Anytime Eunice Wong narrates a book. I’m gonna be there. 888 is no exception as to the brilliance of her narration. She has such an incredible way of bringing characters to life and adding a deep sense of authenticity to the experience. If you’re going to read this title, absolutely do it as an audiobook (it was also a really fascinating and engaging story)

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

888 Love was an excellent read. I loved the character study and the writing felt propulsive. I would read more from this author again.

A sweet and funny book packed with 80s and 90s pop culture nostalgia.

I loved this book’s sense of humor and unapologetic nostalgic bent, but I wish it had been a LOT shorter. This is probably a full third longer than it needed to be, and as a result what was a snappy, sharply written story starts to drag about halfway through the book and continues to until the end.

Spending time with such a lovable protagonist mitigates that to an extent, and I loved his flashbacks to his youth in the 80s. A lot of that content is a bit before my time, but it’s stuff that is both familiar and delightful, and his way of integrating it into his personal experience is exceptionally well done.

The content that takes place closer to or directly in the story’s present time is not as interesting, but it’s also not badly done. There’s just way too much of it, and a lot of that is the kind of will they/won’t they romantic entanglement that gets old fast.

Still, if you want a hero who is really easy to root for, some equally lovable secondary characters, and a nostalgia trip to the end of the last century, this is a fun one that is well worth a read.

3.5 stars, rounded up for humor and likability

I wanted so badly to like this book... and there were elements that I did really like: coming-of-age, pop culture, mental health, identity and exploration. But for all the parts I did like, there was something that annoyed me just as much. Many of the characters were so over the top larger than life that they were annoying and unbelievable. I think that was made worse by the audiobook actually because it was emphasized even more. I think the narrator did a great job! I just also think the source material was annoying.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC.

Wasn't my cup of tea. If this hadn't been an ARC, I would've dropped it 5% in--the protagonist and love interest were both far too 'quirky' for my liking, and I'd have shelved this as young adult as this would likely appeal more to that maturity level. As a 90's kid myself, I found the humor to be cringe and both of the main characters equally so. As a North American-born Chinese, I was still equally unable to relate to any of the characters. The book just felt incredibly immature with hyper-specific references and irritating character personalities that went over my head. I wouldn't recommend this to my audience.

Thank you @macmillan.audio for the most unexpectedly delightful audiobook I've listened to all year, it totally blew me away with its charm and wit. 📚🎧

Young Wang is a quirky life cataloger, obsessively tracking his favorite movies and albums, all while filtering life through Chinese numerology and his uncle’s sage advice: you get seven great loves, so don’t waste them! At NYU in 1995, he meets Erena—charismatic, quick-witted, and hilariously crass. Their romance is a thrilling whirlwind, and as their relationship deepens, flashbacks reveal Young's past loves. Is Erena his destined sixth, or is there a fateful seventh on the horizon?

This book snuck up on me. At first, it felt slow, but the more I listened, the more I became wrapped up in Young’s life... and Erena, oh Erena... I’m pretty sure I'm in love with you 😍

The layers in this book are superb! Chang dives into classic coming-of-age struggles but blends in pop culture, the Chinese American experience, and the tug-of-war between what we should do and what our hearts want. It's so relatable! Despite being fictional, it reads like a memoir, and Chang’s ending took me through a rollercoaster of happy, sad, and then happy tears. 888 bang bang bang, I’m hooked.

I knew I'd love the audiobook since Eunice Wong nailed it in Vira Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers. And let me tell you, Wong’s performance here is equally fantastic. She brings Erena to life perfectly and captures Young’s emotional highs and lows brilliantly. 🎧✨

Read this book if you love coming-of-age stories with a splash of Eastern tradition, Western pop culture, and stories that are about nothing and everything all at once.

Posting on @ParksideReads Instagram on 7/24/24

I thought this book would be interesting because of the topics: New York, Chinese American culture, coming of age. The main character Wang is going back through his life and thinking about his family and the girls he's been in love with. It was heartfelt and heartwarming, and it felt real -- the people are so well described. What surprised me was how funny it was. The narrator describes events and people in reference to pop culture and it was so clever and relatable. So many times, I thought, that's exactly how I would describe this if I had the words
Listening to it as an audiobook added to the experience. Wang uses numerology to explain his world, and I felt like i was figuring things out with him. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys coming of age novels and recent historical fiction. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook.

