This is supposed to be a modern day retelling of Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov. But honestly I never read the original, so this was completely new to me.
The story is about a Chinese American immigrant family living in Wisconsin. They own Fine Chao , a Chinese restaurant. The main part is the relationship of the father with his sons.
The older is in desperate need of his inheritance, which his father won't give him. Of courese this doesn't contribute to a positive realtionship beteween these two.
The middle son is the intelectual brain of the family while the youngest this the bright and positive one.
When the father is found dead a big search is about to begin. Who is to be held responsible for his death?
This family drama describes what it means for an immigrant family to live in America, which for me, as an austrian reader was very interesting.
Thanks #NetGalley #RB Media, Recorded Books for the audio version of this book

What a family!!
The narrator was really good and the story had some funny moments, some frustrating moments and some really sad family situations

I enjoyed this book and couldn't stop listening to it. The narration was good.

This book is adapted from Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, with the stage set in Wisconsin and a Chinese immigrant family operating a local family restaurant. The owners have three sons, all with different temperaments, desires, and issues with the family. One gets to hear about each brother's point of view, and it made me feel sympathize with each character. If you have read Brothers Karamazov, which is a much longer book, there are many characters and complicated relationships. Due to complexity, introducing characters and explaining their dynamics takes a while - I read some other reviewers noting a "slow start" and this is because explaining dynamics is necessary for the dramas to ensue on the latter half of the book. If you like character-driven family drama, you would enjoy it more and more as you read along. I had a lot of fun with this book and now looking forward to reading Karamazov to compare notes. I haven't read Karamazov yet and still found this book enjoyable on its own.

Thank you so much for NetGalley and RB Media for providing an early edition of this audiobook for review purposes. This was a great joy to read.

After 35 years of living in Haven, Wisconsin and running the local Chinese restaurant, you’d think you know everything about the Chaos, but things are not always what they seem to be...

Told from the point of view of multiple characters, “The Family Chao” presents the events of a Chinese family which emigrated to the USA to live their own version of the American Dream. Leo (tyrannical patriarch) likes to brag about his Chinese restaurant from Haven, Wisconsin and the business he runs, but in doing so, he managed to neglect the needs of his entire family: Winnie (wife - left him to join a nunnery), Dagou (eldest son - running the kitchen of the family restaurant and aspiring to take over the restaurant), Mind (the middle child - now successful far from home), and James (youngest son - now a college student). Slowly, the family story turns into an intricate thriller with the murder of Leo and the aftermath investigation of the Chao family...

Overall, I liked the characters, story development and writing style. The characters are easy to understand, even though they all have (very) visible flaws which keeps them back from achieving their dreams. I was a little surprised by the ending because I wasn’t expecting some events to happen, but it turned out ok.

Special thanks to NetGalley, RBMedia and the author for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

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#LifeLongLearning #TheFamilyChao #NetGalley

"Doesn't she know that college is more than 4 years of bubble tea?"
no, no i do not

This book was an interesting read, it tackles the anxiety that early generations of Asian Americans deal with and intra-generational trauma. The book is a weird mix of Chinese culture and racial stereotypes, this does make me wonder who the target audience is for this book. I would also classify this book more as a mystery with a tint of familial horror.

I cannot speak on the Asian American experience, but as a person of Chinese descent, I did relate to some parts of the story. These were mainly the issues of losing the ability to speak mandarin and some of the family dynamics described in the book. However, some parts of the books really went into racial stereotypes and felt hugely exaggerated, these parts made me feel a bit cliché and could've probably benefited from sensitivity readers.

