This was one of my favorite books of 2020. The writing is flawless and the character Ivy is impossible not to fall in love with despite her...shortcomings. Themes include class, identity, and what it means to strive for the “American dream.”

White Ivy is Susie Yang’s debut novel, although for nearly the entire book that fact is not obvious. Her writing style feels effortless, each detail of the narrative feels important, and the story certainly has that satisfying “can’t put down” factor. Even so, the last quarter of the book did feel rushed, and left this reader slightly disappointed.

The synopsis is an accurate representation of the events in the book, although it does not quite tell the whole story (thankfully, appropriately). Susie Yang chose to section the narrative into early stages and important moments of the life of the main character – Ivy. We see her in her teen years, as she tries to navigate the pressures and expectations of her immigrant grandmother and parents, while trying to fit in among the popular kids at her high school.

Race and social class are the main topics at play here; both effect Ivy deeply. She faces pressure and consequences from her parents to both excel in her predominantly white school as a teenager and adhere to the expectations of finding a husband and starting a family as a young adult (constantly being reminded of the life path of her Chinese cousins, family friends, and her parents). The latter also comes at a time when she begins a relationship with an old classmate, who benefits from generational wealth and ignorance/avoidance around other social class lifestyles. Microaggressions towards Ivy and her family, as well as accusations and insecurity about her family’s financial history very clearly influence her growth, or lack of it.

Ivy’s angst, anger, hope, and fears can be felt through the pages, and while her obligatory (per her parents) trip to China could not come at a worse time in Ivy’s eyes, it gave the narrative a change it needed. Susie Yang put it in just the right spot to give the plot a boost and offer a scenario that instilled a want for growth in her main character; a great setup to the next section of the book, where we see Ivy as a young adult.

In addition to seamlessly moving the narrative along, Susie Yang gives such believable life to the characters. There are nearly a dozen individuals that make appearances along the way, and they are all distinguishable from each other. When an author can make even the most dull characters feel as interesting as the most reckless, it’s a recipe for satisfaction. Especially when there isn’t really a likable character to be found, from the protagonist to the most minor background character, it’s important to still feel connected by way of description and fully fleshing out personalities. Susie Yang pulls it off.

What isn’t quite pulled off, and what leaves the reader with a slight feeling of mediocrity by the end, is the culmination of the plot. White Ivy is labeled (as of this writing) as both literary fiction and a mystery thriller, which in a way is appropriate. The first half is certainly literary, and the second half (or at least the last quarter) is thrilling in a mystery genre sense. Unfortunately the two did not join forces throughout the course of the story, and instead were separated out which makes the ending feel hurried and haphazard. A neat and tidy ending is not really expected based on the course of the characters’ lives, but until the end the pieces of the messed up puzzle were satisfactorily put together. There are a couple of events that, in a “typical” thriller or mystery would feel wild and impossibly exciting, whereas here they have an element of realness and feel like the “appropriate” next step – mostly due to Susie Yang’s enthralling writing style. Nonetheless, some of the details and final events felt like they were thrown in at the last minute to up the thrill, when it would have been more thrilling, and even maybe more realistic, to leave the conclusion a bit more open-ended.

Despite this, however, White Ivy is still a captivating, unique, and beautifully written debut novel offering perspective, reflection, and shock value. It will be exciting to see where Susie Yang goes from here.

Thank you to @netgalley and @simon&schuster for the ARC of White Ivy by Susie Yang. This is a debut novel and it’s a good one!

Ivy Lin is a young girl who is obsessed with Gideon Speyer. Ivy and Gideon go to the same school but live in two different worlds. Gideon is the son of a senator, is popular, and lives a lavish lifestyle. Ivy is the daughter of immigrants from China She is a thief and a liar. She isn’t popular, is embarrassed of her family, and just wants to be normal. The only friend she has is Roux Roman. They have a connection and they understand each other.

One night, Ivy sneaks out of her house to attend a party at Gideon’s house. When her parents find out, they send her to China temporarily to straighten herself out. They fear she is heading down the wrong path.

Upon return, a much older Ivy is reunited with Gideon. They soon become a couple. While on vacation with Gideon’s family, his sister brings her boyfriend. Enter Roux Roman. Ivy is worried that Roux will exploit her past but she still feels a connection with Roux. Soon, Ivy and Gideon become engaged. While Ivy prepares and awaits her wedding date, there will be lots of twists, turns, and even murder. Will Ivy ever be happy with herself? Will Ivy and Gideon get married? If so, at what cost?

White Ivy will be released on 9/8/2020 and I have a feeling it’s going to be a hit!

