How can I even begin to describe Anna K: A Love Story?

Once I picked up this book, it was practically impossible to put down. The story immediately immersed me in its opulent wealth, passionate love, and tragic romance. After finishing the last page, I was literally ~emo~ for a week because I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Anna K: A Love Story is a modern retelling of Anna Karenina, the classic love story by Leo Tolstoy. In a very Gossip Girl-esque manner, the story is based around the super-elite teens of Manhattan in a world filled with lavish spending, extravagant parties, expensive alcohol, drugs, and sex.

Anna K, our leading protagonist, is a half-white, half-Korean teen who seemingly lives the perfect life. From her ultra-wealthy parents and high society boyfriend to her esteemed reputation and grandiose amount of pets, her world seems perfect(ly dull) until she catches the eye of Alexi Vronsky.

A major plot point to the book is that Anna K and Alexi’s secretive relationship is based on cheating since Anna is still dating her boyfriend, Alexander, and while I typically cannot stand/support any relationship based around cheating, I mainly powered through because it’s a critical component from the classic.

The story also follows the perspectives of several other side characters, including Steven (Anna’s brother), Lolly (Steven’s girlfriend), Kimmie (Lolly’s sister), and Dustin (Steven’s friend and tutor), all of whom I grew to love and adore as well.

With so many characters, it would’ve been easy to get lost throughout the story, but Jenny Lee’s writing was incredibly easy to follow. Her history as a screenwriter adds so much dimension into the book because it truly reads like a movie you can’t stop watching.

Their character development was also *mwah chef’s kiss* wonderful to see progress throughout the story. Characters who I originally found to be annoying and bratty end the story in a truly transformative manner, and character’s who viewed the world in an idealistic sense gained so much more depth.

In an almost surprising way, this book contains so much insight and depth despite it coming off as mainly fun, money, and parties. We explore the double standards of cheating when it’s done by a man versus a woman and how the consequences and judgement is much more severe for women.

Most outstandingly, Jenny Lee’s discussion of drug use was incredibly well-done. We explore how drugs use is such a nuance topic but also how it’s prevalent among our society whether it’s for fun at parties to handling academic stress. We tip toe the fine line between what is seemingly harmless to how it can devastate a family.

At the same time, while we explore Anna and Steven’s experience as part of 1% elite, we also see the impact of their half-Korean heritage coming into play. Even as part of the uber-elite, they’re not immune to racism and judgement.

Reading this book was like eating dark chocolate—you literally just can’t stop but you love it so much. It’s comfortingly sweet and tragically dark, and in the end, you’re left with a hauntingly beautiful yet bittersweet feeling in your chest. (The author’s note high-key made me cry.)

I sincerely hope you decide to give this book a try because I enjoyed it so so much. My book club ‘subtle asian book club’ is actually reading it for our March book of the month, and you’re more than welcome to join along!

♥ 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐊 𝐛𝐲 𝐉𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐞 ♥

Did you ever see GOSSIP GIRL? EUPHORIA? Have you read CRAZY RICH ASIANS? Anna K reminds me of Serena van der Woodsen with the amount of outlandish drama like in Crazy Rich Asians, sex and drugs like in EUPHORIA. This one was definitely a guilty pleasure.

Going in knowing that this one was going to be full of drama, I was ready for all of it (yes, I was also part of the group consumed by #LoveIsBlind). I have never read Anna Karenina, so I didn’t know what to expect.

Anna K is 17 and has her life planned out. She has the perfect life, the perfect boyfriend, but is it really what she wants? I was invested in Anna’s character, but the secondary characters were also entertaining. Although, this is labeled as a YA, it’s an intense book and since I have a teenage sister, I freaked out. The only issue I had with the book, were parts in which dogs are injured or killed. I can’t handle those themes, but that’s just me.

I'm so glad to have been able to pick this one up. This was such a fun, quick and easy read. I have never seen or read the original Anna Keranina, but I bet this was an amazing modern retelling that people will enjoy. I love the Jenny Lee's writing she made her story so easily enjoyable and fast to dive into. I definitely recommend if you want a light read this month.

My first thought on looking at this book, despite knowing the length of the original work that inspired it, was "Wow this is long!" It did prove to be an easier read than the original, but for a YA novel it's very slow reading. Early on it was very easy to put down, but it was also easy to pick back up, and as the story progressed the characters and their stories tended to stick in my mind after I'd put the book down to do other things. Just because it was a slow read and easy to put down doesn't mean it wasn't a good book though. Not by a long shot!

