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jmariejones's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The first two parts left me with so many questions. Part 3 was my favorite. I felt as if I couldn’t put it down once I had Mei’s perspective.
• Multiple POV
• Multiple timelines
Read on audiobook and would recommend a listen.
Graphic: Bullying, Violence, and War
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, and War
Minor: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Grief
machenn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Suicide, Xenophobia, and Alcohol
ukponge's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Violence
nialiversuch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Grief and Gaslighting
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
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
okayletsread'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
3.0
Split into three multi-generational POVs, the novel follows Lily, Nick (her son), and Mei (her mother) throughout the decades. I wonder if the book would've had more impact if we started from Mei's perspective as it had incredible depth throughout her heartbreaking journey to America from China. Lily's POV struck me as odd and a bit whiny. It also seemed like right as I finally was getting into one POV, it dramatically shifted to another. The same was true for Nick, which I was enjoying until his section abruptly ended.
While trying to tell their multifaceted stories, Khong also threw in lots of sci-fi, ethical dilemmas, and magical realism (which was not needed nor fleshed out well). This is in addition to tackling topics like racism, class, white privilege, authoritarian governments, hate crimes, divorce, difficult family dynamics, and so much more. It was just... a lot.
Overall, I don't regret picking this book up, but it's not the home run I was hoping for.
CW: rape (mild scene on pg 279, mention on pg 284), hate crimes, torture, political crimes, death of a loved one, internalized racism
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Death, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Hate crime, Sexual content, Xenophobia, and Sexual harassment
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
uphorikbooks'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
Minor: Animal death, Death, Drug use, Infertility, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Colonisation, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
caseythereader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
- I hardly even know how to review REAL AMERICANS. It’s a multigenerational masterpiece that I could not put down.
- Khong guides us through three generations, back and forth in time and place as each POV character tries to sort out their place and purpose in the world.
- There are a few excellent plot twists as well as callbacks, items and motifs repeating through the generations, but never in an over the top way.
- There’s also a slight sprinkle of sci-fi/fantasy in the story, and it’s so satisfying when those threads come together.
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Suicide, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Moderate: Rape and Sexual content
Minor: Ableism