White Ivy is a coming of age story about a girl obsessed with fitting in and who will go to many lengths to do so. When she is younger, she steals and lies to get the things she wants, including to win the heart of her crush, Gideon. After she comes back from a summer trip to China, she finds her family has moved and she loses touch with Gideon, only to be reconnected many years later when they have grown up. Ivy again is sucked into the glamorous world of Gideon’s family, but she will soon learn that she can’t escape her past.

This is a character-driven story about an immigrant family and wealth. Ivy is not a likable character, but I thought the author did a phenomenal job making you feel for her at times despite her decisions. Well written and thought provoking- I highly recommend for anyone who likes character-driven, coming of age stories (as long as you don’t mind an unlikable protagonist).

Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for a copy of this buzzy novel to review!

White Ivy was a sort of a “slow paced thriller” but in the best way possible. The author spent a lot of time on character developments; which really added interesting layers to the story. Ivy grew up as a poor immigrant child and all she ever wanted was everything she did not have. She wanted the houses, clothes, vacations and even parents of the upper class kids she grew up around. Ivy particularly focuses on her school crush Gideon. Ivy’s family suddenly moves a couple of states away and Ivy is definitely not happy with her even less glamorous life and she is distraught to be so far away from Gideon. The story focuses a lot on Ivy and her struggles to fit in. Later in her adult life, Ivy runs back into Gideon and they fall happily in love and all of Ivy’s dreams become reality. But after all these years, is it enough for Ivy? How far will she go to live her picture perfect life?

This was a really well-written book with an interesting perspective. I enjoyed not only the character development as the plot progressed, but the development of different characters' perceptions of each other. While the plot itself is seemingly an old and well-worn story - social-climbing girl from a tough background callously uses the people around her to achieve a comfortable life - the framing is what makes this feel fresh and original. This and the writing make the book highly readable in the beginning and end, but the middle does suffer a bit from pacing issues, as for a while it seems there is no particular conflict left to resolve. During that time I was thinking this would be a 3-star book, but the end is suspenseful, chilling, and not what I expected for several reasons.

White Ivy is an outstanding debut novel from Susie Yang. It is more of a coming-of-age story than a thriller: however, Yang does an amazing job of drawing the reader in to Ivy and her family's lives. Ivy is taught by her grandmother to steal and that ends up affecting Ivy's life for many years. Yang also weaves in so much important information regarding Chinese culture. I would highly recommend this book! I loved it! Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

From newcomer Susie Yang comes WHITE IVY, a dark and dazzling debut about the lines between wealth and poverty, obsession and infatuation, honesty and truth.

Raised by Chinese American immigrants in a small town outside of Boston, Ivy Lin is born into a lifetime of contradictions. Her family is poor and quick to discipline, but their expectations for her are sky-high: a full-ride to an elite university, a doctorate and a perfect family. Although they are able to enroll her in a prestigious prep school, they shudder and scold her when she tries too hard to conform with her privileged peers. Her parents complain about scraping by, but balk at the thought of her getting a job to help them with the bills. Then there’s her grandmother, Meifeng, a seemingly innocent old lady who spends her weekends pilfering from secondhand stores and garage sales. She explains away her misdeeds as being equally as bad as the Americans who were so careless with their items that they did not notice her thefts.

Growing up as an outsider in every sense of the word, Ivy's feeling of emptiness blooms into wanting more. Educated by her grandmother in the act of petty theft, she follows suit, amassing a collection of trendy American clothes, home electronics and other items of teenage social currency. But fitting in is not her only desire: Ivy is hopelessly, endlessly in love with Gideon Speyer, the town golden boy. Just when she feels their orbits colliding, her mother catches on to her schemes and sends her to China to reevaluate her priorities.

When Ivy returns to America the following autumn, her family has moved from Massachusetts to New Jersey, and her dreams of securing Gideon evaporate. With the single-minded focus of a girl obsessed, she hunkers down and studies, flitting from boyfriend to boyfriend until she gains entry to a women’s college, eventually settling down as a teacher in Boston. It is here where she bumps into Sylvia Speyer, Gideon’s sister, and the chance encounter feels like fate --- a reckoning with all that the universe owes her. With the social-climbing skills of a femme fatale and the ability to mold herself to nearly any scenario, Ivy soon finds herself dating Gideon and ensconced in his thoroughly American family --- and all of the skeletons in their closets.

However, what Ivy couldn’t have planned for is the resurgence of another character from her lowly past in Massachusetts: her childhood neighbor, Roux. Roux was the only person who saw her --- truly saw her --- when she was just the strange “exotic” girl in their classroom. He knows all about her past, including the petty thefts and dalliances with romance, and now he, too, has become an extra limb on the Speyer family tree. With her past and present rapidly colliding, and her dark side threatening to take control, Ivy must decide what is really worth fighting for and what her experiences have made her become.

