White Ivy was an interesting read. I was really drawn in to Ivy's experiences and perspective from the start. The middle did feel as if it dragged a bit, and I lost some interest as the book went on, but the unexpected ending was enough for me to bump it back up to 4 stars. Ivy makes for a pretty compelling antihero and I'd be interested in reading more from Yang.

Raised in a Chinese immigrant family and struggling to find her place among wealthier, white peers, Ivy becomes a thief, shoplifting but hidden by her nondescript looks and childish features. As she matures, Ivy continues to strive for material wealth and place getting ahead over morals, but maintains a facade of kindness and compliance. As she becomes involved into romantic relationships - one dull, but that promises her dream life, and one passionate but increasingly toxic, her true nature is tested. This book is a mix of tense psychological thriller and literary coming of age novel, in a good way. It starts slow, but becomes more and more compelling. Well-crafted, intriguing, stays with you.

White Ivy was certainly an interesting read, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

It tells the story of Ivy, a Chinese immigrant who has always felt separated from her more privileged, white peers. She falls for Gideon, the main "golden boy" at school, but her chance of being with him is ruined by her family, until many years later. She then starts to worm her way into his family and his heart, when a person who knows her unsavoury past shows up, bringing the threat of the destruction of everything she worked so hard for.

While the beginning of the story was fairly slow in my opinion, as soon as the plot started picking up, I was comepletely immersed. And though I don't agree with many of Ivy's actions, the author did a good job of showing why she did what she thought she had to, and giving more insight on Ivy's character; what made her who she was and why she behaved the way she did. The characters were realistic and intriguing, just as the plot was.

The ending felt a bit rushed and confusing, although the open-endedness of it seemed intentional.

And yes, White Ivy has a love triangle, but surprisingly, I didn't hate it. Despite everything, this story is a coming of age novel, and I would recommend it to any who are interesting by the above, with a touch of thriller, and the lure of an in-depth analysis of a girl who yearns for the privilege that comes with race and beauty in today's society.

(And to think that this is Susie Yang's debut... wow!)

Loved this book. I was hooked from the first page. Kept me intrigued. Did not see the ending coming at all.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster, NetGalley and author Susie Yang for providing me with an ARC of White Ivy. In exchange I offer my unbiased review.

This was a page gripping story that contained more depth than I initially thought. Ivy Lin moves to the US at the age of five, with parents who are focused on achieving the American Dream. They believe through hard work, education and sheer determination success is possible. To Ivy, thieving and trickery will get her what she desires. Always on the outside, Ivy imagines what life could be like. When opportunity knocks, Ivy is quick to shed her former life and reinvent herself but you can never really escape the past or who you truly are,

This was a promising debut and I’m curious to see what Susie Yang writes next.

Ivy prided herself on being a thief and a first-rate liar. She knew those were the qualities that would help her achieve what she wanted most. She thought she wanted to fit in with the rich American kids that dominated her daily life. She wanted privilege. “ Just what was the cloak called privilege and how did it protect you?” Her most coveted desire was Gideon Speyer. She longed to view the world through his “altered lens.” Throughout her young life, Ivy was relentless in her pursuit of happiness, or at least the facade.
A spectacular debut by Susie Yang, White Ivy explores the craving of acceptance, wealth, power and privilege through the eyes of an obsessed young woman seeking approval and love. I look forward to reading future books by this author. Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ivy wants nothing more than to live the American dream, but what exactly does that mean? For Ivy, it means stealing and clawing her way to what she wants most.

This is a well written story of an ambitious girl. I did not like the character of Ivy very well so I never engaged with her However the plot is cleverly crafted and kept me interested.
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I found this book to be pretty boring, except for some of the stuff about Chinese culture, nothing happened for pages and pages and pages, there was no mystery, no character development and barely any plot. I hate to be so negative but i only read it to honor my commitment to review it, would have stopped after the first chapter.

After I finished this book, I had to take some time to reflect. The ending and the book as a whole had me feeling conflicted. The story is a well written one. Some parts that had me shaking my head and I think it had to do more with the characters actions rather than the story. The story was really good! I loved reading about how Ivy grew up, her experiences and how they shaped her into the person she ended up becoming. On the other hand, I didn’t agree with a lot of the choices she made and cringed at most of them and I think that’s what had me conflicted. All that being said, this is a great story. The author has a great storytelling style and I think the story challenges us in a way. I highly enjoyed it. I look forward to what Miss Yang comes out with next. I give this 4 stars.

This was one of my favorite books of 2020. The writing is flawless and the character Ivy is impossible not to fall in love with despite her...shortcomings. Themes include class, identity, and what it means to strive for the “American dream.”

White Ivy is Susie Yang’s debut novel, although for nearly the entire book that fact is not obvious. Her writing style feels effortless, each detail of the narrative feels important, and the story certainly has that satisfying “can’t put down” factor. Even so, the last quarter of the book did feel rushed, and left this reader slightly disappointed.

The synopsis is an accurate representation of the events in the book, although it does not quite tell the whole story (thankfully, appropriately). Susie Yang chose to section the narrative into early stages and important moments of the life of the main character – Ivy. We see her in her teen years, as she tries to navigate the pressures and expectations of her immigrant grandmother and parents, while trying to fit in among the popular kids at her high school.

Race and social class are the main topics at play here; both effect Ivy deeply. She faces pressure and consequences from her parents to both excel in her predominantly white school as a teenager and adhere to the expectations of finding a husband and starting a family as a young adult (constantly being reminded of the life path of her Chinese cousins, family friends, and her parents). The latter also comes at a time when she begins a relationship with an old classmate, who benefits from generational wealth and ignorance/avoidance around other social class lifestyles. Microaggressions towards Ivy and her family, as well as accusations and insecurity about her family’s financial history very clearly influence her growth, or lack of it.

Ivy’s angst, anger, hope, and fears can be felt through the pages, and while her obligatory (per her parents) trip to China could not come at a worse time in Ivy’s eyes, it gave the narrative a change it needed. Susie Yang put it in just the right spot to give the plot a boost and offer a scenario that instilled a want for growth in her main character; a great setup to the next section of the book, where we see Ivy as a young adult.

In addition to seamlessly moving the narrative along, Susie Yang gives such believable life to the characters. There are nearly a dozen individuals that make appearances along the way, and they are all distinguishable from each other. When an author can make even the most dull characters feel as interesting as the most reckless, it’s a recipe for satisfaction. Especially when there isn’t really a likable character to be found, from the protagonist to the most minor background character, it’s important to still feel connected by way of description and fully fleshing out personalities. Susie Yang pulls it off.

What isn’t quite pulled off, and what leaves the reader with a slight feeling of mediocrity by the end, is the culmination of the plot. White Ivy is labeled (as of this writing) as both literary fiction and a mystery thriller, which in a way is appropriate. The first half is certainly literary, and the second half (or at least the last quarter) is thrilling in a mystery genre sense. Unfortunately the two did not join forces throughout the course of the story, and instead were separated out which makes the ending feel hurried and haphazard. A neat and tidy ending is not really expected based on the course of the characters’ lives, but until the end the pieces of the messed up puzzle were satisfactorily put together. There are a couple of events that, in a “typical” thriller or mystery would feel wild and impossibly exciting, whereas here they have an element of realness and feel like the “appropriate” next step – mostly due to Susie Yang’s enthralling writing style. Nonetheless, some of the details and final events felt like they were thrown in at the last minute to up the thrill, when it would have been more thrilling, and even maybe more realistic, to leave the conclusion a bit more open-ended.

Despite this, however, White Ivy is still a captivating, unique, and beautifully written debut novel offering perspective, reflection, and shock value. It will be exciting to see where Susie Yang goes from here.

Thank you to @netgalley and @simon&schuster for the ARC of White Ivy by Susie Yang. This is a debut novel and it’s a good one!

Ivy Lin is a young girl who is obsessed with Gideon Speyer. Ivy and Gideon go to the same school but live in two different worlds. Gideon is the son of a senator, is popular, and lives a lavish lifestyle. Ivy is the daughter of immigrants from China She is a thief and a liar. She isn’t popular, is embarrassed of her family, and just wants to be normal. The only friend she has is Roux Roman. They have a connection and they understand each other.

One night, Ivy sneaks out of her house to attend a party at Gideon’s house. When her parents find out, they send her to China temporarily to straighten herself out. They fear she is heading down the wrong path.

Upon return, a much older Ivy is reunited with Gideon. They soon become a couple. While on vacation with Gideon’s family, his sister brings her boyfriend. Enter Roux Roman. Ivy is worried that Roux will exploit her past but she still feels a connection with Roux. Soon, Ivy and Gideon become engaged. While Ivy prepares and awaits her wedding date, there will be lots of twists, turns, and even murder. Will Ivy ever be happy with herself? Will Ivy and Gideon get married? If so, at what cost?

White Ivy will be released on 9/8/2020 and I have a feeling it’s going to be a hit!

“You used to ask how your father and I got married. That’s how. It was because I willed it. If I had been a stupider girl, your father never would have looked at me. But I saw my chance and made a story for myself—even if it was a false story. You have to give a man something to fight for. That’s the secret to a lasting marriage.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for sending me an ARC of White Ivy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, the story did not work for me at all. It is quite slow. Ivy is (objectively, I would argue) a fairly horrible person, and I could never really understand her motivations. She’s envious of a certain strata of American life from a distance, but her relationship with Gideon is so flawed that it’s never clear why she clings to it. Her only passion is with Roux, yet she’s willing to shed that relationship and subsume her true nature for what she thinks will make her happy, even though it is so plainly obvious that she does not know what she really wants. I get those choices symbolically—trying to break free from her past and chase her version of the American Dream—but as actual human relationships they are difficult to accept.

Susie Yang is clearly a talented writer. There are clever turns of phrase throughout and Ivy is a richly detailed character. Hopefully I’ll find more to like in her next novel.

