of family and Rachel doesn't fit that bill.

I feel like some of these scenes were written with a possible movie in mind. The beautiful settings, incredibly scenery and over-the-top luxury will look incredible on the big screen.

The book is supposed to satirize the lifestyle these people lead, but at times I just found their disregard for how much things cost disturbing. The amount of money wasted was troubling at times.

One criticism I have is that when words need to be translated, this was done in a footnote at the bottom of the page. If I read that word again and couldn't remember where it was first mentioned, it was hard to find the right footnote. I would have preferred a glossary of Chinese terms at the end of the book as an easier reference.

For the most part, a fun read. I'll probably read the other two books in the series just to see where the story goes.