3.5 stars, rounded down
The Family Chao is a rich, character driven story. It explores a Chinese American family that runs a restaurant in Wisconsin. They’ve been part of the community for 30 years, but are still viewed as outsiders and subjected to casual racism. There are complicated family dynamics at work. The father is horrible - a narcissist, he’s cruel to everyone, but especially the eldest son. He makes and breaks promises with alarming ease. The eldest brother, William or Daguo, has failed in his attempt at a musical career and returned to town to work as the chef at the restaurant. The middle son, Ming, has left town and become successful in his own right. And James, the third son, is still in college studying pre-med. The mother has left the father to become a Buddhist nun.
While I appreciated the exploration of each son, I felt the first half of the book moved too slowly and was a slog to get through. The book’s description as a murder mystery is somewhat misplaced as the murder doesn’t takes place until ½ way through the book. The trial of Daguo covers the remaining half of the story. The ending is ambiguous and allows the reader to envision a wide variety of futures.
The story is dark and depressing. What humor there is, is cynical and sardonic. Supposedly, it’s a modern retelling of The Brothers Karamazov. Having never read the original, I can’t opine as to how well it works on that level.
The book deals with familial duty vs. living one’s own life and carving out one’s own identity. It also covers the prejudices of white Americans towards this family of “outsiders”. The book would make for an interesting book club selection.
I listened to this book, but I think it would have worked better if I had read it. It’s a hard book to take in all the nuances through listening. Plus, the pace made it hard for me to enjoy as an audiobook. Brian Nishili was the narrator and did a fine job.
My thanks to Netgalley and RB Audio for an advance copy of this audiobook.

This honestly was one of the most dynamic mysteries I've ever read. I feel like often times with the Mystery/Thriller category we lose some of the depth of character because we are only given the information that is relevant for the case.

The Family Chao demands more of the the typical "just below the surface" because the heart of the case is the unreal amount of tension and dysfunctional that exists within this family.

This isn't your "run of the mill" mystery because it is intertwined with a breathtaking telling of an immigrant couple and their first generation American children, and how there's three different perspective of their lives within their kids.

It's honestly a two for one: literary fiction and a great mystery.

I find the tone of this book really offensive. The whole 'virgin' brother thing is problematic. Just because he has not had sex yet does not mean that he would 0 control over his body or get a hard on just because a girl talks to him. The characters are nasty and verge on upholding already existing stereotypes. Kind of awful tbh.

This family was something else! Layered with years of dysfunctional ties to each other and their parents I found myself first speechless, then saddened in the direction they were going. This was like a broken roller coaster that everyone knew was dangerous but they still willing got on the ride. It was heartbreaking to watch the sons with their parents expectations and seeing small glimpses of them growing up as outsiders.
The author portrayed complex and layered relationships. There was great character writing in this novel and a extra depth to each one. It was like all the younger characters couldn’t find their identity. Or they didn’t like their identity. Great story, I really enjoyed it.
I chose to listen to this book on audio and the narrator was Brian Nishii. He did an amazing job.
Thanks Recorded Books via NetGalley.

I was sucked in from the beginning by this novel. The plot is quick-moving and constant--almost too much plot. I know it would have been helpful if I were familiar with Brothers Karamazov, but I appreciate The Family Chao nonetheless.

I'm really sad to report that The Family Chao did not work for me. It was quite a struggle for me to get with the writing style and the pacing of this family drama. Not gunna lie, I had my eyebrows raised a couple of times and struggled with what the author was trying to accomplish with this "mystery".

This is a modern day retelling of The Brothers Karamazov. The story revolves around a Chinese-American immigrant family in Wisconsin serving up Americanized Chinese food for the past 35 years. Until one day the family's patriarchal figure turns up dead. Unlikable, dysfunctional, crude at times, this multi generational story runs up several themes of racism, imigrant identity, and exploitative family dynamics in its underbelly. I didn't care for any of the characters nor was I invested in finding out who the murderer was. I'm not certain where the story lost me but I suspect that I was hugely turned off by the use of racist stereotypes and found that the characters were extreme exagerated distortions and none of them had room to grow or developed from their one dimensional traits.

