This is a mutli generational family saga that opens with Lily, the daughter of scientist parents that fled to the US during Mao's cultural revolution. She meets the ridiculously wealthy and white Matthew, and we go from there. I don't want to say much else about the plot. Part of the appeal of this book is while it is literary, it also feels more widely appealing in the way Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow did. The plot AND the writing will pull you along. I was hooked from the first lie, an while I enjoyed Parts I and II the most, I overally loved this. The questions of are our fates truly inevitable, do we have the right to influence others' fates if capable, what makes a Real American, and what really makes us....us were all explored here. It's important to note there are some not fully explained or fully believable scientific things central to what Khong is doing with her answers to these questions. I was okay with that, despite wanting a bit more. That aside, I have a feeling these characters and this story will stay with me for a long time.

This is such an interesting book. The layers of decisions across generations makes readers reconsider who is a "good guy" while providing insight into generations of a Chinese American family. I was enthralled the whole book.

Genre: literary fiction
[TW: gene manipulation, trying to concieve]
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Thanks to NetGalley, Rachel Khong and Penguin Random House for the eARC of Real Americans.

In Khong's newest release, she tells a generational tale of immigration, love and fighting against the oppression of classism and racism. Real Americans is written in three points of view over the course of three generations. Khong does a great job of giving each character and timeline its own voice while staying true to the foundation of the story.

From a Chinese immigrant who moves to America to escape Mao's China to her first generation daughter actively fighting to find a place of her own to a second generation son who looks nothing like his mother and grandparents, Real Americans, provides the reader with a social commentary about the social constructs of race, the lengths we go to for success and family.

I think this book deserves a place on many shelves and should get a lot of praise for the beautiful writing as well as the important message. My only critique is that it took me some time to fully understand the connections of each character to each other and because of that I lost interest at some points. I'm looking forward to more discussions about this novel as a whole and am excited to hear other people's thoughts!

4.5 stars rounded up. I read Goodbye Vitamin many years ago and was excited to read an advance copy of Real Americans through NetGalley/Knopf. Rachel Khong sentences are clean and engaging and I quickly found myself wrapped up in this multi-generational story with a series of complications. It reminded me of other books like Ask Again, Yes and Little Fires Everywhere but with elements of magical realism. With themes connected to race, class, politics, morality and science woven throughout, this is a very human story and, like the title says, a very American story.

The first two sections, shaped more by youth and reckoning with personal and cultural identity, were immersive for me. Lily was such a 3D, fully alive character. I ached for her as she flailed and as she evolved. I appreciated the historical fiction set in Mao’s China in the last third where the themes often felt prescient. I struggled a bit with the present dayish ending. It felt like something was missing or a little rushed. Overall, though this was a gift of a read that I expect will continue to linger in the back of my mind.

The first two sections, shaped more by youth and reckoning with personal and cultural identity, were immersive for me. Lily was such a 3D, fully alive character. I ached for her as she flailed and as she evolved. I appreciated the historical fiction set in Mao’s China in the last third where the themes often felt prescient. I struggled a bit with the present dayish ending. It felt like something was missing or even a little rushed. Overall though this was a gift of a read that I expect will continue to linger in the back of my mind.

I wanted to love this book but I could not finish it. I liked the voice but the plot and characters were doing nothing for me.

Families are messy. Members of a family will often do anything to help other member of the family. Sometimes these efforts are appreciated, sometimes they aren't. This beautifully written book is 3 intertwined stories. If you are reading reviews to see if a book is worth reading, this one certainly is. If that is all you want to know, move on now and read the book, avoid any description of it, and be surprised as the book takes you through this journey. If you need to know more, then continue reading. This is the story of a woman, her son, and her mother, and the decisions they make in life that define them and those that come after them. Each of them tell their story, approximately 15-20 years between stories and in the case of the grandmother, much of the story actually takes placed earlier, in the time of Mao in China. All 3 characters, of Chinese descent, struggle to fit in in the United States, although in very different ways. The role of genetics is also prominent throughout the story, Often there are elements that may be hard to understand or haven't actually been discovered yet, but that does not take away from the enjoyment of this story. This book left me wanting even more from these well developed characters. Read and enjoy.

My thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy. My opinion is my own.

An interesting family saga with 3 different almost stand-alonish story lines.

Beautifully written with good character development. There is a sc-fi element in the book which I was not aware of going in. Overall, good story with beautiful prose

Net Galley provided an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Real Americans lets you follow the lives, loves and losses of three generations and how Lily, Nick and May grow and change within the world around them. The three stories apart would be lovely and thoughtful reading, but the author builds mystery and connects the history of the family and the present of the story beautifully. This book is a wonderful view of how you are as much a product of your family/upbringing, as you are nothing at all like them. A lovely read that kept the pages turning and the outcomes guessing!

I found myself spellbound! I started this book with certain expectations and they were blown to smithereens. Elements of sci-fi and magic intertwined with a compelling story made this unputdownable.

It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it was definitely mine.

With some books, it's all about the journey and Real Americans is one of those books

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. The story started to fall apart for me when it spring forward 16 years once Lily finds out about the genetic experimentation and all the momentum left the plot like air out of an old balloon. It’s almost like this book didn’t know what it wanted to be. It introduces this Sci-Fi element of time dilation and then explains it away with magic rather than genetics. It introduces the ethical question of gene editing then dispenses with it in a couple of speeches from racist blowhard tech CEO’s. Every time the authors lands on a compelling story dynamic: Lily finds out her parents knew her husband’s parents and conspired to experiment on her, Nick finds out Lily was lying to him… every time the story reaches a point we can really dig into, we are pulled away and jump forward by a decade or more and we only get to hear about the results after the fact. That device makes the story feel rambling and unsatisfying, difficult to connect with. On a related note, the book devotes almost a third of the story to May but never explains why May decides to experiment on her own daughter. Otto’s reasoning makes sense, but there was no genetic problem May needed to solve in Lily so May experimenting Lily felt entirely gratuitous and a plot convenience rather than a poor choice made out of a mother’s love for her daughter.

I really loved this one. I’m a sucker for a family saga and this delivered. The narrative is from three points of view and each of the characters voices were so distinct and specific.

Loved the writing. Loved the story - particularly the weaving together of the three narratives. Loved the characters. Highly recommend!

Thank you to Knopf and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

One of the best opening lines I've ever read. The three different narratives were all very different and interesting. Each could have been its own book and I would have read it! I really enjoyed this and it would have been five star perfection, but I felt like some of the themes were underexplored or just hinted at - for example, the hint of magical realism just kept getting mentioned ad nauseum and felt like it was wrapped up too quickly. But that might have been my own reading comprehension. Definitely recommend.

A story told over three generations, Real Americans is a beautifully written, thought provoking novel that will stick with you after you’ve finished it.

The book tells of Lily, Nick, and May, going through each of their lives when they ask themselves “what does it mean to be a real American?”. We follow their struggles and triumphs. There is too much to get into the nitty gritty details, but I found that once I connected to the characters (which did take some time), I fell in love with them. They are all so complex and multifaceted and feel so real. I want to hug each of them.

I think Real Americans has the potential to be something big. It’s definitely a book that will be stuck in my mind for a while.

Thank you so much to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Rachel Khong, and NetGalley for the eARC!

Real Americans held my attention from start to finish with deep character development and details of history during that particular time.
The 3 separate stories, while tied together, were a true surprise and well developed.
A very good book for a book club; deep discussion topics of which our club enjoyed !

I have mixed reactions to this novel, Real Americans, by Rachel Khong. The storyline is interesting and compelling, and it surfaces fascinating issues that would make for an engaging book group discussion. That said, I found the execution to be uneven and rather clunky.

The story is told in three parts, each with a different narrator/point of view. The first part sets the tone for the rest of the book, but the characters are rather flat and difficult to connect with. The second part goes further in terms of character development, but suffers from pacing issues. And the third part starts strongly, but is awkward in the storytelling transitions from relaying past events to unfolding action in current time. There are also a few too many “convenient coincidences” for the plot to be plausible, too many loose ends for the story to feel complete, and there is the whole using-your-child-as-scientific-test-subject . . . which is just plain dodgy in a professional scientific setting.

In the end, it’s a strong story concept . . . but suffers in the execution.

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on April 30, 2024.

3 stars.

Both the premise and the writing of this book are very interesting and will surely pull readers along. The book is set up in three parts and each part had its strengths and characters to root for. It felt a bit too long and disjointed for me. However, the central questions it is asking: "What does it mean to be a real American?", "What does good fortune look like?", "Can we influence our fates, or does what is passed down make us who we are?". These are all interesting questions that this book forces the reader to wrestle with. So, even though I wish the plot was a little stronger and cohesive, I am still glad I read this book and would recommend it.

I was drawn to “Real Americans” after enjoying Rachel Khong’s previous work, “Goodbye, Vitamin”. Khong weaves a multi-generational narrative across three parts, each centering on a different character. The integration of scientific themes and Chinese mythology throughout the story, added a unique flavor to the narrative.
Khong's storytelling prowess shines through, captivating readers with her characters' journeys and the intricate layers of their experiences. Overall, “Real Americans” is a compelling read that beautifully explores themes of identity, family, and the intersection of cultures. My thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 rounded up.
This absolutely needs to be labeled as also science fiction genre. There’s a huge science element incorporated into this book.
I was sucked into this book when it came to Lily and Nick’s life. But the last half was hard for me when it came to May’s life. I wasn’t as drawn in and I think it’s because she is so distant in both Lily and Nick’s life, I wasn’t as invested. I did enjoy reading about her life in China though. Nick’s story was incredibly sad and somewhat relatable which kept me wanting more. Overall a great story was such a touching ending.

Absolutely gorgeous. Khong's prose is subtle but profound. I fell in love with her three protagonists, rooting for them in their search for self, meaning, identity, and destiny. Their blind spots are all of our blind spots. May was my favorite narrator, yet Lily, Nick, and May all share evocative, compelling, and unique ways of experiencing the world. Real Americans is sure to be a big hit! Congrats to Rachel Khong!

Real Americans by Rachel Khong is a beautifully written multigenerational novel that questions destiny and examines how the choices we make can resonate through time.

The book starts in 1999 where we meet Lily, a college senior and the child of Chinese immigrants. Lily is struggling to make ends meet in Manhattan where she is finishing school and working at an unpaid internship. She meets Matthew at a party and they begin a romance despite their cultural and class differences.

The next part of the book jumps to 2021 and we meet Nick, a high school senior living in the Pacific Northwest. He is applying to colleges and looking to find his estranged father.

Part three of the books jumps ahead to 2030 where we learn Mei's story which ties the entire story together.

This book does a great job of examining wealth, privilege, race and identity within each storyline. The characters are complex and well written. This will make an excellent book club selection, as there are many facets of this novel ripe for discussion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this great novel.