Phenomenal narration by Eunice Wong!

888 Love and the Divine Burden of Numbers is a fast-paced, heartfelt novel about Young Wang, a young man in NYC in the 90s. A melting pot of Eastern philosophy and Western culture, full of fun references to pop culture, 888 Love and the Divine Burden of Numbers reads like a 90s male version of Gilmore Girls. Lovely family relationship and interpersonal drama ensure.

The book wasn't told linearly but I thought that Chang did a good job keeping the reader following along. I think the experience was enhanced by listening to the book. The narration made it clear in the story where you were and who was who. I typically find these stories harder to listen to but in this case, it was so well done.

This was not my style of book. I am sure this will appeal to some, but it was difficult for me to connect to. I struggle with non-linear time lines, with the POV, the narration was hard for me to engage with. I reccomended it to my husband who likes books, movies and styles similar to this, but it's not my thing.

What a wild ride. Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the advance copy. The narrator Eunice Wong made this book complete for me. While this is most definitely a novel- and not poetry or lyrics, the entire book has kind of a chorus/refrain thing going on throughout the book which makes it feel quite musical, and honestly delightful. For me, there was nothing like seeing "you Love this" pop up periodically, as well as some repeated numbers and other phrases. (Utter Chaos, if you know, you know!) It ties the book up nicely. humongous Kudos to Eunice Wong. i suspect I would not have enjoyed the print version nearly as much.

This novel tells us the story of a young man growing up in Queens in the 1990's . He's the only son of Chinese immigrants. He's well loved by his family and especially his uncle who's adventurous, and travels the world, sending words of wisdom and photos from the wide world. He's convinced our character that we all get 7 great loves in life. And because he adores his uncle, he’s completely sure that's true.
The story focuses on time with love number 6, while flashing back to loves 1-5- all showing us pivotal moments in Wang's life- the birth of his sister, his first love, first experiences, and saying goodbye to different points in life. All while navigating the treachery of growing up- getting older and wiser, learning your parents are indeed actual people, and getting your heart broken more than a few times, in more than a few ways. The biggest problem he has is that his current love- She's number 6 and he's pretty sure she's the one. He can't wrap his head around it at all. Also, if 6 is this fantastic, could 7 be... even more? Should he find 7 despite being happy with 6?
Chang wraps up the story in a burrito of 1990's pop culture, that many readers will relate to and find both comfortable and comforting. In a way, the story feels like all of our stories, and yet also quite individual. This book ends in a total 90's style "choose your own adventure" that I wasn't entirely enamored with, but it also was on point for the story.

And Darn if the cover is not something I want for my shelf. That is the ONLY detraction from the audio book is not having a book trophy for my shelf.

I just read "888 Love and the Divine Burden of Numbers" by Abaham Chang. This is literary fiction, a fictional memoir of an American born Chinese (ABC) man named Young Wang. It is set in the 1990s in New York state near NYC.

In many ways, this book reminds me of Kurt Vonnegut's books. I read all of his novels when I was in college in the late 80s. They had a lot of stream of consciousness and tangents, and that's what I found so similar to this book. Young is a thinker and a talker.

This book goes back in time for Young to tell the stories of his loves, starting in kindergarten. I'm not sure those unrequited crushes count, but they do to him. These past stories alternate with the present day.

There is a lot about the meanings of numbers in this book. Also, I'm not sure if young adults who have never used pagers would understand all the pager references. The pager messages were probably easier to understand visually than auditorily.

Young takes a trip to China, and that was interesting. I really like the character of Erina.

There are 3 alternate endings in the epilogue.. like a Choose Your Own Adventure book. This is unexpected, I'm not a fan. I want the author to make the decision how to end his book.

Eunice Wong is the narrator, and she does well with all the voices and personalities.