What was left of the equation was an ugly, painful and unenjoyable read. Im sure many will enjoy this book, but I suppose I just wasn't the target audience for this one...after much reflection I still don't understand why someone would write unbelievable caricatures of their own. Boo what a let down.

Thank you Netgalley and RB Media for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to go into this read wanting to like it but sadly that didn't happen. I didn't even finish the read. I found it slow-paced yet confusing at the same time. I usually like family sagas but this one just didn't hold my interest.

I love reading about families and their bonds, drama, and connections so I couldn’t wait to read this book. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Family Chao begins with an introduction of Leo Chao and his wife Winnie, owners of a fine dining Chinese restaurant and parents to three respectable sons, Dagou, Ming, and James.

James is heading home from college for Christmas and when he arrives, we begin to learn more about the feuds taking place within the family. Winnie has left home to live in a spiritual temple and Dagou is frustrated with his father for refusing to offer him a share in the restaurant. Things really start to unravel when Leo is found dead and the residents of the town believe that Dagou was involved.

This was an enjoyable novel and the exploration of family, the immigrant experience, culture, and sex were present. The writing flowed well but this story just didn’t grab my attention like I thought it would. The pacing was on the slow side and the mystery doesn’t begin until the second half of the book.

The audiobooks narrator did a nice job with the exception of Dagou’s voice which I found to be too exaggerated.

I'd say this was just OK -- I think maybe it tried to do too many things -- family saga, mystery, personal growth, social commentray.


Review copy provided by publisher.

This book follows the story line of three brothers who are the children of immigrant parents and their relationships with their father, the family restaurant, American culture, their own culture, one another, their mother, and even the family dog. A theme of racism runs barely beneath the surface. It is not the actual cause of the drama in the book, but it highlights the emotional nature of each brother in the way they react when confronted with it. One runs, one fights, the last hides.

I enjoyed the relationships between the brothers and the way the author highlighted their independent personalities and their differences through the lens of their culture. Some of the children could speak the language fluently while the youngest did not understand it., The benefits culturally bestowed upon the oldest child created a selfish, self-centered man, while leaving the high-achieving middle child ignored and jealous. These relationships all fed off one another and eventually led to the the final drama with the father.

I truly enjoyed the book, especially the way the author tied the very starting scene to the trial at the end. For most of the book, I didn't realize how important that one suitcase would later become and it has me wishing I would have kept closer tabs on it throughout the book. The way the author had the prosecutor piecing the evidence together was a creative way to click all the little puzzle pieces together to see the entire picture. It is definitely worth a read.

Narrated by Brian Nishe
This is a modern day retelling of ‘The Brothers Karamazov’. Both stories are about the relationship with
a father and his three adult sons.

Residence in Haven, Wisconsin have dined on Leo and Winnie Chao’s ‘The Fine Chao’ restaurant’s Americanized Chinese food for thirty-five years
However, the Chao family has secrets and they come forward when the brother s united in Wisconsin when their father Leo ‘Big Chao’ is found dead on Christmas Eve and presumed murdered.

The brothers: Willian or ‘Dagou’ - Big Dog, the head chef at the restaurant ~ character is similar to Dimitri Karamazov
Ming, the second son, is the most successful having a career separate from the family ~ similar to Ivan
and James, who is the youngest and consider the one who makes the parents most proud as he is currently a Pre Med student ~ similar to Alexel.

One of the brothers is arrested but we aren’t sure whodunit and keep guessing who actually killed Leo.
I like good court room drama so was looking forward to this part of the story.

The foul mouth, f-bomb dropping characters were so likeable; there were certainly times that it was as struggle. I did like the courtroom drama. However, it wasn’t an enjoyable read for me which, of course, doesn’t mean that Ms. Chang isn’t a great writer.

Want to thank NetGalley and RB Media ~ for this audio eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for February 1, 2022.

Thank you for the chance to support this new audiobook recording for Lan Samantha Chang's The Family Chao, thoughtfully and effectively narrated by Brian Nishii. I appreciate the chance to support diverse books and authors, and voice actors; thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for this review copy.

