A Chinese American family has operated a successful Chinese restaurant for many years. The father is unloved, and unlovable, by his family, the mother has moved out of their home and the 3 sons are now converging for a family meeting.

The blurb for this book says that “The Family Chao offers a kaleidoscopic, highly entertaining portrait of a Chinese American family grappling with the dark undercurrents of a seemingly pleasant small town”. That describes a completely different book than the one I read. First, it was not highly entertaining and second, there were no dark undercurrents in the town, all of the darkness was in the family. Most of the unpleasantness came from the father of the family, a crude bully, but all members of the family were awash in bitterness, weakness and self-hatred. It wasn’t a fun book.

After I started the book, I read that it is supposed to be based on “The Brothers Karamazov”. I read that book a million years ago and remember nothing about it. Maybe this book would have been more interesting if I could have tried to identify parallels between the two books. That might have also been an entertaining exercise for the author, but I don’t know why the author couldn’t have just written about an American immigrant family without reference to a group of 19th century Russians. One problem I had with the book was that the characters had conversations that only an author could create. The blurb also has an irresponsible tease about the fate of the family dog. <spoiler>Don’t worry about it. No trigger warning is needed.</spoiler>

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher.

Thanks to Recorded Books & NetGalley for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'd read that this book was a modern take on The Brothers Karamazov. After reading the summary of that classic (it was not assigned reading for me, and I never go around to reading it), I can see the parallels. I've also seen this book described as a murder mystery, and it is definitely ... not that.

Other reviews by Chinese reviewers talk a lot about the inauthenticity of the plot, that it doesn't accurately describe Chinese families, that its characters are heedlessly self-hating and obsessed with white women as objects of desire. While I can't speak to the veracity of those claims, it is true that several of the characters seem very focused on white women as sexual partners, although not necessarily as life partners (Dagou/William is a slight exception). I think where there is a disconnect between many Chinese reviewers' experience of family vs. this depiction is the author's shoehorning of a Chinese immigrant family into the Karamazov narrative, but I am happy to be corrected. I do think it's fair to say that these characters have a good bit of self-hatred; growing up in a primarily white town and being teased by the white kids at school clearly took a toll on middle brother, Ming.

One area of confusion to me is the naming conventions in this book. The three Chao sons all have "dog" nicknames, and William's given name is Dagou, which means "dog" in Chinese, if I understand correctly? Really? Although Ming goes by Ming and is never stated to have an American name, and James goes by James and is never stated to have a Chinese name. The Chinese people I have known have an American name and a Chinese name (and, obviously, no one was named after dogs!). Again, I am happy to be schooled on this, but this was confusing and felt off to me.

The book itself started off very slowly. Chang was, perhaps, allowing the story to build, to get the reader to the point where they really hate Leo "Big" Chao. It makes for a dragging first half of the story. A lot of time is spent on William's Christmas Party menu (interesting, but kind of repetitive), without us getting into William's head very much. We do get some insight into James and Ming's inner lives. James is sort of the touchstone character, in that we encounter him first, and we get the most of his thoughts. He also feels kind of like the only salvageable character in this mess of a family.

Brain Nishii does a capable job of narrating, for the most part. He has one voice for several related male characters, which got confusing. "Sang froid" was pronounced just as it's spelled (ugh). There were a few other mispronunciations throughout, which makes me wonder at the production/direction.

Ultimately, this book is not bad, it's just A LOT and it's pretty depressing. It's a time commitment, and it's not really a mystery. We do find out who killed Leo Chao, but the ending is dissatisfying (to me, anyway). If you're a big fan of downer books, or you really loved The Brothers Karamazov and are looking for a modern retelling, this is for you. If not, maybe give it a miss.

Described as “a gorgeous and gripping literary mystery” that explores “family, betrayal, passion, race, culture and the American Dream” (Jean Kwok), I leapt at the chance to listen to The Family Chao. But something just didn't click between the book and me.