Placing the story in a modern context worked really well, partly because the story itself is pretty timeless, but also because Jenny Lee seems to be a genuinely talented writer. From the start I found myself digging the narrative voice, which was so reminiscent of Gossip Girl or Crazy Rich Asians. It made the increasingly heavy subject matter more fun and accessible, doing a great job of showing the disparity between living feminist ideals and being a teenager who wants teenager things, frequently discussing feminism and the double standards for men and women when it comes to sex and fidelity. Lee accomplished this by balancing hard topics like the depressive effects of the ubiquity of smartphones on teenagers, drug use, love, and betrayal with frivolity and copious name dropping. It was also really good to see a more racially balanced cast of characters that was more in keeping with the modern setting.

Another thing I genuinely liked about the book was that there was a fantastic example set of siblings who love and support each other, even though they are none of them perfect human beings. The acknowledgement of characters' flaws and failings was also well done, with characters feeling genuine sorrow and guilt when their actions resulted in others' pain (especially with Vronsky and Frou Frou). More importantly, though, Lee's telling lacked the obnoxious moralizing that characterized Tolstoy, where a fallen woman stayed fallen goddammit! Instead, there was a positive message that people, especially young people, screw up or get screwed over, but they can choose to push through and find or create a support system. That said, I give the author major points for not shying away from the hard ending.

Finally, there was a line in here that I liked enough I wrote it down word for word. I searched Google to see if it was taken from the original, and the only result was this book, so, Jenny Lee, I applaud you. "I have to be where you are, so here I am." Damn.

My request to read this book was approved by the publisher the same day the book was Archived on netgalley. Would love to have read it, but now I can't :(

Sent March 3, 2020
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I tried with Anna K.
I really and honestly tried.
I just knew that after a few paragraphs this was not going to work but I pushed because the premise seemed interesting and the synopsis was cute enough. The writing however just was not engaging and read like amateur fan fiction. Fanfic can be AMAZING. Up to par to published books! But this...this was just not good.

This year I made a vow to myself to only finish books I am enjoying and I could not do so with Anna K.

Thanks very much to Netgalley and the publisher.

Not quite sure what to say about this one. I liked it enough to read the entire thing and it kept my interest, but the ages of the characters threw me a bit too often. I know it’s a YA novel but it just seemed a bit far fetched for 15-17 year olds to be doing a lot of this stuff. Wasn’t ready for the sucker punch at the end. 3.5 🌟 only because of the age issue I had. Other than that it was a great retelling of Anna Karenina.

An “Anna Karenina” retelling with a Gossip Girl vibe! Glitz, glamour, drama, betrayal, opulence, infidelity, sex, drugs, and romance. Jenny Lee has done a stellar job of taking this Russian classic and giving it a modern and diverse twist. Admittedly I’ve never read the original, but I did take a look at the Spark Notes and Miss Lee really did a remarkable job in the retelling. I was completely sucked into this riveting tale of decadence and betrayal.

As entertaining as the story was there was also some depth and emotion to it. And if you read the original classic you know all does not end happily ever after... in fact I shed some tears. The perspective of the story bounces around between multiple characters, really giving the reader the full story. All the characters were so well developed, I particularly loved Anna and her brother Stephen. The sibling relationship was great and Stephen had the most noticeable character development throughout the story. This book is considered young adult, but I think it will appeal more to a older young adult audience as well as us old people. Keep in mind if you are a parent wondering about this book for your team, that there is a lot (and I mean a lot) of sex and drugs and drinking in this book. I think it was all handled very well and was not glamorized. Such a fun engaging story and I am super excited that there is a sequel! Cannot wait to see what is next in store for these fabulous characters.

This book in emojis 🗽💰🐶🐎🚄🍸📱💔

*** Big thank you to Flatiron Books for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

| Roses & Thorns Review |⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Title: Anna K.⁣: A Love Story
Author: Jenny Lee⁣
⁣⁣
Quick Take: This modern YA retelling of Anna Karenina was pure escapism. Don’t judge but I’ve never read Anna Karenina so I went in pretty blind and really enjoyed this book!⁣
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Rose: I looooooove stories about rich kids behaving badly and this book has some seriously wealthy kids behaving extremely poorly. It was fun to learn about the many characters backgrounds and their lavish lifestyles. Even though they are making questionable decisions you really start to care for many (not all) of the characters. I enjoyed some of the side characters story lines more than Anna K but overall was hooked and couldn’t stop turning the pages to see what they were going to get up to next. I will note it’s not all fun and games and this book covers topics like mental health, addiction, racism, and sexism. Make sure to read the authors note at the end I loved hearing about why Lee wrote this book and her process.⁣
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Thorn: This book did feel a bit long. There were large sections of the book that were fun but when you finish and look back they seemed unnecessary.⁣
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Rating: 4 ⭐️ and highly recommend picking it up when it comes out March 3rd.
⁣⁣