“You used to ask how your father and I got married. That’s how. It was because I willed it. If I had been a stupider girl, your father never would have looked at me. But I saw my chance and made a story for myself—even if it was a false story. You have to give a man something to fight for. That’s the secret to a lasting marriage.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for sending me an ARC of White Ivy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, the story did not work for me at all. It is quite slow. Ivy is (objectively, I would argue) a fairly horrible person, and I could never really understand her motivations. She’s envious of a certain strata of American life from a distance, but her relationship with Gideon is so flawed that it’s never clear why she clings to it. Her only passion is with Roux, yet she’s willing to shed that relationship and subsume her true nature for what she thinks will make her happy, even though it is so plainly obvious that she does not know what she really wants. I get those choices symbolically—trying to break free from her past and chase her version of the American Dream—but as actual human relationships they are difficult to accept.

Susie Yang is clearly a talented writer. There are clever turns of phrase throughout and Ivy is a richly detailed character. Hopefully I’ll find more to like in her next novel.

𝗪𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐈𝐯𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐞 𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐠. Thanks to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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Ivy is a Chinese-American who only wants to fit in with her peers. Since coming to America at age five, she’s only wanted to be liked and be part of the group. When she reconnects with her childhood crush as an adult, she will do anything to immerse herself into his family and his world. ⁣
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This was a wonderful story from a debut author. I really enjoyed the entire story, which began with Ivy as a child and ended in early adulthood. It was intelligent, witty, and clever, while still keeping a strong and interesting plot line. On top of that, there were an abundance of powerful one-liners and even some Chinese proverbs tied into the story as well. This was a character driven novel, which is not always something I like, but Ivy was so well developed it kept my full interest. I think this author is going to go far. ⁣
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White Ivy comes out 9/8/2020. It’s a bit away, so you’ll want to keep this on your radar!⁣
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“𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦, 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺, 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬.”⁣
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“𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳.”⁣
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“𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘥𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦.” ⁣
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A captivating, intruiging #ownvoices thriller. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it highly. A great exploration of the immigrant experience as well.

I wasn't sure what this book would be, but it turned out ok. I ended up reading most of it over a day, and it was interesting enough to keep my attention, but it wasn't so great that I will remember it a year from now. Ivy (no clue why this book is called White Ivy, except that maybe it refers to the fact that she wishes she were white?) is a Chinese immigrant who has never felt in step with her white neighbors, or school mates. She's a clever child who innately understands the underlying seediness of humans, and the relentless give-take of life. While growing up she resents her parents, who refuse to show her outward affection, and who barely even know her since she is raised by her grandmother for the first years of her life. She forms a tentative friendship with a neighbor named Roux who understands her need to take without giving. When she is accepted into a posh private school she falls in love with a wealthy white boy, the son of a state senator, who she will think of the rest of her life. When she grows up her past with these two boys will come back to change her life in irreversible ways.

There were plenty of interesting characters in this book, and their relationships to each other were what made the book worth reading. Ivy's complicated relationship with different members of her family, as well as her different relationships with Gideon, and his family are heartbreaking in many different ways. Ultimately this is a book about coming to terms with family, both the one you were born with, and the one you find along the way. This isn't a hopeful or uplifting book, but it relates the feeling of love and compassion you feel for your family in a very real way.

I will say the last three or four chapters were completely stupid. I saw what was coming, and it seemed to me that the author didn't know what else to do with her characters. Oh well, it could have been worse. At least everything was wrapped up in the end.

This debut novel tells the story of Ivy Lin, the daughter of Chinese immigrants who is never sure where she fits in. Ivy feels on the cusp of the life she desires, wanting the attention of people like Gideon Speyer. After getting caught in a lie by her strict parents, Ivy's life changes in the blink of an eye.

Fast forward to her mid-20s, Ivy reconnects with Gideon. They quickly jump into a seemingly comfortable coexistence, but Ivy's past always seems to be on the verge of catching up to her.

I found this story to be fascinating, and really appreciated the Ivy's point of view as someone on the outside of her dream American life. There were many surprises throughout the story, some easily expected and others completely out of the blue. I really enjoyed Ivy's story and look forward to more from Susie Yang!

Ivy doesn't want to be who she is, and she's ambitious and clever enough to reinvent herself from the plain, lower class Chinese daughter of hardworking immigrant parents to the handsome, successful man whose affluent Wasp family is everything hers is not, and welcomes her into their world The only jarring note in the symphony of her new life is the reappearance of an old schoolmate who's reinvented himself as well, and who knows secrets about Ivy that threaten to destroy the future she's dreamed of,
This is less a mystery than an acutely observed novel about a complex woman whose most complicated relationship is with herself, and the bargains and compromises she makes to get what she wants as well as value what she has and the family that gave it to her Beautifully written, with an ending that will stun even the closest reader.

