I liked this a lot! As someone who is also from an anonymous small town in the Midwest, many of the surface details here felt familiar (see: Menards, youth group, driving around just because), and on a deeper level, I enjoyed the way Cai explored the complicated nature of home and belonging, and the way hometown bonds (with both people and places) can feel lifelong and tenuous all at once.

Audrey lives the perfect life in New York City with her fiancé Ben. They are looking to buy a house and start a life together. She has been supporting him as a photographer while she works in advertising. She grew up in the midwest as the only child n a Chinese immigrant family. Her mother is very judgmental and domineering and her father is more laid back. Ben grew up with a silver spoon where everything came easy and his family was picture perfect blue bloods.

Audrey couldn't wait to get out of her small midwestern town and never look back. She has avoided returning home and spending time with her mother. Once she and Ben got engaged, Ben needed to meet the parents and Christmas time seemed like the best time to do it. Her father had a medical procedure and Audrey could be there for it. Returning home exposed all of Audrey's old fears and divisions. She hadn't kept in touch with any of her old friends including her best friend and her crush but of course she runs into them while in town. The effect of being in the same space as her mother exacerbates the divide and judgments and Audrey's self-loathing. It also pulls down Ben's façade and exposes his snobbery and self-centeredness. With her father's procedure postponed and the fissures exposed, Audrey re-evaluates her relationships with her friends, and family.

The book was very good about showing anti-Chinese, anti-immigrant hate. It is good at showing a judgmental, overbearing mother. It is good at capturing the insecurities that people feel with presented with constant signals that they are not good enough or they don't deserve their place in the world. The story was though provoking about what it means to go home again; how to forge adult relationship with your parents once you are an adult; and finding and using your voice,

The story is told through Audrey's perspective so we get all of her emotions, assumptions, perceptions, right or wrong. She comes across as whiney and childish. Because of the first person narrative almost all of the characters are one dimensional. The mother is the most fully fleshed out; Kyle, the old crush has partial substance. Ben and the father are flat and Kristen is a shadow. Dialogue was spotty. There were parts where there was some actual give and take, but then one character's statement would be in quotes and then Audrey's next statement would be narrative then back to the other character's dialogue in quotes. It was distracting and frustrating in points when the dialogue continued rather than just summarizing the rest of the conversation and moving on to the next part of the story.

Thank you Net Galley and Random House for the opportunity to read and review this book in advance for free in return for an unbiased review

Central Places is a enchanting novel that takes place over two and a half weeks that will pull you in and keep you reading. Audrey is the only child of Chinese immigrant parents who moved to the United States to provide opportunities for their daughter, including high expectations for her success. Raised in the rural heart of an Illinois agricultural area, Audrey faced many challenges but was very popular with her classmates. Now college-educated, living in New York, and armed with a successful job, her fiance Ben encourages the two of them to visit her hometown at Christmas. Audrey has not visited her home in eight years, but decides it's a good time to mend poor relations with her mother and connect with her past. The ensuing challenges, both with her parents and with high school friends drives this novel and keeps you reading until the end. Delia has written her first novel and her writing style shines through in Central Places, a book I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an advance reading copy of this book.

There are some stories with complicated main characters who aren't perfect, but you enjoy their journey. I loved reading the way Cai handled the mother/daughter dynamic and the experiences of a 2nd generation individual and gives it a lot of heart. It wrapped up a little too nicely at the end, but it was a great story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Audrey Zhou, the daughter of Chinese immigrants, left her small midwestern home after high school and never returned. Now she is returning so that her parents can meet her photojournalist WASP fiance Ben. Their visit coincides with Christmas and a medical procedure for her dad. The couple has chance encounters with Audrey’s high school crush Kyle and her former best friend Kristen. Events force Audrey to reexamine her relationships with her parents, which have always been poor, and her fiancé. I didn’t like any of the characters initially. Audrey and Ben both seem like willful brats. Her parents are very set in her ways and her mother, especially, is almost a caricature of stereotypical Asian mom. As the story progressed, however, I appreciated the family dynamics more. I thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Audrey Zhou is a twenty-something New Yorker who is bringing her new fiancé home to her small mid-western hometown to meet her family for the first time over the Christmas holiday. While the story may sound like a typical romantic comedy premise, Central Places presents a uniquely Chinese-American perspective on this story. Audrey grew up with immigrant parents in a mostly white town that she tried to leave behind as an adult, including her former high school crush and best friend. Bringing her white fiancé home for the first time forces Audrey to deal with her past. This story was so well-written and included so many nuances of being an Asian-American woman in an interracial relationship that I appreciated and related to.

Who knew that going back home for a visit could change the life you built while you were away? This novel had me hooked on Audrey's story. I enjoyed experiencing what it is like growing up American with Chinese immigrant parents. This book is definitely worth reading.

Writing: 4/5 Characters: 4/5 Plot: 3.5/5
A somewhat over-detailed but ultimately satisfying story of a young woman coming to an understanding of herself — the person she wants to be and the person she evolved from. Twenty something Audrey Zhou loves her life in New York City: her kind and conscientious NYC born and bred photojournalist boyfriend (Ben) and her job as a salesperson for a trendy NY magazine, but most of all she loves the extreme distance from her home and immigrant parents in Hickory Grove, Illinois. When her father has a potential health problem, Ben insists on accompanying Audrey home to meet her parents for the first time and learn more about her.

I was impressed by the way this book worked out — it really did focus on a single person’s experience, rather than another agenda heavy diatribe about racism in the U.S. Assumptions, biases, and exposed hypocrisies appear in multiple places, and the recognition of what part Audrey finds herself playing in all of that is worth the price of admission. The story did NOT evolve the way I expected it to, and I found I really liked the non-standard, unexpected ending. Some of the more descriptive sections contrasting her Hickory Grove memories and current experiences went on for a little longer than I needed, but I was overall quite happy with the book.

I was really touched by this novel. I actually had tears in my eyes as I finished -- that's never, ever happened before. I could identify with large parts of the story, and the dialogue rang true, as did the Midwestern venues.

I wholeheartedly recommend the book. I'm truly glad I read it.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest revue.

Delia Cai’s debut novel Central Places follows twenty-six-year-old Audrey Zhou as she travels from New York to central Illinois for the holidays to introduce her fiancé Ben to her Chinese immigrant parents. Audrey has taken pains to create a life in New York that even her parents could be proud of: her high-paying sales job has been supplementing her parents’ income for years, and handsome, charming, native New Yorker Ben is an ideal fiancé. Yet Audrey’s uneasy relationship with her parents stems from a long history of failing to meet her mother’s high expectations, and she fears the choices that have shaped her adult life will be no exception.

What would be a high-pressure situation for any couple is compounded by the fact that this is the first time Audrey has returned to her hometown in eight years. Before she and Ben run into a former crush in the Walmart parking lot, the last time Audrey spoke to any of her high school friends was freshman year of college. Old memories and long-buried emotions come simmering to the surface during their week at home, and the cracks in Audrey and Ben’s seemingly perfect relationship begin to show as it becomes clear just how much of her past and present feelings Audrey is suppressing. When her father’s unexpected health issues force Audrey to extend her trip, tensions in her relationships with her mother, with Ben, and with her high school best friends all come to a head, leaving Audrey struggling to find common ground between the person she was eight years ago and the person she’s fought to become.

Central Places is a book about the lengths we will go to create our own definition of home, in the hopes of influencing the ways it inevitably defines us in return. As a fellow Midwestern transplant who does not go home as often as she should, the unique nostalgia of summer nights spent driving aimlessly around with friends and crushes rang as true for me as did the heartfelt exploration of how our turbulent teenage emotions shape our feelings and relationships long after we’ve left home. Audrey is not always a kind or likable character; bending under the pressure of everyone’s expectations, she acts on impulse and rarely takes responsibility for her actions. Yet one of the most important benchmarks of adulthood is recognizing the times when your choices are in your hands and no one else’s, when you alone have the power to burn things down or make things right. By the end of this perceptive and insightful debut, Cai has both Audrey and the reader reconsidering what it means to make the right choice out of all the choices we are given, especially when that choice is love.

This lovely novel gave me all the feels. So much truth here: small town girl looking to get out; parental
Pressure; immigrant prejudice; facing your faults. I couldn’t put this one down. Read it in a single sitting.

I received an ARC of Central Places from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Central Places follows the protagonist, Audrey Zhou, on her first trip home to Illinois in nearly a decade. Audrey had a difficult childhood as the daughter of Chinese immigrants, never feeling like she fit in with her mostly white classmates, so when she left for college she never looked back. She leads a life of fun and adventure in New York City with her fiancé and a great friend group. But a trip over the holidays to introduce her parents and fiancé brings her past roaring back and she is forced to reckon with much unfinished business.

Though the Audrey’s family makeup is very different from my own, the characters and their motivations seemed very real as I read this book. Reading can expose us to different perspectives and life experiences unlike our own, and this book felt both illuminating and relatable. I hope people will read it and enjoy what makes Audrey’s story both unique and universal.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I liked the many ways in which the title played a part in this story and it was a nice fresh take to read a book in central Asia.

I felt that this was a really good read. I felt that it was part coming home and part perception in many ways. The main character is returning home to bring her fiancee to meet her parents. She has two very separate existences, however one had lain dormant until she returned to her hometown. She is a different person depending on who she is around it seems. There was definitely a fair amount of mama/daughter drama, however I felt that this really highlighted the main character and illustrated who she was. I would definitely like to read more from this author. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

Being 2nd generation American-born Chinese, this book totally called out to me. And, I was lucky to have been given an ARC of this book by NetGalley and Random House in exchange for an honest review. So many of the issues that our protagonist went through, I’ve dealt with – some I am still struggling with letting my parents see eye to eye with me. Well, onto the book review.

Audrey Zhou hasn’t been home in 8 years since moving away to New York for college. Once she was done, she started building a life there away from home – away from her parents. Until she got a call that her dad had a scheduled surgery that he wanted her to be there with him. The best part? It was the week leading up to Christmas. Audrey’s seemingly impeccable fiancé Ben urges her to go, and what perfect excuse to meet and be introduced to his future in-laws? Also, bonus points for being a supportive partner. Besides, they would return a few days before Christmas and they could still spend time together back in New York – just in time for the holidays.

Audrey on the other hand, is dreading every second of the return to her Midwestern hometown in Illinois ever since checking in for her flight. She’s intentionally lost touch with everyone from high school as a means to try to erase her past. This included people like Kristen, her bff and also her longtime crush – Kyle. Inevitably, she runs into almost everyone albeit at different times throughout her stay; being that it is a small town and everyone is either home for the holidays or never left. This stirs up a lot of mixed feelings for Audrey on how she left things with everyone.

Back at home, she avoids her mom like the plague – or at least she wants to. Her mom was never short to remind her that she was the accident that caused her family to suffer through all the hardships they’ve had to overcome. Always wanted her to be the best and if she had failed to do so, her mother would be sure to let her know her disappointment in her. This included letting Audrey know through her actions that she felt Ben wasn’t good enough for her.

Throughout the book, Audrey was a very unlikeable protagonist. She always carried an attitude that was very woe is me and that everyone else owed something to her. Whatever resulted from her actions no matter the time, was never her fault. I admit I got a little bored of her character about a third of the way through. What really saved her character was maturing to the point of realizing she had to make amends for the way she left things and stop making excuses. The story did come full circle in finally understanding where her mother’s mannerisms came from and why she did what she did. Most immigrant parents have had it hard and they always want what’s best for their children. Although they don’t always know how to show it, they always mean well.

She made up with Kristen and Kyle in the end and *surprise* called the engagement off with Ben. As to why? Well, I urge you to pick up a copy of this book when it’s due to release on January 31, 2023. You won’t be disappointed! A great debut novel 🙂

I wanted to like this book. The characters were interesting and the plot had potential but it never really took off. I found myself wondering what plot was or if something more was going to happen.

4 stars - This book has lingered with me post reading. I am so glad I read this. Thank you netgalley & the publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Highly recommend this one! This was my first book to read by this author but definitely won't be my last. The characters will stay with you long after you finish the book and you will find yourself wishing the story would never end.

(3 1/2 stars) This book ends well but unfortunately it doesn’t really get going until more than half way and the first half is kind of a slog where the story feels like it’s treading water as the author repeatedly hammers home the same points about her impossibly critical mother, her white fiancé who means well but doesn’t get it, and the alienation she felt growing up in a predominantly white midwestern town. Yes, these are all points that are central to the character’s experience and provide context for the second half of the book but give the reader some credit for getting it. That half of the book could have easily been trimmed down to a third and been a breezier read. Overall, I am glad I didn’t give up and actually got to the second half of the book because it does wrap up nicely.

Feelings about home are complicated. So are families. You can love a person or a place the same time as you loathe them. It's all so tangled that it's easy to misunderstand your own feelings.

Delia Cai's new novel shows you can go home again, and that it's a part of you no matter how much you deny it. Cai's Audrey is messy and relatable and infuriating all at once. She's definitely a force, and I'm excited to see what she does next.

Minor quibble that didn't affect my rating--this cover does not fit the tone of the book at all. Picking it up, I thought it was nonfiction. I'll be interested to see if it's updated for the paperback release.