WHITE IVY is a slow-burn novel with an eerie tone that is as literary as it is thrilling. In case it was not clear already, Ivy is not a likable character, nor is she someone you want to root for. And yet, through Yang’s deft combination of themes of classism and tokenism and Ivy’s very human yearnings for success and privilege, she becomes a bit of an antihero, a reminder of the draw of power and those who wield it. But what truly sets the book apart from other novels with unlikable protagonists and social climbers is Ivy’s astute observations on wealth. She knows --- has always known --- that her peers are privileged and powerful, but although she covets their wealth, she also sees that their senses of comfort and ownership in the world come from their whiteness and a shared history of coming out on top.

Ivy’s breathless pursuit of the American dream is not an unfamiliar story, but in Yang’s hands it is fresh and unflinching. Her dangerous obsession is laid bare for readers to see every ugly, greedy thought, and somehow she is never portrayed as villainous or callous. She is merely responding to the world of contradictions around her and finding the small pockets where she can reclaim some power.

The reemergence of Roux creates a bit of a love triangle in Ivy’s life that added some real depth to WHITE IVY. After watching Ivy play her role as the social climber for so long, it was exhilarating to see her passion play out on the page. That said, it took so long to get there that I fear some readers will abandon the novel too early. Without a murder or mass catastrophe, its slow burn can sometimes feel draining, and although Yang’s prose is lyrical and poetic, there is a lack of action in the middle of the book that her clever turns of phrase cannot always support.

WHITE IVY is a shocking and subversive novel, as well-suited to fans of GONE GIRL as it is to readers of THE TALENTED MISS FARWELL. Filled with keen and searingly timely insights on the immigrant experience in America, the stark contrasts between social classes, and the ways that women must bend themselves to society's expectations, it is a perfect study of the American dream --- and the nightmare that often greets those trying to achieve it.

This genre-defying novel grabbed me from the first sentence. A slow burn reminiscent of Donna Tartt's Secret HIstory with a dash of Goldfinch, and with flashes of My Year of Rest and Relaxation in Ivy's commitment to self-destruction and lack of human connection or empathy. Even her supposed love of Gideon is more about what he represents than the actual depth of their relationship. However, these comparisons are just to illustrate that this novel may be as enduring in the mind of the reader as the aforementioned, taking nothing away from the author's unique voice. Ivy is the perfect unsympathetic and self-serving protagonist, though having insight into what has made her such, I still found myself wanting things to work out for her. Avoiding spoilers, I did see a couple plot twists coming, though was still left guessing how it all would end - which was a little rushed, but wholly satisfying. Could have used some tighter editing in places, though overall, an incredibly impressive debut, and will eagerly await what comes next for Susie Yang.

Thank you to NetGalley for ARC in exchange for my honest review.

One of the best reads of 2020. Dark but I think the blurb is misleading. I loved the character of ivy and this story

Deep character study on how certain personalities can turn out in life. Ivy isn't likeable or respectable as the female protagonist. She lives life by the seat of it's pants and does what she wants when she wants. If you want a contemporary novel that brings the drama with a bit of Chinese culture here it is.

I think I’m really getting good at picking out fiction I like, because this is yet another one that worked for me. It had so much that I like- a complicated main character, solid writing, examination of culture and family, and the inability to describe just what exactly it is that made me love the story so much in the first place.

Ivy Lin’s personality is filled with dichotomy. She’s Chinese, she’s American. She’s light and she’s dark. She’s opinionated and she’s submissive. She smokes, she doesn’t smoke. It was interesting to read along and see how she’d react. A comp that came to mind when reading this was SOCIAL CREATURES by Tara Isabella Burton, in that both main characters mold their personalities to try and ingratiate themselves to the rich crowd they aspire to be a part of.

All in all, this was great fun and I can see why it’s a @readwithjenna book club pick!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ivy Lin is a Chinese American who learns some bad habits from her grandmother (like stealing). She grows up with difficult relationships and has an estranged relationship with her mother. She has a friend, Roux, that sticks by her.

The book follows Ivy through her teen and adult years, and her many issues. I enjoyed reading this but absolutely hated Ivy and some of the things she did. I had a hard time putting this down and really enjoyed the book.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of White Ivy by Susie Yang.

Holy hot dang, this book. Reading it felt like being on a taffy pull, pulling, folding, lots of tension. I was utterly exhausted by the end.

Who were the good guys? Who were the bad guys? And does it matter, does life even work that way?

Ivy is a girl who was always surrounded by wealth, but never a participant of it. Her grandma taught her to steal at an early age, and it stuck her entire life. After her exasperated parents send her off for reform to China, she returns to Boston to find the sister of her early heartthrob Gideon.

Soon Ivy and Gideon strike up a relationship, but Ivy is not everything she appears to be, and now another person from her past has appeared, threatening to expose all of her secrets...