Even after a quarter of the book, the characters feel like caricatures. The frequent, gratuitous descriptions from the male gaze should have been left in the 1800s. And ultimately I'm just not engaged with where the story may be going or how it might get there. I haven't read The Brothers Karamazov, so maybe that's what's preventing me from fully enjoying this reimagining.

The audio narration is OK, but it feels overly dramatic at times. I can see some listeners loving that and others being turned off by it -- really a matter of personal taste.

DNF at 25%. I may pick this one back up (perhaps after learning more about the Brothers K or speaking with friends who are reading it) but for now, it's being set aside.

A lot of drama, a lot of mystery and a lot of secrets add up to a solidly told, entertaining story. The Chao family is a mess and as their mess becomes public, things go from bad to worse. This is a story about family, love, secrets, abuse, birth order, immigration and so much more. This one reminded me a lot of We Are the Brennans and This is Where I Leave You.

A sweeping family drama that is full of surprises and strong characters, The Family Chao is a book not to be missed. The novel authentically depicts racism, family dynamics, and the intricacies of intimate relationships.

We are first introduced to each family members in the first part of the story. Beautifully written, they came to life on the page and I was invested in every single character even if they were not my favorite. When the patriarch of the family is found murdered, the Chao brothers must work together to clear their names.

Thank you to the author, RB Media, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

2.5☆
It started off okay and I kinda got into it.
Then it just started to feel draggy and I just couldn't bring myself to read it.
Since I am on a no DNF mode at the moment, I forced myself to finish it and unfortunately, it just felt boring.

This was an absolutely amazing story. I have to confess I know very little about the Brothers Karamazov which is what this book is based on. It is a story of a father, three sons, a runaway mother and a jury trial. It was such a good audiobook that I listened to it all in one day. Narrator Brian Niishi was very good as always.
Thanks to Netgalley.

This book is a Chinese American family drama and murder mystery set in Wisconsin. I read A LOT but rarely mysteries so my opinion is more on the story overall. I requested it from Netgalley because I’m a sucker for anything set in Wisconsin. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ While I did become invested in the mystery, I felt like the plot lost some momentum by the end. I was also quite unnerved by the dog related subplot and felt like it distracted from the more central points. For me, the most compelling part of the book was the extremely fair criticism of Midwestern attitudes toward “outsiders” and the mental health consequences of not being able to live fully (due to societal or familial pressure).

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for this ALC.

Content Warnings: Emotional Abuse, Mental Health, Racism, Animal Abuse/Neglect

Format: audiobook
Author: Lan Samantha Chang ~ Title: The Family Chao ~ Narrator: Brian Nishii
Content: 3.5 stars ~ Narration: 4.5 stars

I was not sure how to rate or review this one. If you have in mind that this is a retelling of a classic novel, The Brothers Karamazov, written by Dostoevsky, you can be a better judge of it. It is a slow-paced family drama with some mystery.

There are no especially likable characters. Instead of the Karamazov family, we have the family Chao, immigrants from China who own a restaurant in Wisconsin. Father Leo Chao is egoistic, arrogant, and mean. He has three sons: Dagou, Ming, and James. Nobody likes Leo because he is mean to everyone: his sons, wife, and others.

The novel depicts a non-typical Chinese immigrant family, and it also deals with the question of when a person stops being an immigrant and becomes an American.

The Family Chao is a good retelling of The Brothers Karamazov. But in my opinion, some things were too exaggerated to better suit the story. Like, the character of Leo. He seemed pretty unbelievable to me. There are quite some Chinese stereotypes and insults, which may offend some readers. Especially those that don’t have in mind this connection with the Karamazov family. I, too, soon got tired of all the 'dogs' in the story.

The narration by Brian Nishii is very good, and I enjoyed it.

