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kimveach's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Classism
rachelkreadsbookz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Infertility, Suicide, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Infidelity and Miscarriage
gwenswoons's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I struggled a bit with the back third — the pacing of it overall and the use of the second person made it slower for me, and somehow it felt more practical: it landed more like the way the book needed to wrap up structurally than what needed to take place by emotional necessity. Ultimately it didn’t hit as deeply and personally as I wished, though as I said it’s totally excellent; I longed for more catharsis, more emotional outpouring perhaps, but that is also not the affect of the book or of the storytellers inside it.
Definitely recommend — I am curious about Goodbye, Vitamin now, though it make take me a while to get to Khong’s backlist. I’ll for sure take note of her future novels, if not immediately dive into them.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
bookshelfmystic's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The story we're told is about race, about class, about belonging in America, in a hundred different ways. Lily's experiences as a Chinese-American are heavily contrasted with her son's, who looks entirely white and has a wealthy father, and both of them have a distinctly different experience than May, who grew up in China during the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. The three narrators give us three different perspectives on these intersecting lines of privilege and power, and they illuminate the question posed by the book's title: What makes a real American?
I enjoyed each section of this book, but my favorite was the last third, especially as May describes her childhood in China. I'm increasingly drawn to historical fiction set in times and places I'm unfamiliar with: it brings a human element to history that is just fascinating to me. Learning more about May makes Lily's section more poignant, too; I think particularly of how May is so lively and happy chatting with Lily's hired help Jenny in Mandarin, but becomes much quieter when English is being spoken.
Overall, Real Americans was an entertaining and fulfilling read, especially once I understood that most of the story was going to take place at parties, in dorm rooms, and in little moments between friends and lovers.
Moderate: Infertility, Racism, Rape, and Classism
Minor: Violence
leigh987's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Infertility
Minor: Sexual assault and Suicide
sakisreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Infertility, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic
kirstym25's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Rape, and Violence
Moderate: Infertility and Suicide
e11en's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Infertility, Rape, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Suicide and Suicide attempt
imfixintoread's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Torture, Violence, and Deportation
Minor: Infertility and Rape
kdinsmore's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Suicide, and Violence
Minor: Infertility, Misogyny, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic