This was really an impressive debut novel. I appreciated the characterization of Ivy. At first I really though she was a bit of a sociopath but you come to understand that she is desperate for stability, love, and attaining a certain social status that she believes will give her these things. She's incredibly perceptive in some ways and then totally blind in other ways (it doesn't take the reader long to figure out something is going on between Gideon & Tom, but it takes Ivy the entire book). This book packs a punch and is very well-written. The prose is relatively simple, but it's hard to do simple well. And that simplicity sets up firm grounding from which the reader can investigate the complex character motivations and relationships. This one has earned a re-read in the future, I think. Definitely looking forward to getting this into my patrons' hands!

White Ivy is a debut, coming of age novel that follows Ivy Lin from middle school to her wedding day. Ivy meets Gideon in 8th grade and falls in love. When he invites her to a birthday sleepover for his 14th birthday, she sneaks out to attend. When her parents discoverer lie, they send her to her relatives in China for the summer and secretly move to another state. Ivy is devastated, but continues to set her goals to graduate high school, move out and finish college. She does this and begins her life as a kindergarten teacher at a private day school. Ironically, she runs into Gideon's sister picking up one of her students and is reunited with him. They begin dating and he proses. But Ivy has a secret that threatens her life with Gideon. How far will she go to protect her future?

Dark, twisted and captivating, Ivy's story engrossed me to the last page. Ivy was not a nice or likable person, and in the end, she got what she deserved. I was actually cheering for the villain, and was quite surprised at the turn of events and the ending. I highly recommend this novel.

As an Asian American woman, you know what I am tired of? I'm tired of Asian American women characters being left out of the story. I'm tired of them being a side character or a quiet, meek stereotype. And you know what I absolutely loved about White Ivy by Susie Yang? The main character, Ivy Lin, is none of this.

I loved this coming-of-age fiction of Chinese American woman Ivy. I particularly loved Ivy herself -- she is passionate and has so many dimensions -- she felt so real and honestly, there were pieces of her that I saw reflected in myself. Yang's writing is excellent and I could feel my heart pounding in so many passages that I found myself completely sucked into. There's a lot to reflect on about race and class in this and it gave me similar vibes to Luster by Raven Leilani, another book that I really enjoyed this year.

I absolutely recommend reading this. Thank you NetGalley for the e-copy.

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Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3623048155

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for a honest review.

Ivy is a liar and thief and she isn't ashamed of who she is. She was taught growing up to always thrive for a better live. When she can't provide it for herself the best way to get it is through lying. This doesn't always make Ivy the most likeable of characters. When Ivy runs into someone from her past it starts a whirlwind of choices that will shape the rest of her life.

White Ivy is a slow burn of a novel with the pace quickening the last 10%. The writing is beautiful. Susie Yang is an own voices writer and infuses the Chinese culture beautifully into this book. Ivy is not a likeable person. Honestly if you're looking for a novel with likeable characters, White Ivy isn't for you. This isn't a novel that will be for everyone but I did enjoy it. I'm looking forward to what Susie Yang has in store for the future.

I’m not sure what it was that sucked me in so much, but this was really such a captivating story. There’s this coming of age element with the added backdrop of her family’s heritage and her status as an immigrant, themes of race and class throughout, with a really complex main character that I’m still not sure if I liked.

This one reminded me of Pretty Things which I loved but with the added layer of her family’s history and a perhaps more morally gray anti-hero as the central character. I literally dropped my kindle when I realized where this one was going and the final twist, though predictable, was entirely satisfying.

Such a great debut!

I volunteered to read this book, through netgalley in exchange, for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. The pacing of this story is good. The characters relationships are good. I enjoyed Roux and Ivy's characters. This is my first Susie Yang book and I will read more books by this author in the future. This book will be in stores on November 3rd, 2020 for $26.00 (USD).

Ivy is left with her grandmother in China when her parents moved to the US. Her grandmother taught her many things, including how to steal. At 14, Ivy falls in love with Gideon, a boy in her exclusive school, and there starts her obsession. She is a character that you will sometimes like, often hate. She really doesn’t care who she hurts, as long as she gets her way.

This book is heavily character driven, not really sure I loved any characters. Felt sympathy and empathy for sure. The story was a little slow in parts for me, but the writing and character development hooked me and kept me immersed in the story. The author did a wonderful job of showing the plight of Ivy’s parents, and how it shaped Ivy and her brother. Ivy wanted something, and went after it at all costs. She went after what she wanted, not necessarily what she needed. Even though the ending was somewhat predictable, with a few twists added in, the story worked and flowed easily. Loved the dynamics of the Both families portrayed, and the cast of secondary characters doesn’t disappoint. What a debut! Appropriate Title!

Thanks to Ms. Yang, Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an egalley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed White Ivy by debut author Susie Yang. It is a coming of-age novel centering around Ivy, a young Chinese woman who never quite knows what she wants. She dreams of a "perfect" life.
She begins a relationship with a boy that she grew up having a crush on and does not want to let go.
There are a few turns in the story that left me surprised and wanting to continue reading to find out what happens.

Ivy Lin's grandmother taught her how to steal things from the local Goodwill store and from yard sales. As Ivy got older, and her strict parents didn't allow her to have the things other teenage girls had, Ivy moved on to shoplifting from the local Kmart. Ivy wanted to be rich, and fit in with all of the white girls at her school. and she had a huge crush on the local golden boy, Gideon Speyer. After her mom discovered her secrets, she was sent to China for a summer to stay with relatives, and when she came back, she discovered that the family had moved to a different state. Ivy continued to act out, and it didn't seem like she would ever settle down and become someone her parents would be proud of. Years later, Ivy bumps into Gideon's sister and she sets the two of them up. This time Ivy is determined that she will not lose sight of her dreams of having it all, no matter the cost.

I thought I would enjoy this more than I did. Ivy was completely unlikable throughout the entire book, and Gideon's character just felt very one dimensional. The story seemed to drag at times. It wasn't terrible, it just wasn't great.

82/100. This is another “not-quite” thriller. The story follows Ivy, a Chinese American in pursuit of the American dream. In many ways it is a coming of age story, and it takes a dark turn in the second half. Although Ivy’s worst qualities are explored in this novel, I found myself rooting for her anyway, as I could always understand where she was coming from. I was engrossed in this novel and I had trouble putting it down. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

The cover, the title, the story… it’s all amazing. White Ivy by Susie Yang is a book that you won’t be able to put down. I cannot believe this is a debut novel! I applaud Susie’s incredible talent!

Check it out:

Ivy Lin is a thief and a liar—but you’d never know it by looking at her.

Raised outside of Boston, Ivy’s immigrant grandmother relies on Ivy’s mild appearance for cover as she teaches her granddaughter how to pilfer items from yard sales and second-hand shops. Thieving allows Ivy to accumulate the trappings of a suburban teen—and, most importantly, to attract the attention of Gideon Speyer, the golden boy of a wealthy political family. But when Ivy’s mother discovers her trespasses, punishment is swift and Ivy is sent to China, and her dream instantly evaporates.

Years later, Ivy has grown into a poised yet restless young woman, haunted by her conflicting feelings about her upbringing and her family. Back in Boston, when Ivy bumps into Sylvia Speyer, Gideon’s sister, a reconnection with Gideon seems not only inevitable—it feels like fate.

Slowly, Ivy sinks her claws into Gideon and the entire Speyer clan by attending fancy dinners, and weekend getaways to the cape. But just as Ivy is about to have everything she’s ever wanted, a ghost from her past resurfaces, threatening the nearly perfect life she’s worked so hard to build.

Filled with surprising twists and a nuanced exploration of class and race, White Ivy is a glimpse into the dark side of a woman who yearns for success at any cost.

I can’t say I particularly liked Ivy, but I was curious about her story and experiences. The story is slow to unfold but definitely picks up the pace and the more I read, the more I got into it.

Don’t miss this one! Get it here on November 3.

Wow what a book. Ivy comes from a Chinese-American family and uses her guile and wits to get to where she wants to be. This book was a bit strange with everything happening and I completely did not expect the ending. Ivy reminded me a bit of Emily in Revenge. I loved Ivy's relationships with her mother, and grandmother and how interesting it was to see the world view from different generations. I loved Roux - he was dangerously sexy whereas Gideon certainly was a wet blanket. A really interesting book and definitely not what I expected.

From prizewinning Chinese American author Susie Yang, this dazzling coming-of-age novel about a young woman’s dark obsession with her privileged classmate offers sharp insights into the immigrant experience.

Ivy Lin is a thief and a liar—but you’d never know it by looking at her.

Raised outside of Boston, Ivy’s immigrant grandmother relies on Ivy’s mild appearance for cover as she teaches her granddaughter how to pilfer items from yard sales and second-hand shops. Thieving allows Ivy to accumulate the trappings of a suburban teen—and, most importantly, to attract the attention of Gideon Speyer, the golden boy of a wealthy political family. But when Ivy’s mother discovers her trespasses, punishment is swift and Ivy is sent to China, and her dream instantly evaporates.

Years later, Ivy has grown into a poised yet restless young woman, haunted by her conflicting feelings about her upbringing and her family. Back in Boston, when Ivy bumps into Sylvia Speyer, Gideon’s sister, a reconnection with Gideon seems not only inevitable—it feels like fate.

Slowly, Ivy sinks her claws into Gideon and the entire Speyer clan by attending fancy dinners, and weekend getaways to the cape. But just as Ivy is about to have everything she’s ever wanted, a ghost from her past resurfaces, threatening the nearly perfect life she’s worked so hard to build.

Filled with surprising twists and a nuanced exploration of class and race, White Ivy is a glimpse into the dark side of a woman who yearns for success at any cost.

White Ivy was a five star read for me. It tells the story of Ivy, the daughter of Chinese immigrants, who falls hard for her waspy classmate . She is cunning and manipulative. This was a fabulous debut with great writing, unlikable characters, and a page turning plot.

n a stunning debut @susieyang writes a full portrait of Ivy Yang, a Chinese Immigrant, who is equally obsessed with a classmate as well as obsessed with living the life of a perfect American teenager. She will do what it takes to live this life even if it includes lying and stealing. Gideon is the golden boy and the focus of her obsession, but after one giant miscalculation on her part the punishment is quick. She is being sent to China for the summer.

She comes back to America and spends the next years completing her degree and living a respectable life and then as fate happens she runs into Sylvia, Gideon’s sister snd he is suddenly back into her life. Her perfect life is upon her. Fancy brunches, long dinners, weekends at the cape until a visit from her past threatens to unspool all she’s worked so hard to craft together.

There are many shocking twists and turns as Ivy does whatever it takes to get what she wants, no matter the cost. I love a backstory and I definitely feel like you got it with the first part of this book to see why Ivy acted the way she did as an adult. I definitely got some #joyluckclub (one of my favorites) vibes hearing the backstory of her mom and dad as well as her grandma. Albeit, Ivy is a very dark and twisty woman but this is s picture of her immigrant experience and what it means for her to find her place as an American woman and a Chinese daughter.

This book comes out tomorrow. I cannot wait to hear what you all think.
Thank you #netgalley and #simonanschuster for an arc in exchange for an honest review

White Ivy is mysterious and thrilling, and the story is veiled in romance as it follows Ivy Lin’s obsession with Gideon Speyer from childhood, but it is really a story about family, immigrant families in particular. Ivy immigrated from China to the U.S. at a young age to live with her parents, working-class immigrants in pursuit of the American Dream who strictly hold traditional Chinese values. As a result, Ivy struggles to form an identity that complies with both her parents’ expectations and accomplishes her sense of fitting in with American peers.

What I found most compelling and thought-provoking was how Ivy’s every action was either a product or direct rebellion of her upbringing. So many of her life choices were based on whether her parents would disapprove, yet at the same time, many of the values she carries are shaped by those with which she was raised. Author Susie Yang well-captured the complexity of the Asian-American experience, where traditional Eastern values are often difficult to reconcile with Western norms.

As an Asian-American woman myself, Ivy’s idolization of whiteness stood out to me. On multiple occasions, Ivy wished she looked more like her blonde and white peers, and she regularly sought out approval and attention from white men in her romantic relationships. Such idolization of whiteness, and its counterpart, the notion of power imbalance in relationships between Asian women and white men, is not well-represented in many books, so I appreciated the inclusion here.

While I binged the book in a weekend and found myself constantly wondering what was going to happen, I often had no idea what direction the story was going in. Although I found the ending satisfying and well-deserved, I wish how the story unfolded was tied together better.

Susie Yang’s debut novel White Ivy is a layered character study that left me with a lot to think about. I was captivated by the Chinese American protagonist, Ivy Lin. The early chapters about Ivy’s childhood shed light on the factors that shape her, including a three-year separation from her parents, her grandmother’s influence, and a summer trip to China. In her middle school years at a private school, Ivy is exposed to wealth and privilege—a stark contrast to her poor immigrant family’s means—and develops a crush on a privileged classmate, Gideon. But thankfully, this isn’t really a story about Ivy’s obsession with Gideon; when they meet again in adulthood, he remains a rather flat character because of Ivy’s idealization. This is 100% Ivy’s story, and her desperation exudes from every page, making you an intimate witness to her calculating actions, self-doubt, and loneliness. It’s frustrating to watch Ivy’s efforts to blend in to the privileged world she wants to inhabit.

When she reconnects with her mother and grandmother, she gains a new understanding of what they’ve done to survive. I wish that Ivy’s moment of realization had come sooner in the book so that it could’ve been explored more, and would have preferred more of Ivy’s family over a thriller-like subplot. I appreciated that Ivy urges her mother to acknowledge her brother’s depression, and wanted to see more of their sibling relationship. Still, Ivy’s characterization made this a thought-provoking, memorable read.

Wow! This book contains so much, a little of everything - family drama, youth angst, lies, secrets, twists, love and hate. I'm still absorbing all of my thoughts and feelings. I have so many questions that I need to discuss with someone.

If you just started reading, and you hate Ivy, keep going. She's such a complicated character that its difficult to even put it into words. In the end all of the characters are similarly complex, flawed, and human.

FIVE full stars. I'm sure I will be back to add more to this review. I need more time to fully think about everything I just read.

Many, many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

A sharp perspective with layered characters that just doesn't seem to make up for the slow burn of a story.

I had a hard time with this read. I was very impressed with the writing, the direct and unique voice and the layered characters for this debut novel, but I felt that it was too much of a slow burn for me. Throughout the book there was a consistent dark and twisted side that seemed to lurk under this story of Ivy and her obsessive desire to escape from her immigrant history. I had a hard time wanting to unravel Ivy's mind because she was just so unlikable - in fact every character surrounding her was also unlikable so that I felt like I couldn't get a grasp on who I was rooting for or what I was hoping would play out.

Overall, well-written and intriguing but much too slow with characters you just can't - or don't want to - connect with.

White Ivy by Susie Yang is a captivating mystery thriller that is sure to send you on a roller coaster of emotions. The characters are well-written with intriguing backstories that help to make the plot suspenseful and mysterious.