Thanks to Recorded Books for the ALC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

This is the sort of book that wins awards. Chang has taken a domestic mystery and elevated it to an unflinching exploration of familial love vs. obligation, racism in America, and the immigrant experience. But honestly, I didn’t enjoy it. The story is bleak and not much is redeemable about any of the characters. It’s definitely a black comedy but the dark humor just made me sad. I read somewhere that it’s a reimagining of The Brothers Karamazov which I’ve never read. It’s well done and beautifully written but just didn’t appeal to me. (Oddly this is the second book I’ve read this year that started with a scene of someone giving CPR.)

The Family Chao is about a family who run a Chinese restaurant in Haven, Wisconsin. The plot centers around the unlovable patriarch and his death, the three sons, and all the secrets that come to life when one of the sons is tried for the murder of the father.
I think since I have not read the original by Dostoevsky, the story was a bit lost on me. I hated all of the characters, and while I know the stereotypes were supposed to be exaggerated and terrible for a reason, I found myself too turned off by it to enjoy anything about the story. I feel a retelling should not require one to know the original tale to enjoy it but this may not be the case for this story and found the characters awful.

In a Nutshell: Strongly mixed feelings. The adaptation from a classic is faithfully done, but those who don’t know the original might just be left furious at the stereotypical depiction of Chinese Americans.

Story:
Leo Chao has been running a restaurant serving Americanized-Chinese food in Haven, Wisconsin since thirty five years. He isn’t honest, his wife Winnie isn’t happy at being the resident unappreciated cook, ad his three sons have taken their distinct paths in life but none of them are truly satisfied. The eldest, Dagou - a man who thinks more from the heart than from the head, attempted music studies before returning to the restaurant as the head chef. The second, Ming – a successful businessman who hates his Chinese roots, struggles between his two identities. The youngest, James – a medical student who is kind and unambitious much to the disappointment of his kin, is stuck in the role of peacemaker.
One Christmas Eve, Leo is found dead in the restaurant freezer, presumed murdered. Soon the three brothers find themselves at the centre of a harsh public eye. How will the change in circumstances change their fates?
The story is written in a third person omniscient narration.

Those who have read Fyodor Dostoevsky’s ‘The Brothers Karamazov’ (or like me, taken the smart way out and watched the Yul Brynner movie 😉) will immediately spot that this is a retelling of the classic. (The blurbs on GR and Amazon don’t specify this fact, but the connection is obvious. The title also gives a nod to the original book.) The thing is, ‘The Brothers Karamazov’ was written by a Russian writer in 1879. He specialised in focussing on human behaviour under the troubled philosophical and social constructs of 19th century Russia. So this retelling is not just transposing a classic to the contemporary world but also transposing a Russian cultural story to a Chinese one, and a 19th century philosophy to the 21st century thinking. Not an easy job, and definitely not a recommended metamorphosis. This is an ambitious endeavour, and this is exactly why the book falters.

Leo Chao, who is the equivalent of Fyodor Karamazov from the original, is as vulgar and irritating as his Russian counterpart. For a 21st century person, this kind of lewd behaviour will cause many to blow their tops. I know mine did. I had to remind myself time and again that it’s a retelling of an old story. That’s the only way I could reach till the end. The same kind of oafish behaviour is also seen to a certain extent in the three sons, though none of them is in the same pits of moral degradation as their father. The book improves to a certain extent in the second half. The courtroom scenes helped salvage the story somewhat but it is a bit too late by then.

There’s a line in the book, from a scene where Ming is doing a radio broadcast. It goes: “Are you looking for strange flavours, ethnic exoticism, family hostility, immigrant anxiety, served with a heady dash of hatred?” That’s exactly what you are getting in this story, but with a huge dollop of cultural stereotypes added. I don’t come from Chinese ancestry, and yet I found my blood boiling at the third-rate portrayal of the American Chinese. I wonder how those who belong to this culture would react to this book. None of the characters are depicted in any positive way, with a minor exception of James. Then again, he too is the stereotype of the good Asian boy who wants to study his way up the social hierarchy and make his parents proud of him.