𝗪𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐈𝐯𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐞 𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐠. Thanks to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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Ivy is a Chinese-American who only wants to fit in with her peers. Since coming to America at age five, she’s only wanted to be liked and be part of the group. When she reconnects with her childhood crush as an adult, she will do anything to immerse herself into his family and his world. ⁣
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This was a wonderful story from a debut author. I really enjoyed the entire story, which began with Ivy as a child and ended in early adulthood. It was intelligent, witty, and clever, while still keeping a strong and interesting plot line. On top of that, there were an abundance of powerful one-liners and even some Chinese proverbs tied into the story as well. This was a character driven novel, which is not always something I like, but Ivy was so well developed it kept my full interest. I think this author is going to go far. ⁣
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White Ivy comes out 9/8/2020. It’s a bit away, so you’ll want to keep this on your radar!⁣
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“𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦, 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺, 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬.”⁣
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“𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳.”⁣
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“𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘥𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦.” ⁣
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A captivating, intruiging #ownvoices thriller. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it highly. A great exploration of the immigrant experience as well.

I wasn't sure what this book would be, but it turned out ok. I ended up reading most of it over a day, and it was interesting enough to keep my attention, but it wasn't so great that I will remember it a year from now. Ivy (no clue why this book is called White Ivy, except that maybe it refers to the fact that she wishes she were white?) is a Chinese immigrant who has never felt in step with her white neighbors, or school mates. She's a clever child who innately understands the underlying seediness of humans, and the relentless give-take of life. While growing up she resents her parents, who refuse to show her outward affection, and who barely even know her since she is raised by her grandmother for the first years of her life. She forms a tentative friendship with a neighbor named Roux who understands her need to take without giving. When she is accepted into a posh private school she falls in love with a wealthy white boy, the son of a state senator, who she will think of the rest of her life. When she grows up her past with these two boys will come back to change her life in irreversible ways.

There were plenty of interesting characters in this book, and their relationships to each other were what made the book worth reading. Ivy's complicated relationship with different members of her family, as well as her different relationships with Gideon, and his family are heartbreaking in many different ways. Ultimately this is a book about coming to terms with family, both the one you were born with, and the one you find along the way. This isn't a hopeful or uplifting book, but it relates the feeling of love and compassion you feel for your family in a very real way.

I will say the last three or four chapters were completely stupid. I saw what was coming, and it seemed to me that the author didn't know what else to do with her characters. Oh well, it could have been worse. At least everything was wrapped up in the end.

This debut novel tells the story of Ivy Lin, the daughter of Chinese immigrants who is never sure where she fits in. Ivy feels on the cusp of the life she desires, wanting the attention of people like Gideon Speyer. After getting caught in a lie by her strict parents, Ivy's life changes in the blink of an eye.

Fast forward to her mid-20s, Ivy reconnects with Gideon. They quickly jump into a seemingly comfortable coexistence, but Ivy's past always seems to be on the verge of catching up to her.

I found this story to be fascinating, and really appreciated the Ivy's point of view as someone on the outside of her dream American life. There were many surprises throughout the story, some easily expected and others completely out of the blue. I really enjoyed Ivy's story and look forward to more from Susie Yang!

Ivy doesn't want to be who she is, and she's ambitious and clever enough to reinvent herself from the plain, lower class Chinese daughter of hardworking immigrant parents to the handsome, successful man whose affluent Wasp family is everything hers is not, and welcomes her into their world The only jarring note in the symphony of her new life is the reappearance of an old schoolmate who's reinvented himself as well, and who knows secrets about Ivy that threaten to destroy the future she's dreamed of,
This is less a mystery than an acutely observed novel about a complex woman whose most complicated relationship is with herself, and the bargains and compromises she makes to get what she wants as well as value what she has and the family that gave it to her Beautifully written, with an ending that will stun even the closest reader.

There's nothing quite so exciting for a bibliophile than to read an exceptional debut novel. The writing in White Ivy is so beautiful and evocative that it's hard to believe this is Susie Yang's first novel.

I love the title White Ivy. It made me imagine some beautiful plant, but it is also such an apt title for a novel about a Chinese-American girl who holds white values and privilege in the highest esteem. Ivy Lin spent her first five years of life in China with her grandmother, Meifeng, until such time that her parents could afford to bring them both to America to be reunited. From her description, Ivy is a beautiful girl, but she "would have traded her face a thousand times over for a blue-eyed, blond-haired version" of her grade school friends.

It is in middle school that Ivy develops her obsession with her white friends. It is also at that time when she meets two boys who will become the cornerstones of her adult life: Gideon, her dream man and future fiancé, and Roux, a Romanian boy who adores her but whom she disdains.

Unlike Ivy, I loved the Lin family members, especially Meifeng. However, Ivy can't wait to get away from them so when she graduates high school, she chooses a college in Boston and makes her life there as an adult. She is thoroughly oblivious to the beauty of her family and culture, is maddeningly self-centered and superficial, and will ultimately choose a loveless marriage just to attain the white ideal.

White Ivy is beautifully crafted and well-plotted up to and including a sad (to me) ending. I can't wait to see where author Susie Yang will take us next. The book will be released on September 8, 2020, and I highly recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.