So, I was intrigued by the synopsis and the first pages, and then within chapters, I felt a little less enchanted. Lily's story felt a little disconnected and I don't know if I ever fully understood her. I powered through, though, and decided to give Nick's story a chance. I told myself if I didn't connect within his first few chapters, I'd throw in the towel. That didn't happen. I found Nick's story so compelling and frustrating and I couldn't put it down. In retrospect, knowing a little of Lily and Matthew's story (Nick's parents), helped me understand Nick better, but I just didn't love that part of the story.

Should I backtrack for a minute? Probably.

This novel is told in three generational perspectives. We start with Lily. We learn that she is a poor, seemingly purposeless, intern, living in NYC in 1999. She meets Matthew at a work party and she falls for him, while never feeling like she's good enough for him. They're together for a while, then she ghosts him, only to reunite with him later. They end up married and having Nick. I'm glossing over quite a bit, but essentially, what I got from her part was her fraught history with her mom, her distress at being poor and a bit at a loss for who she was or what she should be doing, until she met Matthew. Even after meeting him, there was a sense of her being not really sure of her place in the world. Things happen and her part ends mysteriously and we jump into Nick's story when he's in high school.

I think what was so compelling about Nick's story was how easy it was to connect to him; you understood his angst and its source. And while he, too, was a little lost at times, he seemed to be more decisive and eager to figure things out. He, as they all were, was definitely flawed and frustrating, but it was easier to follow his narrative.

The last part of this novel was reserved for Lily's mom, Mei (May). Her story was also quick and easy to read, Threaded with persistence and a desire for something better, she constantly suppressed her deepest wants for a shot at a future that wouldn't look anything her past. Her story is filled with things you'd never want to live through, and is really just sad, which doesn't excuse what she did to Lily and Nick, but it made a lot more sense, when you found out her backstory. The very end of her part brings us to the present and we see that her life isn't sunshine and daisies, but she gets one last chance to right some wrongs and tell her story.

So while it didn't start out as promising as I wanted it to be, it ended so much stronger than I thought it would. It definitely left me with things to consider and that's something I always appreciate. A very solid 3.5 read for me.

This book was so well laid out. Learning the mother’s story then on to her son that was great! I learned a lot about family dynamics and the character were so well laid drawn out as well as the scenes. I felt the characters every emotion.

I would highly recommend this book. I want to thank NetGalley and Knopf Pantheon Vintage and Anchor for the advanced reader copy and this is my honest opinion.

Rachel Americans by Rachel Khong was a creative concept that did not fully work for me. The structure of the book with distinct sections focusing on different characters created a pacing issue that made it hard for me to gain momentum reading, and some of the book's plot points did not feel fully fleshed out to me.

I was initially interested in reading this book as a potential text for my high school classroom. Unfortunately there is enough sex and adult content that this is not a possibility. Upon realizing that, I read for personal enjoyment. I was intrigued enough to see what was going to happen to the characters, but I really did not enjoy this book after the first 25%. The sections in China were devastatingly tragic, and I hated the unraveling of the main couple and the effect it had on their son. Unfortunately this was a 2 star read for me.

A sweeping family saga full of drama. The writing was exquisite but the story telling wasn't equal within the part of the book. There were three POVS: Lily, Nick and Mei. I found Nick's and Mei's stories to be more complete and beautifully written, but Lily's felt a little incomplete.

Looking forward to reading Rachel Khong's next book.

It begins with Chinese family, a couple of bio-engineering scientists who escape Mao’s regime. Their entry to the U.S. confronts them with incredible opportunity. But they are also subjected to the whims of foundations who support their research, sponsored by a very rich family.

A successful experiment leads to the dissolution of a marriage that is a merger of the Chinese immigrants and the old wealthy family from New York City that has supported their research. Some frightening consequences are theoretically now possible.

The third generation deals with the reality of what has been done, in the research labs of San Francisco and in the abject poverty of many aging immigrant families.

It is a straightforward read and is particularly effective at bringing the lives of Chinese immigrants into focus. Thank you NetGalley for an arc

Rachel Khong’s Real Americans presents an ambitious narrative that spans generations and grapples with themes of identity, belonging, and the complexities of family dynamics. The story kicks off in the lead-up to Y2K with Lily Chen, a struggling intern in New York City who falls for the charming Matthew, an East Coast heir to a pharmaceutical fortune. Their contrasting backgrounds set the stage for an intriguing exploration of class and aspiration.

While Khong's prose is immersive and occasionally lyrical, the pacing felt uneven, particularly in the transitions between Lily’s story and her son Nick’s quest for his biological father in 2021. Nick’s perspective adds depth, but at times it felt like the connection between the two timelines wasn’t as strong as it could have been. The generational shift had promise, yet I found myself wishing for a more seamless blend of their narratives.

The characters, especially Lily, are relatable and evoke sympathy, but I sometimes felt that their development didn’t fully reach its potential. While the themes of race, family secrets, and the search for belonging are relevant and resonate deeply, they occasionally felt overshadowed by the plot’s ambitious scope.

Khong's exploration of class and striving is poignant, and there are moments of real insight. However, I yearned for a bit more resolution in certain plotlines and character arcs. By the end, while there are satisfying revelations, the journey to get there felt disjointed at times.

In summary, Real Americans is a thoughtful examination of identity and family, with a compelling premise. Despite its uneven execution and pacing issues, it holds valuable reflections on what it means to belong in a diverse society. Fans of character-driven narratives may find much to appreciate, though it ultimately left me wanting a more cohesive experience.

When Lily meets Nick in 1999, she’s surprised that he would be interested in her. He’s a bit of a golden boy. Good looking, well connected, confident and successful. But the more we get to know Lily, we realize that she is also brilliant and beautiful, but raised as a first-generation American by her Chinese parents, she’s always felt left out and not good enough in America.

So when Lily and Nick fall in love, to the outside they seem like the perfect couple. Successful, attractive, driven. But Lily’s mom doesn’t like Nick and it turns out Nick hasn’t been completely honest about his family. Fast forward 15 years and a lot has changed. It’s up to the reader to put it all together between flashbacks and present day scenes.

Real Americans is a thoughtful work of fiction that brings a lot of morality questions to IVF and genetic selection. Not only that, but it’s a great story of discovering one’s heritage, roots and identity.

This one has been available for a while. Check it out! Special thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was sadly just not for me. The first part of the story had promise and I loved the narrative and buildup, but we lose that intrigue and forward momentum in the second and third parts, because of the narrative switch. I love multi-generational stories and multiple POVs, so long as they are executed well. This felt very surface level and half-baked. The narrative shifts were too quick and took me out of the story. It's not terrible, there were elements I loved, but it was sadly forgettable.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Holy s#!* this was so good! I didn’t make it more than a few chapters in on the first go around. (Same happened for me on The Overstory!)
It seemed like it was going to drag, but then you turn a page and a whole life has been lived. Such fun play with time and family and success.
What Bear is to a love story between sisters, Real Americans is to a mother-daughter love story.
This is the matriarchal tale of Frankenstein that I’ve been waiting my whole life for!

This was a unique story with some really interesting points but the way the story was told drove me nuts. This book follows three generations of the same family starting around 2000 until the future. Instead of going back and forth with the multiple POVs this one had each part told by a different person in a different time. For me after finishing the first part I was so invested in Matthew and Lily that when it switched to Nick it left me wanting more from the previous characters. I could see others really enjoying this book the writing was very well done and the characters were well fleshed out and I really cared about them. I hope to pick up more from this author in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

truly one of the most beautiful pieces of writing i've ever graced my eyes with. just WOW. i saw pieces of myself in every page and every line. what a raw book. definitely will read more books from this author!!

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Now available.

Like a cinematic masterpiece, Rachel Khong's Real Americans starts with an unexpected meet and greet. When twenty something Lily goes on a date with young, handsome, and mysterious Matthew, she can hardly imagine the twists and turns her life will take. Told from the perspectives of Lily, her mother, and her son Nick, this story travels from 1970s China to 2030's America. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two sections, but began to lose some interest in the third - mainly because I wanted more Lily! Selfishly, I enjoyed seeing her transition from her twenties to her fifties, to see her settle into life. I wanted to hear more about her experiences later in life, alone but still finding ways to make life beautiful and meaningful. The sci-fi elements in this work are subtle but still intriguing enough, though they feel secondary to the human drama at the heart of the piece. Very moving.

A beautiful tale spanning countries, generations, socioeconomic circumstances. If you enjoy multiple perspectives and intergenerational family stories you will love this one!

