A big ol' thick book of what is or isn't part of being a Real American. Yes, it is very informative. but I would also like to tag it as relevant, modern literature, social studies, cultural ethics, nationality, Asian studies.
I recently read a book on the cultural revolution of China and my timing was perfect as it defiantly helped me with one of the main timelines of the main characters. A time before my time. The Chinese revolution is not anything we covered in my school years. Everything I know is from reading and diving further into it and what caused it.
I definitely feel no matter how stellar of than author you are, this is the kind of literature based on a true time line that only someone involved could write. And yes other races can know Asian culture, but to write a novel so based on that and every corner of your life tracing back to it, really can't be done by anything else.
What drew me to this novel is the fact I was turning 25 during the Y2K fiasco, the same as a character in Real Americans, But was I more American on Y2K because my family was established for a century?
The only reason I'm not giving the novel 5 stars is because it was clunky at first and hard to put characters in place. But it did smooth out and so worth the read, even at 400plus pages.

I loved this multi-generational story about fortune, destiny, ethics, being “other”. Very compelling, flawed characters. Would make a great book club read.

Thanks to NetGalley for my advanced copy.

I loved this literary fiction about three generations of Chinese Americans who fight for their self identity. I preferred the stories about Lily, an unpaid media intern falling in love with Matthew, and later the story of their teen son Nick, but by the time I got to the third section of the book that focused on the matriarch, a geneticist named May who grew up in Communist China, I felt a bit less interested. The three sections are tied together by author Rachel Khong but I felt the time jumps were a bit jarring. Still I really appreciated this novel. It was well written, atmospheric, and made the reader think about identity, genetics and how we are raised. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalleyfor the chance to read Real Americans.

I loved this book! I loved reading the different Perspex and viewpoints from each generation. It really was a beautiful, well-written novel.

This book is a multigenerational story that also grapples with the ethics of DNA manipulation, class, and US immigration. I really enjoyed the pacing of the work and the characters were well developed. Thanks to Net Galley for a pre-pub!

Having adored Goodbye, Vitamin when I read it a few years ago, Real Americans was one of my most highly anticipated reads this year. I absolutely loved this book and it’s one of my top reading experiences so far this year. So much of what I already loved about her writing (wit, charm, interesting characters) was here, too, but this one departs from how I’d characterize Goodbye, Vitamin in surprising ways to tell a multigenerational story of past, present, and future. Exploring science, ethics, race, class, family, loyalty…there’s a LOT packed into the pages within this gorgeous cover!

This book was excellent, a contender for one of my favorites of the year.

Khong writes all three main characters so expertly, yet so uniquely. I especially loved the third part, although each section was wonderful and kept me rapidly turning the pages.

My book club loved this one and we look forward to what she writes in the future!

Thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for the ARC!

This starts off with Lily, a Chinese-American college grad, who’s trying to figure out how to support herself in a way that disappoints her immigrant parents as little as possible.
We follow her as she meets and falls for blond, rich, all-American Matthew, and watch their courting turn into a happily ever after tale.
But then the story abruptly changes, and now we’re following their teenaged son, Nick, who lives alone with his mom and knows nothing about the rest of his family, including his dad. And we know nothing about what’s happened in the intervening years.
This happens again, with Nick as an adult, and seems just as abrupt.
There was also a bit of sci-fi biology stuff that was a little confusing, but necessary as a catalyst for all the drama.
It took a little effort to accept and adjust to the sudden jumps in time, and the slow roll out of why the circumstances had changed so drastically. Definitely not my favorite structuring, but that being said, I still liked it a lot.
Thanks to #netgalley and #knopf for this #arc of #realamericans by #rachelkhong in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book, but would not say that I loved it. The characters are quite intriquing and all are deeply flawed because of the choices of others. Interesting exploration of fortune and what fortunes people might have (financial, physical, etc.) I enjoyed it overall, but not sure that it will stay with me for a while.

wonderful book.thecharacterss are great. follows the life of chinese immigrants and how they fit in or not fit in to life in America . fast easy. great for bookclubs to discuss.. many topics.

I really enjoyed this well-written multigenerational family story. There are thoughts on what makes us who we are, particularly regarding genetics and genetic manipulation that I found interesting. I also appreciated the author's thoughts on belonging, assimilation, mother/child dynamics, and the responsibility and consequences of being born rich and privileged. I thought the characters were well developed, especially Lily and Nick. While I preferred the first 2 sections, I did enjoy Mei's perspective of what it was like to grow up during China's cultural revolution. The ending was a bit of a disappointment-- I was anticipating something bigger that brought everything together but alas that did not happen. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced e-galley of this book. 4 stars

Real Americans by Rachel Khong is a novel that will sweep you away through time in three parts, each a new point of view in different time periods.

I thought this book would strictly be about the Chinese American experience, period. I did not realize that there would be an underlying a scientific aspect that tied all three parts of the book together. I loved that! What an unusual and unlikely surprise. Books that have genetic sub-plots are fascinating to me.