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

In this modern retelling of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, we dive into the lives of the wealthy teens of Manhattan. Anna K is 17 and is at the top of Manhattan and Greenwich society; she’s goes to the best private school and has the perfect college boyfriend. Basically, she is the envy of every teenage girl in Manhattan and Greenwich. One day, she meets Alexia “Count” Vronsky who is a notorious playboy and they begin an affair that will lead to disastrous consequences. And as you know, the higher you are, the farther you have to fall.

I’ve never read Anna Karenina so I had no idea what to expect in this retelling. It’s been described as a mix of Crazy Rich Asians and Gossip Girl and I think it’s pretty spot on! Since I’m a fan of drama (yes, I watch the Bachelor), I was hooked from the very beginning – I felt invested in Anna’s story and wanted to know where it goes between her and Alexia. However, my favorite storyline has got to be Dustin’s. Warning - this story is not for everyone as there’s a lot of difficult content and omg so much drugs and sex. I’m not even sure if this book is suited for young adults with all the sex and drugs mentioned. Ultimately, I really enjoyed it and now I want to pick up the classic by Tolstoy!

CW – infidelity, drug overdose, drugs, opioid addiction, abortion

Dazzling. It has all the feels and the ups and downs of a teen's life. This story will have you reliving your first love. All of the good, the bad and the ugly because there's only one first love. I absolutely loved this book. Happy reading!

Anna K. is 17 years old and at the top of Manhattan society. She has a seemingly perfect life with her perfect long-term boyfriend, Alexander, and has much of her life planned out. That is, until she meets Alexia "Count" Vronsky while meeting relatives at Grand Central Terminal. Something about the notorious playboy catches her attention, and she suddenly finds herself willing to give up everything for him.

ANNA K is a retelling of ANNA KARENINA set among ultra-rich teenagers in New York City. I first read the original book a few years ago and, while I enjoyed it, I often found myself thinking, "these people are acting like hormonal teenagers!" So when I heard about ANNA K, I knew I had to read it.

And I was right - Lee maps Tolstoy's story perfectly onto this modern, diverse group of friends and relatives. Society balls become raging club nights, sending covert courier messages becomes texting via Words With Friends. Additionally, despite the glamour and abundance of name brands, ANNA K retains the melancholy feel of the original, while layering in modern understandings of privilege, racism and sexism the characters must navigate.

Anna K is everything I imagine a modern day remake of Gossip Girl would have looked like. I am obsessed with how diverse the characters are. I need to see Anna K come to life on screen and am so glad it's already been optioned by HBO Max!

I have to admit, the beginning of Anna K was a bit slow for me. I also had a hard time keeping the characters straight at first. It took me a little bit to get into the book, but once it got good, it got GOOD. It also became easier to keep track of the characters as the book went on and you learned more about each of their backstories. One of my favorite things about this Anna K is that you get to know a decent amount about each of the characters. Anna K is so juicy and such a guilty pleasure read.

I can definitely see why some people make have some issues with the book. The characters are all in high school but get into some real life shit, but that happens in a lot of books about high schoolers - Gossip Girl included! Anna K may not be everyone's cup of tea. I would recommend it to anyone who is obsessed with Gossip Girl or needs a scandalous, fun read.

As soon as I heard about this book I was so excited to read it. I loved many things about this book like the diversity of the characters. It was dramatic and all of the different relationships in this were awesome. I'd suggest this to older teens due to some of the things in it. The cover is amazing!

I have mixed feelings about Anna K. It was hard for me to get into at first because of how removed the characters’ lives were from mine, with the vast majority of them being part of the literal 1%. I grew up comfortably middle class, but faced with this level of wealth, I felt like I was observing an alien culture. There is wild shit in a lot of contemporary YAs, but add in extreme wealth and you get next level wild shit. The high class setting also comes with an even more rigid set of social expectations and pressures than your average teen might be subject to.

It was also hard for me to get into the story toward the beginning because the characters felt a lot more shallow, and everything happening to them simply felt like petty drama. What the characters were calling love felt more like infatuation. And yeah, I get that this is a common experience for teens, confounding the two, but I wasn’t understanding even the source of the infatuation except the stereotypical teen hormones and encounters between people who conform to hegemonic beauty standards. Even as the story progressed, I still wasn’t convinced that the two main characters were really in love because I felt like the narrative placed so much emphasis on their physical/sexual attraction to each other over more substantial emotional bonding. I wasn’t invested in the main romance at all.

