The Wangs vs. the World

Believe the hype: this book is fantastic. It's a global financial crisis 'Little Miss Sunshine', with a Chinese-American family going on a cross-country road trip as the economy crumbles. Mr Wang has built his own American dream: a cosmetics company that is an industry giant and a household name. His children, softened by a privileged upbringing share none of his determined drive, but will have to find some once their cars are repossessed, their expensive colleges fees go unpaid and Mr Wang arrives to collect them as he flees Los Angeles with the intent of driving to New York state to bunk with the solvent eldest child. The interactions between the family members are perfectly pitched: tense, touching and funny. I especially loved how the siblings communicate with one another and how strongly their position in the pecking order influences their behaviour: the eldest feels responsible for them all, the middle child just wants to opt out of everything (but still have everyone's approval) and the youngest is so needy for attention and love. I also loved Mr Wang and how his life is finally coming full circle as his children become adults and all his hard work crumbles. This book has such heart: it's a story that everyone who is from their own funny little family can identify with.

Loved, loved, loved this book! Meet the Wangs, who put the fun in dysfunctional in this rags-to-riches-and-back-again story. The father is a proud immigrant whose pride comes before his fall, as he build a cosmetics empire only to watch it crumble. His three children Saina (a former art world darling who has disappeared from public life after a disastrous controversial show), Andrew (a wannabe comedian who isn't very funny) and Grace (a style blogger trying to make a name for herself) are brought together by their father as he collects Grace and Andrew from their respective homes and takes them to Saina's house, along with their stepmother Barbra.
Along the way, we learn their backstories, including rises and falls, loves lost and gained and dreams of success.
This is a hugely entertaining book, wonderfully written and a truly incredible debut from Chang - she writes with incredible confidence, creating rich layered characters that you'll fall in love with. I can't recommend this highly enough!