Central Places is witty, wonderful, and worth it! It's relatable for anyone who has ever moved away from home and been desperate not to return. Confronting who you are and where you're come from looks different for everyone, and I'm so glad a novel like this exists.

I listened to this on audio. It wasn't one of my favorite reads but I got through it. I found it to be a good look at the family dynamics in Asian American families especially those in small town America. That part I thoroughly enjoyed. However, I found this to be kind of a slow insufferable read. The main character just didn't hit the right notes for me. She was repetitive, whiny, and came off as very self centered.

I jumped at the chance to read this as the main character was to return home to her small town in rural Illinois. But it was more about how the main character Audrey wanted to screw up her life as quickly as possible.

It's always hard for me to like the "unlikeable" characters that authors create, and Audrey is one of the most unlikeable characters I've met. She's very selfish and immature. Her fiancé's parents are extremely rich, and Audrey acts like her fiancé is the one who acts pretentious and entitled. Audrey is all these things. It made it hard to read since there weren't any characters who were likeable or even relatable. By the end Audrey had evolved quite quickly, but it was too little, too late.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for a free and unbiased review.

Not a bad intersectional story. Kind of a guess who’s coming to dinner if you will. A decent debut that doesn’t knock it out of the park for this reader. Characters are too stiffly drawn, not archetypical, but socially relevant as society becomes more intersectional. I didn’t love it, but I liked it OK.

I really enjoyed this book! It was entertaining and stayed humorous even when it got tough. It gave me insight to a point of few that I don't have but it also had very relatable emotions.

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Central Places.

I thought that this was a well written book with very relatable events. It did, however, seem to have a slower pace.

Audrey brings her fiancé Ben home to her small hometown in Illinois for the first time to meet her parents...The place she tried hard so hard to leave for many reasons.

I enjoyed this, especially since I thought I had the ending figured out and it was very different than what I had imagined. The Zhou family dynamic was interesting and kept me reading.

A very nice debut and I will read this author in the future.

Central Places by Delia Cai is a perfect fit for readers who appreciate nuanced explorations of identity, family dynamics, and the complexities of cultural heritage, particularly those who have experienced the tension between tradition and modernity, and are drawn to stories that delve into the intricacies of the Asian American experience.

This is a great story that showcases the complications of returning home, a struggle even more difficult given the protagonist's minority status within her community.

i think this novel will resonate with many asian-american women who chafe at the cultural expectations of asian parents, while aspiring to be an "american" success story.

i think that non-asian readers could find the protagonist unlikeable in her choices but, as an asian-american myself, i felt that's what made audrey zhou real and relatable.

the prose felt immediate and modern and the premise messy in the best way.

i would definitely recommend to my asian-american friends.

Lives you could have lived if not for _____ is always a fascinating subject to explore—and the addition of 'returning to your hometown and running into an old crush' gives this story (at a glance) all the luster of a good romcom. However, Delia Cai's Central Places digs a lot deeper, excavating the ways in which our past will always shape our present. Some of the themes of identity and familial obligation, especially in the context of being a second-generation American, seem familiar to other books that I've read, but these characters were fully fleshed out, and Cai's voice keeps things fresh.

I think this book would be a good fit for readers of Xochitl Gonzalez or Jessica George, but you could definitely cast a wider net and still find a match, too.

Thank you to Ballantine for the opportunity to read and review!

I enjoyed this story about a woman in her late 20's, who visits her parents in "the middle of nowhere" Illinois with her fiancé. She hasn't been home since she left for college and abandoned her old life and her high school friends for a fresh start. She always felt different living in the midwest with her immigrant parents (from China) and still feels like the odd one out when she returns.

I liked the cadence of this story as it unfolded over the pre & post holiday season- really enjoyed spending the time with the main character Audrey. She isn't the most likeable character and her poor actions - past and present - are pointed out by lots of people surrounding her.

Delia Cai so clearly communicates and understands the idea that "you can never go home." A sharp look at the ways in which children of immigrants leave pieces of themselves behind while they create space for themselves in the world — and how they can get them back.

This was the first book I have read by this author. I was not really impressed. It went to slow to me and was all over. I may would give this author another chance. I might would recommend this book.

A little laborious to get through. The MC was self centered and viewed herself as a victim constantly which was grating on the nerves but it was necessary for the evolution that takes place throughout the book. I appreciate the rawness of all the characters and the flaws that were shown. It felt real and maybe that struck a nerve with me too because I could so clearly see parts of myself in Audrey. It was an interesting reading experience and one I am sure alot of 30 something year olds will be able to relate to in some way. This book seems like a labor of love and I appreciate the heart that went into it.

This is a great book club pick. This is an exciting new voice in the literary world. Thanks for the review copy.

It was a thought-provoking novel that was well written. Thank you netgalley for the early copy of it.

So relatable. MC goes through very real life events and author does an amazing job of conveying them. I would love love love to read more books by author!

This book really had it all- love, family, friendship and growth. Very good and well written. I especially liked the characters.

I was drawn to the synopsis, finding parallels to my own life. Cai's debut novel was sublime. I read the physical book as well as listened to the audiobook and devoured it in just a few hours.

Central Places is a character-driven novel. The MC, Audrey Zhou, is Chinese American and grew up in a small, predominantly White mid-western town where she has always felt like the odd person out and has had a fraught relationship with her parents, particularly her mother. She has left high school friends and family behind her, or so she thinks, until her fiancé persuades her to visit home and spend time during Christmas.

The novel is layered with questions we all ask ourselves when go back “home” -- it's about the choices we’ve made/make & what fuels those choices, tense relationships with our parents and viewing old hurts from a more grown-up lens. It's about growth and introspection. Audrey thinks she's "made it" in several ways - severing her "old self" with her new "New York self," but did she really?

I read an article about the author and the novel in @joysauceofficial which I really enjoyed. In response to a question, Cai says:

“Did those relationships last forever like we said they would after graduation? No. But does that mean they were any less important? No. Writing this was a way of honoring that.”

Cai writes the way I would love to write and Central Places has themes similar to my own work. That anger and frustration between her and her mother -it's so palpable and I've lived it. The emotions she's felt when she comes across her old high school friends (and the drama of seeing an old crush) - been there. I think we've all felt that too when we are faced with the old version of our self that we thought we've tucked or hidden away.

This novel is thoughtful, fluid, but also alarming and jarring in many ways. I truly enjoy books like these that make you think and reflect. Such a dynamic debut. Swipe for the full synopsis.

Thank you @penguinrandomhouse for the #gifted book.