On the plus side, I got to experience the train wreck of this story with no expectations or prior knowledge since I have never read Anna Karenina, the original story this is a retelling of. So I was just popping my figurative popcorn watching shit hit the fan more times than should be possible in a single novel. Whether there was True Love or not between the leads, there was definitely a lot of teens making Truly Terrible Life Choices and facing the consequences, and that was a source of entertainment for me, somewhat.

The final third of book was probably where the story hit the hardest and I started to feel the story pull its own weight. And despite some of the petty drama aspects I alluded to, the book did also explore (to varying degrees) serious topics such as drug addiction, depression, grief, misogyny/slut-shaming, and there was even a bit of commentary race and class (though far less of it than I wished there had been, but maybe that’s just my ethnic studies background speaking).

My disappointment in the main couple aside, the supporting characters’ story arcs and relationship dynamics were comparatively more engaging and interesting to me, especially those of Dustin and Kimmie. Another point in this book’s favor: Anna, a teen girl, unapologetically owns her sexuality, is shown taking initiative in sex, and sex isn’t treated with kid gloves. I’m actually fairly surprised by how explicit some of the scenes were; it was not your usual figurative language-laden, fade to black kind of fare.

I guess if I had one more comment/critique to add, it’s that this book was overwhelmingly heteronormative (and completely cisnormative; there was no mention of trans people even existing). There were three named queer characters, one with a more important role than the other two and one that made zero actual appearances, and a few unnamed queer characters mentioned once in passing (they were literally referred to as “gays,” which, coming from an author who is as far as I know, straight, was kind of off-putting to read?). However, the overarching framing of the narrative was completely focused on the m/f relationships and gender dynamics, so the commentary on patriarchy and misogyny lacked nuance.
In conclusion: I didn’t hate the story, but I ultimately didn’t love it either, though I wanted to. It might just be a taste thing.

I really enjoyed this book and am confident it will be one of my favorite YA reads of the year. The contemporary setting and New York Prep School Elite/Gossip Girl vibes combine with the sweeping drama and heightened experiences of the Russian classic Anna Karenina in a wild, wonderful mixture. I rarely enjoy a "contemporary version" of something more than the classic and I don't typically have trouble slipping into a historic place and time to relate to characters of a bygone era. But with this book, I do feel like reading the contemporary version gave me more insight into the characters of the original and the emotions they were feeling. I will admit I have never gotten through the original, as much as I've tried, but this gives me new motivation and I think I'll have new insight as well.

If I had to sum up this book, I would say if "Anna Karenina" and "Gossip Girl" had a baby book, it would be "Anna K."

It is a very modern retelling of "Anna Karenina" with parallel characters and modern versions of certain plot points. Immediately, you are made aware of setting which I loved. You feel modern NYC and are caught up in the present day and age. Smart watch, Hermés, gluten-free diet, emojis, text speak. A great way to set the scene.

I must be honest and say that riddled throughout my reading notes are several comparisons to the original "Anna Karenina," most of them negative. For example, there are many characters and stories in the forefront which you need to keep straight to understand, much like the original. Also, while the story is great, it is long and unnecessarily drags at several parts so much so that I felt like I was treading water in order to continue reading, again the same feeling I had when reading "Anna Karenina". Basically any parts with Dustin and his family or Kimmie in Arizona felt so unnecessary and had me skimming quickly and sometimes outright skipping to get to the next part I actually cared about.

As far as characters go, while there are a lot of them, they are characters with quality. Very dynamic. Some you love, some you hate, some arre mehhh, some you want to hang out with because they would make awesome friends. Jenny Lee has a special way of giving very distinct voices to her characters. None moreso than with Stephen. MAN! He does some questionable things, but by the end, had me so in love with him. The voice Lee gives to him is hilarious. He is such a bro, but so complex and caring and witty and responsible while also being totally nonchalant about it all. His dynamics are just A+. By far my favorite character. Anna, Vronsky, Alexander... they're all fine and bring their vital part to the table in their own ways, but no one breathes inconsequential life into the book like Stephen does. Also, I feel the need to mention Anna K and Vronsky's romance. Solid build up and very intriguing. I felt all the feels.

I have my qualms with the ending of the story, but I would recommend this book to lovers of romance as well as the orginal "Anna Karenina." Is there room for some cleaning up and cutting out? Yes. But it's a good story nonetheless. Jenny Lee is a funny writer that captures voices in such a way that I have not yet seen. I would love to read her next release!