There's nothing quite so exciting for a bibliophile than to read an exceptional debut novel. The writing in White Ivy is so beautiful and evocative that it's hard to believe this is Susie Yang's first novel.

I love the title White Ivy. It made me imagine some beautiful plant, but it is also such an apt title for a novel about a Chinese-American girl who holds white values and privilege in the highest esteem. Ivy Lin spent her first five years of life in China with her grandmother, Meifeng, until such time that her parents could afford to bring them both to America to be reunited. From her description, Ivy is a beautiful girl, but she "would have traded her face a thousand times over for a blue-eyed, blond-haired version" of her grade school friends.

It is in middle school that Ivy develops her obsession with her white friends. It is also at that time when she meets two boys who will become the cornerstones of her adult life: Gideon, her dream man and future fiancé, and Roux, a Romanian boy who adores her but whom she disdains.

Unlike Ivy, I loved the Lin family members, especially Meifeng. However, Ivy can't wait to get away from them so when she graduates high school, she chooses a college in Boston and makes her life there as an adult. She is thoroughly oblivious to the beauty of her family and culture, is maddeningly self-centered and superficial, and will ultimately choose a loveless marriage just to attain the white ideal.

White Ivy is beautifully crafted and well-plotted up to and including a sad (to me) ending. I can't wait to see where author Susie Yang will take us next. The book will be released on September 8, 2020, and I highly recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Very good. A very quick read as it's quite the page-turner.

This began as a bit of a character study of an unabashed social climber and ingratiator and in the second half segued into a bit of a thriller. One of the major revelations was telegraphed too early on for my liking but I don't know if I saw it because I read a lot and am of a suspicious nature or it was that baldly obvious. The thriller-esque happening was a decent surprise but felt a bit removed in tone from the rest of the story, still, I enjoyed it.

I don't want to give away any spoilers but I will say that Ivy was interesting to follow. I rarely rooted for her but I often could see her perspective. The single issue I couldn't get was her connection with Roux. To be fair, I didn't enjoy his character at all (too much sneering and posturing to the point of caricaturesque) and he made it worse with a fore into blackmail and coercion. Ivy was quite the piece of work but I didn't need so heavy-handed an annoyance in Roux to make me hope she succeeded in gaining the upper hand. Gideon never seemed a fully formed character but I attributed that to Ivy's view of him. He seemed to be the intersection of her obsession with status, whiteness, and consumerism. Even with the very end of the book, I didn't know that I bought her really loving him. Her arrival at a place of understanding and a sort of acceptance with her family was good but abrupt and I wished more time had been devoted to that.

As I've mentioned in other book reviews, I am always drawn to stories of social climbers and ingratiators. They repulse and fascinate me so I have quite a few book-likes for this one, She Regrets Nothing, Necessary People, Social Creature, Bittersweet, and more I'm sure but that's enough for now.

I'd happily read another by Susie Yang. Recommended.

Many thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the free advanced copy.

This is the first book that this author has written and I was immediately drawn into a dark tale about an enigma named Ivy Lin. She was originally born in China and was raised by her grandma until she moved to the states with her parents and grandma. She questions everything as she sees the lives of others as different in her private school. She finds herself drawn toward a boy named Gideon Speyer and makes a mission to make him hers. Her parents are concerned and move her away.

Many years later, she finds Gideon again and makes her move. Everything has changed for her in their years apart and she is darkness and lies personified. She has to make choices that threaten to destroy everything. I found this book to be very well written and it kept me engrossed until the very end. Thanks for the great read, Net Galley.

White Ivy is a interesting glimpse into the life of a Chinese American and a fair examination of Chinese American culture. The family dynamic between three generations of the Lin's was wonderful and I loved learning about the backstories of all of the family members. Aside for the Chinese American culture, I didn't really enjoy this story all that much. I understood Ivy as a complicated character with deep relationships to unfold with each additional character, but it felt at times that I was waiting for some thrilling action to start and it didn't come until the very end and then it past by in just a blink. .

The premise of the story sounded good this was very slow but I feel like others my like it a lot more then I did I do want to say that I was interested because it was about a different culture than my own, but I had to DNF because it was very slow. I recommend this for anyone who wants to read about someone that doesn’t look like them and from another country trying to make it in America.

