Ivy Lin wants what she wants, and she's not afraid to lie, steal, or cheat, to get it. Feeling displaced in America after she's sent to live with parents she barely remembers, Ivy's convinced that if she can just capture the heart of the All-American WASP she has her sights set on, that everything will fall into place. And just when Ivy thinks she's got Gideon exactly where she wants him, a skeleton from her past shows up - threatening to destroy the life she's carefully crafter for herself.

With twists and turns, and a main character willing to do anything to belong - this tale of privilege and coming of age in a world where you can be anything if you're willing to sacrifice enough - White Ivy is one you don't want to miss!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for advance access to this title!

I could not get into this book. It felt flat to me. It did not make me want to know more about the characters or what would happen.

I really enjoyed this book! This book was generously provided to me through NetGalley. Highly Recommended!

Oooooh, Ivy, so devious and cunning!! This was a fun read. It was a little bit of a slow burn, but I felt like I really knew Ivy by the conclusion. I was a little disappointed in the two shockers near the end of the book as neither of them were particularly shocking, but overall a quick, engaging read.

3.5/5 stars

i cant even rave about this book enough, it's such a captivating story that dives into an immigrant story that raises a lot of intrigue. i had an internal battle when reading this book, because sometimes I rooted for Ivy, and other times, I was confused as to who I was rooting for which worked really well because people are linear. while the twist was predictable, I think that the ending of this novel was well suited and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

A debut novel about Ivy Lin who stayed with her grandmother for several years growing up, while her parents immigrated to America. Several years later, they send for her and she discovers that she has a younger brother.
They live in low income housing because they are struggling financially. Because of her father’s new job, they send Ivy to an exclusive prep school on scholarship. It’s here where Ivy gets the taste of the good life. She decides that’s what she’ll have, no matter the cost. Ivy becomes a master manipulator to get what she wants. How far will she go to get to the top?

I received a free arc from Net Galley for an honest review.

This was a unique take on a coming of age novel, with elements of a thriller. The main character, Ivy, was compelling -- often unsympathetic but never boring. I could not put this one down. This was a great debut, and I'll be excited to see what comes next from this author.

Fast paced romance, has intriguing characters and attention to detail. Mood settings, intrigue, a good read.

TW: Sexual assault, self-harm/suicidal idealism, eating disorders/body hatred/fatphobia, violence, death/dying, mental health triggers, racism/racial slurs, sexism/misogyny, classism, sex, domestic abuse

If you follow any kind of book groups, book clubs, magazine recommendations, etc., you've likely heard about White Ivy. It was everywhere back in the fall when it released.

Back cover synopsis: Ivy Lin is a thief and a liar—but you’d never know it by looking at her. Raised outside of Boston, she is taught how to pilfer items from yard sales and second-hand shops by her immigrant grandmother. Thieving allows Ivy to accumulate the trappings of a suburban teen—and, most importantly, to attract the attention of Gideon Speyer, the golden boy of a wealthy political family. But when Ivy’s mother discovers her trespasses, punishment is swift and Ivy is sent to China, where her dream instantly evaporates.

Years later, Ivy has grown into a poised yet restless young woman, haunted by her conflicting feelings about her upbringing and her family. Back in Boston, when she bumps into Sylvia Speyer, Gideon’s sister, a reconnection with Gideon seems not only inevitable—it feels like fate.

Slowly, Ivy sinks her claws into Gideon and the entire Speyer clan by attending fancy dinners and weekend getaways to the Cape. But just as Ivy is about to have everything she’s ever wanted, a ghost from her past resurfaces, threatening the nearly perfect life she’s worked so hard to build.

Filled with surprising twists and offering sharp insights into the immigrant experience, White Ivy is both a love triangle and a coming-of-age story, as well as a glimpse into the dark side of a woman who yearns for success at any cost.

I struggled to enjoy the first part of the book. It’s very much literary fiction, which I tend to find anticlimactic and leaning towards unbearably boring. But then, with about a quarter of the book left, it was suddenly not so boring anymore. It took quite a thrilling, while slow burning, turn. So twisty it was that I had to reread the chapter again because I thought I had misread it. It didn’t really feel like the same book or the same story, but overall, it made sense. Then the ending was slower again, and predictable, but very much poetic and truly the perfect way to end the book. I’m not sure I could’ve found any other ending to be satisfactory.

Ivy is incredibly unlikeable, and I hate that her entire existence really revolves around these two men. She doesn’t really know who she is, and the parts of herself that she recognizes, she wants those parts to be different. I think it speaks loads to American society and how the “American Dream” is about race and status, how the “best thing to be” is rich and white. It’s disheartening and sad and infuriating.

"Knowledge, like money, was foolish to give away for free. You could never get it back." - White Ivy, Susie Yang

White Ivy is honestly a really fantastic story, but it’s one of those that isn’t a surface level story. It’s deep, there’s lots to analyze, and while it’s pacing could’ve certainly been faster, I do think it was written well for the story that was being told.

White Ivy isn’t a happy book, but I wouldn’t describe it as sad either. It’s honest and raw. It’s worthy of a read, especially for fans of Celeste Ng.

Thank you so much to net galley for sending me a copy of this book, I fell in love with the writing and if you pick this up you without not be disappointed

This is a thriller about a. young woman obsessed with a classmate. It is a debut novel and a coming-of-age story. It is unpredictable and I couldn't put it down! I have recommended it to many people.

Interesting characters and story. I'm not sure I've read a book before where I've disliked the characters so strongly; yet at the same time wanted them to come out on top. Really makes one stop and consider if the decisions we make because of our upbringing are really that horrific based on the person's current economic and social status. Great debut book. Definitely looking forward to reading more from this author.

This story did not work for me- it is quite slow. Ivy is not a character I like, and I could never really understand why she did a lot of what she did. I liked Roux and was sorry at his ending because he was only trying to help her and I believe he really loved her. I had a hard time getting through it for these reasons

This book was dark and extremely compelling and written so beautifully. The author did an amazing job allowing the reader to connect with the characters and gave so much detail to imagine.

I liked the story telling and even though at some parts I truly dislike Ivy, I still wanted to know how her journey will shape. The final twist is predictable but it was the best conclusion we get. It was still unique, original and a great start for a debut author!

White Ivy just didn't quite connect with me. While an engaging story (I definitely felt compelled to keep turning pages to know how it ended), I didn't feel like the characters were very real to me.

This book is so twisty and entertaining. I don't know how else to put it, but Ivy is definitely a character I love to hate. Ivy is such a headstrong person and will do whatever it takes to get what she wants. Yang did a wonderful job of writing this character-driven novel. It'll leave you thinking about the main protagonist for days.

Refreshingly honest story of Asian Americans and how those who are born here or arrive as children are held to sometimes impossible standards of achievement.

Pure delight! This book kept me on the edge of my seat. I was never bored or tempted to skip ahead. Really enjoyed

I had this book wait-listed at my local library and then realized I had received it as a free e-ARC from NetGalley a few months before, had started it, wasn't hooked and stopped.

I gave it another shot and was, at first, intrigued. As several librarian reviewers have mentioned on NetGalley, it is a great character study. Ivy Lin is not so likeable as the story moves along, but she is intriguing.

You can read the plot in other reviews so I won't get into it here. I was intrigued by Ivy's emotional and situational development, and there was certainly an element of intrigue and suspense at one point. Then, for me, it devolved into sadness, with a strange ending.

I would recommend the read because it kept my interest all the while, yet it isn't a book I would read again. That said, it was well written and I'd certainly give another work by this author a chance.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and the author, for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.