#BookReview Wangs vs. The World

“Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.”

Wangs vs. The World by Jade Chang

3.5 stars

Pros:

variety of characters
pops of Chinese culture
honest tone

Cons:

likability of characters
road trip trope
loose resolution

I heard all the hype about Wangs vs. The World, so it was on my TBR list for a while. The basic premise is the Wang family falls from riches to rags. For some reason in my mind, I expected a different tone from the novel, maybe more Crazy Rich Asians in reverse. Also, since Jade Chang helped with the Goodreads Young Adult newsletter, I thought it’d have a more YA bent. It doesn’t.

Actually, it’s got a raw feel to it. All the characters in the Wang family have grittiness to them. Don’t get me wrong, they’re well-done, rounded people–but very no-holds-barred. Unfortunately, that meant that I didn’t truly like any of them.

A huge road trip from coast to coast spans a big portion of this book. A few locations were really detailed, but other geographic spots were not as fleshed out. In some ways, the whole cross-country journey has been done before, so there was a bit of monotony that set in for me.

I also had a hard time with the resolution of the book. Real life is messy, but I felt too many threads were left hanging. However, I applaud Chang in writing in an authentic way about culture and how it bleeds into our lives. Her take on Chinese dialogue, feelings across generations, and racist encounters really expose core struggles and pain.

Overall, a worthwhile read of an honest account about family, identity, and America.

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