White Ivy by Susie Yang is a very thought provoking and compelling novel that should be read by anyone who is interested in a novel that addresses many issues that exist in the world today. It is the journey of a Chinese family that is living in the United States in current times. The daughter is enabled by her Chinese grandmother to participate in petty theft. There are mixed messages that theft is acceptable by her grandmother and also terrible by her parents. This is certainly a mixed message. As the daughter’s journey continues she experiences prejudice from others because she is poor and Asian. The daughter attempts to rise above her circumstances by attending college. She does this against her family’s wishes due to monetary problems. At a party the daughter meets a male friend from her childhood. She immediately is drawn to him and a romantic relationship begins. I could write so much more about this novel but I believe it is fair to say that this is a novel that will capture your attention and keep it! Even after the novel has been completed I am still thinking about the many themes explored in White Ivy. I’m sure that the reader will enjoy and learn from this novel. I would like to thank netgalley, Susie Wang, and Simon and Schuster Publishing who allowed me to read this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review..

GoodReads:
I misunderstood and thought this book was a thriller, which I wouldn't call it that. I would call it a contemporary story. With the addition of a few more main characters to follow it could have been a modern Valley of the Dolls (a book I adore). I liked this book, even though Ivy is not someone you like. I think it would have benefitted from a few more main characters, like I mentioned. I found the ending interesting. I do think the blurb needs to be improved to better reflect the book. I would say it is something like.....

Ivy Lin isn't sure of much of what she wants and never has been except for one thing - she wants Gideon Speyer. She fondly remembers his birthday party when she was 14 that she sneaked out to attend. Her parents pulled her away, sent her to China to visit relatives, and had moved to New Jersey by the time she got back. As an adult first grade teacher in Boston, Ivy runs into Gideon's sister once again, and while she's uncertain about what she wants most of the time, she immediately begins the work to get to be around and date Gideon. But does she really want only Gideon?

*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

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Thanks to @netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
Coming September 2020 a new #ownvoices book by Susie Yang - White Ivy. If you like books like Valley of the Dolls where a woman’s passion for success just might be her own downfall you’ll enjoy this book. Ivy Lin immigrated to the US from China when she was a very little girl. Ever since she went to a magnet school in Massachusetts, she’s wanted the WASP life. This book chronicles her striving to achieve it.

This book was well written, but a little slow for me and I never really connected with the characters. I felt there was always a distance between them and me. That being said, I can see this book doing well and I hope other readers get a little more enjoyment out of it than I did.

Ivy Lin has always been secretive and a liar and a thief. Following her Chinese grandmother’s guidelines for survival - self-reliance and opportunism - from an early age Ivy learns how to cheat and scam on a small scale from Goodwill and yard sales. Her family life in Massachusetts is rigid and unloving: her parents show no signs of affection for Ivy, lavishing it instead on baby Austin.

There are two boys in teenage Ivy’s life: her crush, the unattainable Gideon Speyer and neighborhood ne’er do well Roux Roman. But after lying to her parents about going to a sleepover party at Gideon’s, Ivy is sent back to China and, on her return, the family has moved.

Years later, Ivy encounters Gideon’s glamorous sister and meets up again with Gideon. For her, he and his family are the very embodiment of the American Dream and she insinuates her way in. But then Roux reappears and Ivy’s secrets are no longer safe.

Ivy is a complex but wholly unsympathetic character, the WASPy Speyers are rather flat, and Roux is something of a caricature. Each of the main characters holds a deeply buried secret and which they need or want to stay that way and as they come to light, the plot skitters in different directions.

I’m really not sure how I felt about this novel as I was confused about what it was meant to be. Is it an immigrant story? Is it a romance? Is it a thriller? Well yes and no to all three.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

This is an honest coming-of-age novel about an immigrant girl and her family trying to come to terms with life in America. The main characters, basically all of them, are highly unlikeable but for different reasons, however Susie Yang has a way of making you dislike the characters and their choices, but sucks you in anyways so you have to see how the train wreck of their lives turn out.

Ivy is such a mysterious & captivating character. I couldn't stop reading to see what she does, what happens, & how her life turns out. This book is definitely about how the characters grow, or in Ivy's case don't grow, as time goes on. Each character gets more and more intertwined with each other and slowly drag one another down.

And the ending! Part of it was predictable but only right before the big event. The other part of it though... it may have been just me but I had no idea it was coming! I love when the author reveals so much but still is able to create a satisfying and surprising ending.

White Ivy was such a great #OwnVoices book and I highly recommend it to everyone and anyone. Susie Yang touches on life in China, life in America, and the differences between the generations and the two countries in a way that's interesting and elevates the story a little bit more.

This books was a slow burn for me. The beginning was your typical poor girl crushes on rich guy trope. Then about half way it gets a little more interesting but also predictable. The characters were not that complex nor really likable. There were also a lot of loose plot points that were never resolved. I guess this book would be more of a drama, not really much of a thriller.