Real Americans

I feel like I've missed the point of the story, that the considered discourse around the weighty themes of the novel eluded me. I went in buoyed by the sheer love I had for her debut novel Goodbye Vitamin. Once again I found myself carried through the story by the confident and lovely prose. But I just couldn't seem to find a foothold into the story. The first third feels like a will-they-won't-they Crazy Rich Asians pastiche only to switch gears in the second part leaving a sizeable gap that alludes to something nefarious. Again, I enjoyed the coming of age story, but there were dark corners that seemed to promise something more.

I think the story could have worked just as well, if not better, without the genetic technology through-line. That just as much work could have been done without the vague scientific MacGuffin that pervades the narrative. Alternately, the genre elements could have provided firm scaffolding instead of the slight filigree it amounted to. If we're going to mess with genetics let's really lean into the stakes. I wanted to like this more.