For me, this book served as a good reminder of why some classics ought not to be retold for newer audiences. The Brothers Karamazov is one of them. It served well for the time it was written in and for the way its author raised existential questions from the characters’ dilemmas. In this book, the philosophy has been culled out to a bare minimum, and this further dilutes the purpose of the original. It should not have been modernised.

The audiobook clocks at 11 hours and is narrated by Brian Nishii. He was outstanding in his narration. One full star of my rating is for his performance. I highly appreciate his decision of not nasalising the voices of the female characters, rather, just voicing them at a softer pitch. I wish all male narrators did that. The audio version is a bit confusing at the start, but once you come to know the plethora of characters, it goes by smoothly.

Overall, I would recommend this ONLY if you have read the original and want to see how it would have worked in a contemporary period. Definitely not a must-read. If you just want to know the story, might as well read the original, or if you are like me and struggle with old Russian tomes, watch the Yul Brynner movie instead.

2 stars for the book, and an added 1 star for the narration.

My thanks to RB Media and NetGalley for the ALC of “The Family Chao”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.

It started off slow, but ultimately I had a great time with this intriguing family saga/murder mystery about a family of Chinese immigrants running a restaurant in Wisconsin. There are three brothers, one passionate, one brilliant, one shy, and an ageing father still running his restaurant with an iron fist, reminiscent of TV series such as Yellowstone and Succession.

The first part really serves to lay out all the pieces of the puzzle and from about page 100 the action starts, the puzzle slowly comes together and it becomes a real page-turner. The novel is plot-based. Of course it makes points about the immigrant experience, racism, stereotypes and integration, and at times I felt a balancing exercise was going on between sticking to the plot and trying to make these points. But that was by no means distracting and overall very well done.

I would perhaps place this more in the genre fiction category than literary fiction, but that is just to give you an idea what to expect (also because this book been billed as a Chinese ‘Brothers Karamazov’ set in the United States; a comparison I think applies primarily to the themes and not the literary value) and not a judgment because I enjoyed it a lot.

I enjoyed the audio version, but was glad to have started with the e-book so as not to miss important details.

Lan Samantha Chang’s The Family Chao was an interesting generational story that weaves elements of mystery, loyalty, love, and hatred through the lens of the immigrant experience. The Chao family owns a restaurant in Wisconsin that serves as their town’s location for Chinese cuisine; however, it does not take long for this book to show some of the residents’ prejudice against the Chao family.

This novel spends the first half describing the Chao family dynamics, motivations for their chosen paths, and scuttlebutt of that comes from living in a small town. The rich character development Lan Samantha Chang provides culminates wonderfully in the second half of the novel following the lavish Christmas Eve celebration when a deceased member of the family is discovered in the restaurant’s meat freezer early Christmas Day.

One of the central characters Leo, is a tyrannical figure of the Chao family whose ruthlessness knows no bounds. His cruelty, both in words and actions, to anyone who encounters him leads to a myriad of characters who may wish him harm but focuses in on his own family.

The second half of the book centers on the arrest and subsequent trial of one of the Chao sons but intermingles seeds of doubt for the role each family member and acquaintances may have played in Leo’s ultimate demise. To me, this is where the book really shines and will keep you thinking long past the last page.

Overall, this book will truly make you doubt surface evidence, character motivations, and question your trust of the justice system’s ability for a fair trial when deep prejudice is present in a community.

Thank you #NetGalley, #LanSamanthaChang and #RecordedBooks for this ARC of #TheFamilyChao.

Thank you to NetGalley, RB Media, and Lan Samantha Chang for the audio copy of The Family Chao in exchange for my honest review.

The three Chao brothers have all earned scholarships to college, but when they return to their hometown of Haven, Wisconsin, all hell breaks loose. The Chao family has owned an Americanized Chinese restaurant for 35 years, and there have long been whispers about the family throughout town.