Characters - 5/5
Writing - 3/5
Plot - 3/5
Pacing - 3/5 slow
Unputdownability - 2/5
Enjoyment - 3/5
Narration - 4/5
Cover - 5/5
Overall - 3.5/5

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and Abraham Chang for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This book had me laughing out loud on my daily commute. For anyone born in the late 1970s, this book if full of nostalgia. If you speak Mandarin , you will bond with the characters as well. I loved the journey this book took me through exploring the idea of 7 loves in a person's life. I loved the back and forth from present to the past and this book kept me wondering who would be his #7. Throw in a group of close friends and a wacky uncle to make this novel pure joy to listen to. Give this one a chance! I am so glad I did.

I adored the Gen X love letter to 90s NYC and pop culture. Brilliantly narrated by Eunice Wong, the characters of Young, Erena and Su Su (sp?) came to life for me. The numerology might have been easier to follow with the written road, but I got the gist and that was enough.
I was a bit too long, though, and would have benefited from some tighter editing. That lowers my 4 stars to 3.5.

Thank you to NetGalley for my review copy.

I am the type of person that thinks number have meaning and symbolism and definitely think they could be messages from another realm. So when I saw this book I was very intrigued. It's a Chinese-American young male (named Young) coming of age story with lots of music and movie references that maybe went over my head. But if you love 90's music and movies this is for you!

My favorite parts were the notes from SuSu (the main character's traveling uncle) and the love #6 Erena. I want to be best friends with Erena! She's a smart, California, love #6 with a potty mouth and hilarious (she does funny!).

This book is so unique, I liked the ending not typical (no spoiler. Just read it!) I listened to the audiobook and the narrators did a fantastic job. The characters had so much energy.

Rating: I would say 4-4.5 stars (parts were drawn out in loves #1-5 - could have been quicker getting the point across, but I admit I have very little patience so it might be me. Without the slow down I would have said 5 stars for sure). I could see this being a movie, or maybe a sitcom. I would love to see/know more about the mysterious traveling SuSu.

I learned a lot, I had fun, definitely recommend.

I received this audiobook ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

When I heard the narrator, I assumed the MC was female. However, she does an amazing job and is the perfect fit for the story. I would seek out more work from this voice actor.

The story began strong, addressing what some might call tropes of the immigrant experience in America of the last few decades. While this focuses on Chinese culture, there is a universality in its relatability.

Going in, I knew the story would focus on seven loves, but by love number five I began to feel this was a high goal and a wearying slog, and wanted to get to the present faster. That said, each love was clearly important to the plot.

I also greatly appreciate that the story recognizes Taiwan as a unique and important entity and culture, though it is featured to a lesser extent.

This was not what I expected at all, but I did appreciate how quirky and unique this coming of age story was. Unfortunately, I'm not that big on niche music or movies, so many of the references early in the book went right over my head. I had a tough time jiving with the main character, but I can absolutely see how they would resonate with other readers in a major way!

A delightfully quirky coming of age debut featuring a young Chinese American man living in 1990s New York City and his obsession with finding meaning in numbers. When Young Wang is told that everyone gets only 7 true loves in their lives he is put into a mental quandry contemplating that the sixth woman he falls for and believes is his "one" might not be if he still has one more to come. Good on audio narrated by Eunice Wong, this was a well written and really interesting love story. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

This boy is expecting too much from the numbers and patterns. As much as patterns are there to show us repetition of instances in our environment, they are not there forever. Patterns can be broken, so they are not predictor of the future. Young ignored everything else and tied everything to numbers.

888 is amazing, 6 is bad. 7th love will be the most amazing and long lasting one. If that's the case, Erena (the sixth girl in his life) cannot be the love his life. But she had to be. Something is wrong with the numbers. These are all the thoughts going through Young's mind. What he forgets is the count doesn't only apply to him. He needs to take Erena's count into an account too.

This was an interesting book on how a young boy tried to find meaning in numbers and patterns to justify his feeling and things happened to him. It was an easy way out for him instead of looking for a logical answer. I liked the emotional rollercoaster both Young and Erena rode.

Hmmm this was definitely different than what i had expected. I dont like books that go back and forth in time. I find it frustrating and wish it was just all chronological. So it felt a little chaotic to me in that sense.

And even though i grew up in the 80s and 90s, following some of the pop culture references were harder for me too.

It was good, just not my favourite…

The narrator was great!