Actual rating: 1.5 stars

Thanks to Flatiron Books for giving a free digital copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Guys, I really wanted to like this. Pitched as a modern Anna Karenina retelling and with a Korean MC, I just was just…enthralled. Sadly, everything really fizzled out the more I kept reading the book. Were there redeeming parts? Totally. But not enough.

Content warnings: animal death, suicide ideation, heavy drug and alcohol use, cheating, brief mentions of self-harm, racism

I don’t even know where to start. I have a few positive things to mention, but other than that I felt like this book was all over the place. We have a group of teenagers who are filthy rich, so naturally there’s a lot of privilege that comes with that, even for Anna K. and her brother, Stephen, who are half-Korean. But we still see these two (and their father) face racist remarks. One of the most frustrating parts it that we see so much drug and alcohol use by these underage teenagers and I just can’t help but think “Where are the parents? Why aren’t they saying anything? Surely they must notice something.” Maybe that’s silly of me to think but I can’t help it. The drug and alcohol use was done to such an extreme extent that I felt it was unrealistic for no parents whatsoever to catch their kids with it.

Like with the classic, I found the only couple I really liked were Dustin and Kimmie (in the original, the characters are named Levin and Kitty). I found it hard to swallowing the cheating that took place in this book. I don’t know if the book was trying to normalize it (like yes, it happens all the time which maybe it does and simply isn’t put out in the open for obvious reasons), but there’s this juxtaposition between Stephen and Lolly relationship and the one Anna K. develops with Vronsky.

It was hard to believe that these were only teenagers. I felt like they didn’t act like teenagers (or at least, teenagers I’ve read in other YA contemporary novels), and I didn’t know if that contrast was created on purpose because these characters are privileged and filthy rich). I wasn’t sure I liked any characters either, outside of the two I mentioned earlier. Everyone felt pretty…shallow, and I felt their outward appearance and how they wanted to be perceived by others was drastically different than how they were toward their close friends and family. Case in point between Stephen and Anna K. They both pointed out the sexism they faced not only in their Korean culture but also in terms of the cheating aspect–how it seems “okay” for men to cheat but women face a completely different set of “rules” dictated by society. But thing is… I wasn’t really convinced of Anna K.’s and Vronsky’s romance anyway, and I definitely didn’t think Vronsky acted like a teenager.

I loved the growth in Kimmie, and I can see her reflected in many teenager girls’ lives (including my own). I like that she was grew and become more self-aware and self-assured. It’s a lot to handle when you’re only 15!

To be honest, I don’t really have an opinion here. I really wanted to DNF this book, but I feel guilty for DNFing ARCs. In a sense, I’m glad I stuck through due to the situation around Dustin and Kimmie. The author kept throwing around what I assume is really expensive name brand items, work out classes, etc., and I was seriously so fed up, I thought, “Who cares?”

★★★ (3.75/5)⁣
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As everyone has mentioned, 𝘈𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘒 is the 2020 𝘎𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘱 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭. This books is YOURS if you love scandal, drama, teenage angst, and classic literary retellings. For someone who was a new teen when GG came out, I can tell you this tugged on my nostalgia heart strings like no other. ⁣
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Anna K is the epitome of social royalty in Manhattan and has the money, life, and boyfriend to prove it. She seems immune to normal teenage issues and watches from afar when her friends and family find themselves wrapped in drama. However, a spark of lust that turns all-consuming causes Anna to live on the wild side for once in her life, leading to choices that may permanently uproot her from her societal good graces.⁣
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Alright, I loved the characters. I loved the GG flashback vibes. I loved the pacing. But, that's kind of where it stops. I haven't ever read 𝘈𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘒𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘢⁣ (the classic 𝘈𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘒 is mimicked after) and I think that caused me to become disengaged with the plot points, as I didn't recognize them as part of the retelling. ⁣
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I first thought this was satirical in nature (think 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯 on Netflix) because the dialogue and initial events were SO cringey (not in the worst way). As I realized that satire was not the goal and that the melodrama was just part of the story arc, my interest started to decline as I found events less believable. ⁣
∙⁣
Overall, 𝘈𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘒 is great fun! It has some seriously 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘢 characters and if you loved you some Serena and Blair, you will find this enjoyable, too! ⁣

I read 20 percent of the book and stopped. It seemed cute but I was getting bored. There were lots of characters to keep up with, which wasn’t too much of a problem, but I just didn’t really like a lot of them. Steven was a tool and Lolly was dramatic. I was hoping the plot would pull me in more, but it didn’t so I decided to not stick with it.