Because I listened to this on audio, I wasn’t aware that the book was told in parts. It was interesting to learn what information each character was privy to and how they interpreted it. Although each part was well-written, I think I related to Nick and Mei the most, which is odd because they are the youngest and oldest characters.

There were many themes running through this novel: privilege, classism, belonging, assimilation, racism, damning secrets, complicated mother/daughter relationships, gene experimentation and more. Yep, there was a lot to take in. Some of these themes got much attention, while others just skimmed the surface. I guess if the author went deep for all the touchstones mentioned the book would be way too long.

Overall, this is an original and complexly layered story. I think the consequences of how we see ourselves and how we assume others see us will be a huge talking point for bookclubs.

I didn't write a formal review but gave it four stars on Goodreads. Since it's a "Read with Jenna" book pick - I think it will do great without my meager review.

This was one of the best books I've read in awhile. Told in three different parts, it is not chronological, which I enjoy, and reading all three stories or perspectives really enlightened the story.

Ultimately, the novel tackled class and privilege, along with many other topics. I highly recommend this one, and I'm so happy I read it!

This is an exceptional family drama from a Chinese, intellectual perspective. It is packed with ideas that are engaging and thought provoking. Three familial viewpoints, each told in third person in a sequential timeline, no overlapping of times, encourage the reader to fill in the gaps as to how the other characters are reacting.

While the story mainly revolves around mysteries, the reader is immersed with windows into child/parent relationships, choices, love, forgiveness, racism, the Chinese Cultural Revolution, pursuit of the American dream and advances in epigenetics. The myriad of topics make for an highly engaging read. Strongly recommend!

This is a terrific story. Told from three points of view and three generations, it addresses so many issues. The writing is top notch and the story is well constructed. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

"Real Americans" by Rachel Khong is a compelling exploration of identity, class, and family that earns four out of five stars from me for its immersive storytelling and emotional depth. The novel begins on the cusp of Y2K, where Lily Chen, a broke intern in New York City, meets Matthew, the heir to a pharmaceutical empire. Their unlikely romance unfolds against the backdrop of their vastly different backgrounds.

Fast forward to 2021, and we meet Nick Chen, Lily’s fifteen-year-old son, who feels out of place on a secluded island in Washington. His quest to find his biological father opens a Pandora’s box of secrets and challenges his understanding of his own identity.

Khong's writing is both moving and thought-provoking, delving into complex themes such as race, visibility, and the impact of our genetic and cultural heritage. Her characters are richly drawn, each grappling with their past and the societal pressures that shape their lives. The juxtaposition of Lily’s struggles with Nick’s search for belonging creates a poignant narrative that resonates deeply.

"Real Americans" is a socially insightful novel of speculative fiction, which asks profound questions about destiny, creation, and the possibility of transcending our origins. Rachel Khong masterfully weaves a tale that is both exuberant and reflective, making it a must-read for those who appreciate nuanced family dramas and social commentary.

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the advanced reader copy via NetGalley.

Overall, I enjoyed this. This novel follows 3 generations of chinese-americans: lily, her mother may, and her son nick as they grapple with their identities as immigrants, people of color, and the circumstances of their birth.

My favorite was the first section which focuses on Lily, which left me super engaged and excited for the rest of the book. I really loved reading and learning about all the characters. For the rest of the book, I was eagerly awaiting something big to happen, which is most likely a personal problem because it ultimately did not happen.

What prevents this from being higher rated for me is that I was looking for a bit more focus. I think the story wants to explore a lot of different aspects of identity, inter-generational trauma, nature vs. nurture, etc., and it should, but it often left me feeling like we just scratched the surface of the topics without diving deeply into any of them. I definitely need to think about this book more but overall I thought it was well done and incredibly compelling.

Three generations of the Chen family deal with issues common for minorities and immigrants as well as some complicated ones. Told from three POVs, we first learn the story of Lily and Matthew. Lily is the daughter of Chinese immigrants and because Matthew has changed his name to distance himself from his family of pharmaceutical giants, she is unaware of his wealth until they get engaged. Next, we fast forward many years to hear from Nick, the son of Matthew and Lily who knows nothing of his origins. As he finds Matthew on his own and learns of family secrets, he struggles with his identity and lack of ability to maintain relationships. And finally, we hear from Mei, Lily’s mother, who escaped communist China under Mao’s rule and immigrates to the US to pursue her scientific endeavors.
While this novel addresses so many interesting issues, it was just a lot to unpack. The racism and opposite racism aspects alone made the story complicated and the family drama was really hard to follow at times. I think the author’s writing style was interesting but I wasn’t crazy about it. The switching between POVs and timelines with no introductions created some confusion for me. I would have liked better character development but realize that this would potentially make the novel too long. I really couldn’t keep up with who was not speaking to whom at any given time. Another entire book could probably have been developed alone on the impact of the genetic science on the family and this had so much potential but I never did really understand it. I think all the topics being addressed in one novel was just too ambitious and I just didn’t enjoy most of it.

I adored this book. We are halfway through 2024, and I already know it will make my top 10 list. It’s the book I put into the hands of strangers at bookshops.

I enjoyed Khong’s debut novel, but this was next level. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.