This is a wonderful book, an engaging blend of family drama and a murder. The narration was strong, the development of the plot was mostly effective (for me the second half was more engaging and compelling but the beginning was needed to set the stage for the trial), and the resolution highly satisfying.

3 things I liked
1. I appreciated the importance of placing this family, and under represented identities, in a midWestern, mostly white, setting (Wisconsin). Setting mattered for me to this story and I hope that many engage with themes on identity and location.
2. I am a fan of family drama and books that look at siblings and parent/child relationships in adulthood. The blending of young adults trying to become independent mixed with the pull of family obligations, culture, small town life, and secrets/tension is well done here and always fascinating themes for me.
3. I enjoyed the legal/mystery aspects of the book and the simmering themes of small town unpleasantness and family conflict and dysfunction, these themes intersected effectively during the trial and character development.

I recommend this one for literary mystery fans, readers/book clubs supporting diverse reads and authors, and fans of contemporary fiction as well.

There’s a lot to unpack in this book without giving away spoilers, but I’ll do my best!

The mom and dad of the Chao family emigrated to the US from China. They settled in Wisconsin, had 3 boys, and opened a Chinese restaurant.

Just this family in this setting could provide enough material to fill an entire book, but that’s not the focus here: The family patriarch, Leo, is a horrible man: A horrendous, disgusting human being that delights in antagonizing his children. Leo is so awful that when he’s found dead, it’s assumed that his oldest son is responsible.

There’s a lot happening in this book: it’s an immigrant story, a family saga, and a murder-mystery. I would have loved any one of these, but all three in one book made it feel like none of them are fully explored, and in the end I wanted more from each story line. Despite this, it was an enjoyable book overall.

Thank you NetGalley, Recorded Books, and Alan Samantha Chang for my gifted copy.

The Family Chao tells the story of three brothers, Dagou, head chef of the family restaurant; Ming, the successful middle child with issues; and James the youngest who is a college student. The Family Chao is a reboot of The Karamazov Brothers by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. Candidly I have not read the original source material so my review is based completely on my thoughts about The Family Chao in and of itself.

Leo and Winnie Chao are Chinese immigrants. They moved to Haven, Wisconsin over thirty five years ago, have three sons, and have successfully owned and operated a restaurant called The Fine Chao. The story takes place over Christmas break as the family prepares for their annual family Chao Christmas celebration. There is plenty of lowkey drama between the characters. Winnie has moved out and is seeking tranquility at the Spiritual House. No one actually likes the family patriarch, Leo Chao, all that much. Dagou has financial problems and is being denied the opportunity to be part owner of the restaurant. Ming struggles with his own identity and heritage. The morning after the party, Leo Chao is found dead—locked in the restaurant’s freezer room. Suspicion is immediately thrown on to Dagou, who is then arrested and tried.

My favorite parts of the book were those involving racial stereotyping, immigrant assimilation, and cultural identity.. I also enjoyed the mystery of who killed Leo Chao and why. I listened to this one as an audiobook and it just didn't really work for me in that medium. There are so many characters at the start of the novel it was hard to keep them all straight. Then within the chapters the narrative would switch directions and it took me a second to register that. Ultimately, if you are a reader who enjoys novels about family dynamics and can enjoy a bit of mystery as well then you may like this one more than I did. If you are going to check it out I would suggest reading the book as opposed to listening to it.

Special thanks to #NetGalley and RB Media for the advanced listener's copy of The Family Chao in exchange for my honest review.

An acclaimed storyteller returns with “a gorgeous and gripping literary mystery” that explores “family, betrayal, passion, race, culture and the American Dream”. WOW I loved this book. I was hooked from the beginning it is such a good thriller with the perfect pace, but also has much more depth than a traditional thiller, touching on themes of family, food and betrayal.