What an absolutely brilliant novel! This is a multi-generational masterpiece unlike any other. Real Americans follows three generations, not chronologically, of a Chinese American family, with each of the three POVs at a specific point in life when they are trying to figure out their purpose and relation to the world. I was surprised by the plot twists - I was expecting a "no plot, just vibes" novel, which I love - but I was pleasantly surprised to be on the edge of my seat with some of the mysteries and plot points. Each time one POV ended, I was upset to lose the connection to that character, but I was quickly drawn in to the next. The ending was SO satisfying, with so many threads all coming together, and a perfect final scene. One of my favorite books of the year, for sure. I'll be recommending this to everyone.

At first glance, this book deals with a single mom’s teenager son’s coming-of-age story and how he discovers that not everything is as it seemed regarding his mom’s relationship with his dad.

At a deeper level, you’ll be thinking about issues around bioengineering ethics, race / ethnicity, social construct of nationalism, etc.

This story was moving and captivating. The twists and turns caught me off guard but made for a more interesting story. Highly recommend!

Real Americans!
First, special thank you to Netgalley and PRH audio for the complimentary files in exchange of my honest review. The narrators were amazing!

What does it take to be called a real American?
I am really sensitive to the plot that involve immigration because I for one was an immigrant turned American citizen and yet I can never consider myself to be real American.

The story span into a big three generation family saga full of drama, struggle, rich culture and either missing or feeling the sense of belongingness. The differences to adapt per generation and all the secrets in between causing conflicts, betrayal, hurt feelings and more. It started really strong and captivating. Very defined when it comes to character build up yet at some point, the switch from one generation (part 1,2 and 3) has lost me. Halfway through was a becoming to be a drag.

What did I love from this book? It was beautifully written and while I am very familiar with the scenarios presented, Family values are strong factor to Asian culture and I love how this was manifested in great detail. I can't help but relate as to why the parents hold on to their roots and the children are somehow finding faults with their parent's upbringing. I was very disappointed at conceivable notion that the acceptance standards of being white tends to go down low to the looks and the whiteness of it all compared to being labeled as "plain Asian" feature. Why? I do not get it and I am Asian with I guess, plain features.

I am having unresolved issues about this book to no fault of the author. It is definitely a ME-thing. Rest assured, the book is a must-read and a commendable reading over all!

I was underwhelmed with this book. The idea was there but I found the pacing was so off I couldn't get into the book at all. At half the length the plot would've worked for me. This book was trying to hit on some questions of autonomy and family, but because of the pacing and lack of character development, I never felt like it got there. There were a lot of cliff hangers to try and make the reader care, but none of them paid off because the character's motivations made little sense. I needed more in the form of details and less in the form of vibes.

“Time passes, indifferent to me. So much of my life I have let slip by, because I have not attended to it. All this while, instead of seeking more time, I could’ve been paying attention. I notice it now, my present: my grandson’s face, his warm hand in mine, and the smell and sensation-here the words, in any language, fail-of being alive.”

I’m rating this book a five based on the emotions and thoughts it stirred in me, and I know will leave me with for a long time. I wish I read this book for a book club, because there is so much to think about and talk about!
There are three narrators and three storylines in different timeframes. May, Lily, and Nick are three generations of a Chinese-American family. May, born in China, Lily, born in America, and Nick ironically not born in America but seemingly (to his grandparents) the most “American” of all.
The book is heartbreaking. Choices made that the characters make out of seemingly good intentions (and some ego to be sure) turn out to ruin their lives. I felt for Lily, because the choices of others impacted her life and completely changed the trajectory of it. I admire her, because she did a good job of raising Nick in the face of a lot of challenges.
There is a lot of science in the latter 70% of the book, but written in an easy way to understand. Questions of ethics regarding DNA abound. But wrapped in the overall question of- what wouldn’t you choose to make life easier and better for your child?
I have to be honest. This book really hurt my heart. The characters spent so much time in sadness when they could have tried to work things out. (Lily and Matthew, Matthew and Nick- placing blame squarely on Matthew) May’s life is so hard in China- I learned a lot reading her passages.
Overall, this is a thought provoking book that flies by. I read faster than I should have, wanting to know what HAD happened and what WOULD happen. I highly recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this as an ARC.