Just is a deliciously relentless drama with issues or race, class, crime, deception and more. It's a slow burn with a white hot surface that kept me interested until the very last page.

DNF at 15%. I think this is a case of wrong time. I can see why White Ivy is getting rave reviews but it is not for me right now. Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley and Librofm for the advance reading and listening copies.

This was a great debut novel. It kept me guessing on what Ivy would do next to achieve the social status that she thought she deserved. Did not see the reveal at the end coming!

White Ivy is a spectacular debut novel from Susie Yang following Ivy Lin, a young Chinese girl growing up in the United States as she does whatever it takes to find status in a world in which she feels she never quite fits into. It’s a narrative of an adolescent wrestling with her identity and I was immediately struck by how engrossing this book was.

I grew up reading books that were usually outside of my age range and as soon as I started reading White Ivy it reminded me of some of the adult books I had picked up over my late elementary and middle school years. The writing fit the time period encapsulated in the book perfectly. It’s hit or miss how I end up feeling about novels with main characters like Ivy. She’s conniving and selfish and I continuously cycled between hating her and having a smidgen of hope for her. There were moments where I related to her and moments I pitied her and even more where I was in absolute disbelief of who Ivy was becoming as a person.

The plot was slow moving but as I read this in one sitting I felt so many emotions. It burned to read and while I tried to predict where the story arc was going multiple times when I finally did flip to the last page I was speechless. Each of the characters so clearly had their own motivations that even after finishing this book I can’t help but imagine what else might have been revealed if other characters had their own perspectives. Ivy was so biased and so consumed with her own need for success that her neglect towards pieces of her life outside of her romantic relationship was painful. I wanted so much more for Ivy but her ultimate decisions led to a shocking ending that I still can’t stop thinking about. This book was different from anything I’ve read in a long time and I couldn’t recommend it more.

If you like literary books with dark undercurrents, this one is definitely for you. White Ivy starts out as a coming-of-age/immigration story. Ivy comes to the U.S. from China as a young child and grows up in the Northeast. She feels like a perennial outsider at the fancy private school she attends for free as the child of a faculty member. There she fixates on a WASPy boy, Gideon, and his picture-perfect family. Her grandmother has tutored her in stealing and she also begins shoplifting, pilfering the American things she needs to fit in. She's egged on by her Romanian neighbor, Roux.

Then a LOT of other stuff happens (Ivy visits family in China, her family moves and she switches to a predominantly Asian school, which she hates, she goes to a women's college, she becomes a teacher.)

When Ivy runs into Sylvia, Gideon's sister, she begins to slowly insinuate herself into Gideon's social circle, despite the obvious disapproval of Gideon's best friend Tom and the coolness of Gideon's family toward her. When Roux also pops back into Ivy's life, things get even more complicated.

Susie Yang is a talented writer. Her eye for detail and characterization is really strong. There is a lot of information in the book that's interesting but takes time to pay off. I'd argue that to understand Ivy and her choices, you need this information. But some readers used to the pace of modern commercial fiction (especially those, who, like me, go in expecting a fast-paced thriller) might not have the patience to wait.

All in all, I thought White Ivy was both very sharply-observed and really thought provoking. If you're a reader who likes a book that moves at a fast pace, this one could frustrate you.

love every minute of this book! perfect from the beginning to end. easy read. interesting. good book club book. tons to discuss. definitely recommend it to all.

This one was a little hard to get into initially.  I didn't initially identify with Amy and that made it difficult to really connect with the character.  I'm glad I stuck with it though, because the more I read, meant the more understanding I was of Amy and her motivations.  Let's be clear, I certainly didn't agree with her actions or decisions, but the author had done enough character building and provided enough background that I understood where Amy was coming from.  Plus the whole idea of measuring your success in life by how wealthy you are or how much you have is baffling to me.  And yes, I understand just how privileged I am to be saying that.  The notion of putting up this whole facade that somehow making an advantageous marriage will someone wipe out your past or makeup for your history is just strange to me.  All in all, I enjoyed this one and I'm glad I didn't give up on it.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review White Ivy.

It took me a few to acclimate to the writing but once about halfway, after the backstory and getting to know the basis of the main character, it got good. I mean, real good. I would love a psychoanalytical perspective on Ivy and her actions, the character depth was that good. The back and forth between the good and bad and Ivy's perspective was amazingly deep and involved.

Also, that ending was explosive! I highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me the opportunity to read this book and share my review! I am going to say that while it started out slow for me, it ended with a bang! I really enjoyed this book and it has been my first read by this author, definitely not my last!

The story takes you the tales of immigration, self preservation and tension! Well written, shocker at the end, at least for me and I would recommend this to all!

Interesting coming of age story with a love triangle twist. Although the story was very slow to unfold I was glued to the pages waiting for the twists. Very complex character in Ivy which I loved to hate her. Solid book!