As tempers flare, Big Leo Chao (the father of the family) is found dead under precarious circumstances. The police presume Leo was murdered, and thus potential motives arise from all three brothers. There's Dagou, the head chef at the restaurant; Ming, a financial success; and James, a college student. The trial, combined with the unexpected fate of their family dog, turns all eyes in town to the Chao family.

I really enjoyed how well and in-depth the characters were written in this book. SEVERAL were very unlikeable, and while that would usually take away from my enjoyment of the story, I found I didn't mind when it came to the Chao family and their acquaintances.

There are technically two mysteries throughout the book, and I felt the first one was somewhat abandoned and then picked back up, but it's what gripped me to the book in the first place, so that was a little disappointing. I realize this probably sounds cryptic but I'm trying to keep this as spoiler free as possible.

What would be considered the book's "big reveal" I found extremely satisfying as I did not see it coming at all. The conclusion of the story, however, left something to be desired for me. Again, I don't want to potentially spoil anything, so I'll just leave it at that.

The Family Chao follows a Chinese family living in America. They have three children in which the story also follows.
I really struggled with this book. The father is very crude and mean. Every time he spoke, nothing nice ever came out of him. Made me cringe every time. The sexual references, and stereotypes were just as bad for me. The book was very depressing and it saddened me to see that the children grew up in a home like this. The characters were not relatable to me at all but I’m not sure if it’s was the fathers doing.

I did enjoy the narrator. I felt like Brian Nishii did a fabulous job portraying the characters and using a variety of tones and inflections.

Special thanks to Net galley and RB audio for the ALC.

I think more has been revealed about the plot than should have been both in the description and in other reviews, so I won't repeat anything about the story. What pulled me in were the introspective accounts of the three sons of a family that has successfully attained the American dream for several of its sons, despite the boorish father and the sainted mother. As it is pointed out elsewhere, this is a reimagining of The Brothers Karamazov, making me want to read that book and test the validity of that claim. Well read by the narrator, it made me want to have some Chinese food.

Thank you for this ARC. I very much struggled to get into this story, and took me awhile to understand it was the story of the brothers Karamazov. I guess I understood it more in that context, but It didn’t help me actually like it anymore The characters are all very unlikable, especially the father, and i do question why make the story over with Chinese Americans

The Chao family owns a Chinese food restaurant. Leo, the patriarch, is a menace, and the three sons are not much better. In fact, there is not one likeable character in the whole book. This was billed as a murder mystery but the murder does not happen until halfway thru the book. By then, I was rooting for many of them to die.

I did not like one thing about this book. I hated the father, the sons, their love interests, their choices. I did not connect with any of them. I sought out reviews while reading it in hopes that I would find a redeeming quality to make me stay with it. This is being billed as a family murder mystery but it is just a family who all fight and hate each other and themselves. It is supposed to be a Chekhov update. This did not help me as I also do not understand the appeal of Chekhov.

I grew to hate the narrator also, especially when he was voicing the father, Leo, and the son, Dageo. I could not wait to be done with this audiobook.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance audio copy for review. Maybe someone else will like this one better than me.

The Family Chao was a decent story. I didn’t LOVE the book, but I did like it enough for me to give it 4 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and RB Media (Recorded Books) for giving me the chance to review an audio version of this book.

It reads more like a family drama and not so much as a murder mystery. If you are looking for your run-of-the-mill fast-paced thriller this isn’t it. The story starts of rather slow but that actually didn’t bother me. I found it necessary for suspense building. You need to get to know all of the characters and their lives to get the who, the what, the where and the why. It was interesting to learn the reasons why The Family Chao is so dysfunctional.

But I was a bit bothered by some of the writing as it felt a bit crude and made me feel quite uncomfortable. I did love all of the descriptions of the food. It made me rather hungry! It is supposed to be a modern retelling of The Brothers Karamazov, which I have not (yet) read so I cannot compare the too. However, The Family Chao stood up well by itself and I did not feel the need to know the original.

And to anyone reading this *spoiler alert* the dog turns out to be just fine!