White Ivy is a suspenseful novel with a protagonist who is intentionally portrayed as an anti-heroine. It begins “Ivy Lin was a thief but you would never know it to look at her.” In classic anti-heroism style, Ivy has few redeeming qualities at the beginning of the novel, and although she experiences growth and revelation, she never comes around morally. She steals, lies, prostitutes herself, and even treats her own body like a garbage dump. So the question is: How do we feel about detestable protagonists? Such a structure certainly demands tolerance from a reader and some appreciation for its departure from what we’ve been raised on—characters who transition over the course of a novel and in so doing deliver a universal message of hope or possibility.

Can we enjoy novels with protagonists we don’t like? There are plenty of male anti-heroes, the Humbert Humberts of the world, detestable protagonists we end up rooting for despite their faults. The fact is the reading public is especially hard on female characters who do not adhere to stereotype, who are not kind and thoughtful and domestic, or do not at least come around to these attributes by novel’s end. Because of this, one can hold White Ivy up as a work of art that challenges societal bias. It receives five stars on that measure, if only three stars on the whole.

On the other hand, the jacket copy describes the novel as one that offers “sharp insights into the immigrant experience.” That statement is pure marketing and potentially exploitive. Ivy Lin is a very complex individual as are the members of her family. One would hate to think that Susie Yang wrote Ivy Lin’s character or the Lin family in general to be representative of Chinese Americans. If that is the case, it paints an extremely negative and troubling picture.

In addition, for a story primarily set in Boston and fictitious towns surrounding the city, it fails to offer authentic details. In fact, there are several erroneous details, creating lapses in credibility that trip up the reader and diminish her eagerness to go along with the narrator on a journey that already demands she withhold judgement on Ivy Lin’s character. For example, bad winter weather usually comes in from the west, not the north, and not from the Atlantic; when leaving Boston one does not drive through upstate New York in order to get to New Jersey; there is no block on Beacon Hill where there are rows of identical front doors; a state senator works in Boston and not in Washington. While Yang writes well and employs fine use of metaphor, occasional poor grammar and word choice threaten to startle the reader from the fictive dream she is working hard to establish.

Ivy Lin grows up in a poor family but attends a private school in Massachusetts on account of her father working there. It is at this school that she develops a crush on Gideon Speyer. After lying to her parents in order to attend a slumber party at his home, Ivy is sent to stay with relatives in China for the summer, and the family moves to New Jersey while she is out of the country. Lin goes on to attend an unnamed women’s college outside of Boston where she reconnects with the Speyer family and drama ensues.

The early chapters of this novel are enjoyable. The relationship Ivy shares with her grandmother is great, as are her travels and the relationships she makes that summer as a young teen in China. The choices she makes to fit in and survive in her family seem plausible. If this is the description of the immigrant experience Yang is going for, then it’s laudable. The second half of the novel, however, is where plot twists enter around the superficially and simplistically wrought Speyer family and the story succumbs to a downward spiral of baseness.

White Ivy is entertaining insofar as it is extremely original. The conclusion left this reader without a sense of hope, depressed over an ending that rewards self-centered opportunism. The final scene is one where Ivy faces off against Gideon’s sister, Silvia Speyer, in a contest of innuendo between two equally loathsome human beings. However, maybe that was the point. The lesson for the reader might be in the irony—that if you are looking for a real hero, the most self-aware and honest character in this novel is the one you would have least expected.

Ivy Lin wants what she wants, and she's not afraid to lie, steal, or cheat, to get it. Feeling displaced in America after she's sent to live with parents she barely remembers, Ivy's convinced that if she can just capture the heart of the All-American WASP she has her sights set on, that everything will fall into place. And just when Ivy thinks she's got Gideon exactly where she wants him, a skeleton from her past shows up - threatening to destroy the life she's carefully crafter for herself.

With twists and turns, and a main character willing to do anything to belong - this tale of privilege and coming of age in a world where you can be anything if you're willing to sacrifice enough - White Ivy is one you don't want to miss!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for advance access to this title!

I could not get into this book. It felt flat to me. It did not make me want to know more about the characters or what would happen.

I really enjoyed this book! This book was generously provided to me through NetGalley. Highly Recommended!

Oooooh, Ivy, so devious and cunning!! This was a fun read. It was a little bit of a slow burn, but I felt like I really knew Ivy by the conclusion. I was a little disappointed in the two shockers near the end of the book as neither of them were particularly shocking, but overall a quick, engaging read.

3.5/5 stars

i cant even rave about this book enough, it's such a captivating story that dives into an immigrant story that raises a lot of intrigue. i had an internal battle when reading this book, because sometimes I rooted for Ivy, and other times, I was confused as to who I was rooting for which worked really well because people are linear. while the twist was predictable, I think that the ending of this novel was well suited and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

A debut novel about Ivy Lin who stayed with her grandmother for several years growing up, while her parents immigrated to America. Several years later, they send for her and she discovers that she has a younger brother.
They live in low income housing because they are struggling financially. Because of her father’s new job, they send Ivy to an exclusive prep school on scholarship. It’s here where Ivy gets the taste of the good life. She decides that’s what she’ll have, no matter the cost. Ivy becomes a master manipulator to get what she wants. How far will she go to get to the top?

I received a free arc from Net Galley for an honest review.

This was a unique take on a coming of age novel, with elements of a thriller. The main character, Ivy, was compelling -- often unsympathetic but never boring. I could not put this one down. This was a great debut, and I'll be excited to see what comes next from this author.

Fast paced romance, has intriguing characters and attention to detail. Mood settings, intrigue, a good read.

TW: Sexual assault, self-harm/suicidal idealism, eating disorders/body hatred/fatphobia, violence, death/dying, mental health triggers, racism/racial slurs, sexism/misogyny, classism, sex, domestic abuse

If you follow any kind of book groups, book clubs, magazine recommendations, etc., you've likely heard about White Ivy. It was everywhere back in the fall when it released.

Back cover synopsis: Ivy Lin is a thief and a liar—but you’d never know it by looking at her. Raised outside of Boston, she is taught how to pilfer items from yard sales and second-hand shops by her immigrant grandmother. 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, where 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 she 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 offering sharp insights into the immigrant experience, White Ivy is both a love triangle and a coming-of-age story, as well as a glimpse into the dark side of a woman who yearns for success at any cost.

I struggled to enjoy the first part of the book. It’s very much literary fiction, which I tend to find anticlimactic and leaning towards unbearably boring. But then, with about a quarter of the book left, it was suddenly not so boring anymore. It took quite a thrilling, while slow burning, turn. So twisty it was that I had to reread the chapter again because I thought I had misread it. It didn’t really feel like the same book or the same story, but overall, it made sense. Then the ending was slower again, and predictable, but very much poetic and truly the perfect way to end the book. I’m not sure I could’ve found any other ending to be satisfactory.

Ivy is incredibly unlikeable, and I hate that her entire existence really revolves around these two men. She doesn’t really know who she is, and the parts of herself that she recognizes, she wants those parts to be different. I think it speaks loads to American society and how the “American Dream” is about race and status, how the “best thing to be” is rich and white. It’s disheartening and sad and infuriating.

"Knowledge, like money, was foolish to give away for free. You could never get it back." - White Ivy, Susie Yang

White Ivy is honestly a really fantastic story, but it’s one of those that isn’t a surface level story. It’s deep, there’s lots to analyze, and while it’s pacing could’ve certainly been faster, I do think it was written well for the story that was being told.

White Ivy isn’t a happy book, but I wouldn’t describe it as sad either. It’s honest and raw. It’s worthy of a read, especially for fans of Celeste Ng.

Thank you so much to net galley for sending me a copy of this book, I fell in love with the writing and if you pick this up you without not be disappointed

This is a thriller about a. young woman obsessed with a classmate. It is a debut novel and a coming-of-age story. It is unpredictable and I couldn't put it down! I have recommended it to many people.

Interesting characters and story. I'm not sure I've read a book before where I've disliked the characters so strongly; yet at the same time wanted them to come out on top. Really makes one stop and consider if the decisions we make because of our upbringing are really that horrific based on the person's current economic and social status. Great debut book. Definitely looking forward to reading more from this author.

This story did not work for me- it is quite slow. Ivy is not a character I like, and I could never really understand why she did a lot of what she did. I liked Roux and was sorry at his ending because he was only trying to help her and I believe he really loved her. I had a hard time getting through it for these reasons

This book was dark and extremely compelling and written so beautifully. The author did an amazing job allowing the reader to connect with the characters and gave so much detail to imagine.

I liked the story telling and even though at some parts I truly dislike Ivy, I still wanted to know how her journey will shape. The final twist is predictable but it was the best conclusion we get. It was still unique, original and a great start for a debut author!

White Ivy just didn't quite connect with me. While an engaging story (I definitely felt compelled to keep turning pages to know how it ended), I didn't feel like the characters were very real to me.

This book is so twisty and entertaining. I don't know how else to put it, but Ivy is definitely a character I love to hate. Ivy is such a headstrong person and will do whatever it takes to get what she wants. Yang did a wonderful job of writing this character-driven novel. It'll leave you thinking about the main protagonist for days.

Refreshingly honest story of Asian Americans and how those who are born here or arrive as children are held to sometimes impossible standards of achievement.

Pure delight! This book kept me on the edge of my seat. I was never bored or tempted to skip ahead. Really enjoyed