CENTRAL PLACES |

I got completely sucked into Cai's debut novel about a 28yo Chinese woman who's returned home to a small town in Illinois with her fiancé for Christmas after having been gone for 8 years. It's a small enough town that she runs into her crush from high school at Walmart on day 1, and her estranged best friend not too much later.

I like that right off the bat, you know there's going to me some messy shit that happens. 8 years have gone by and there must be a reason why Audrey has avoided her parents…

As time goes on though and we see Audrey in some messy situations, we see how she reacts and doesn't react; things aren't so clear cut. How many times do people ask her what's she thinking? What does she want? Minutes elapse before she can respond and sometimes even after that, she wavers in if she wants to say anything.

It can be frustrating to be friends or close to someone like this or to BE this person. In a lot of ways Audrey really hasn't gotten to know herself. She just had knee jerk reaction to trying to get as far away as possible from where she grew up, that she accepted the first interested white guy that sought her out.

In the span of the 2 weeks that she's home, I think that the journey that Audrey has made felt honest and realistic. I really enjoyed reading it. (4.25)

I requested this book because I was a longtime subscriber to Cai’s email newsletter “deez links” - which was incredibly poignant and a unique take on the world of “takes.” This book is not that at all, but I’m very glad I got to read it, and that it got published. Thank you for the ARC.

I loved Delia Cai's CENTRAL PLACES--a story of the reckoning of one young woman and the girl she once was, the family, friends, identity and town she left behind, the relationship she has committed to, and the person she ultimately wants to be. Set over the course of a Christmas break introducing her white fiancé to her Chinese parents at her childhood home in suburban Illinois while her father undergoes medical testing, Audrey Zhou has to face the people she once fled and the truths she has long been avoiding. This was a propulsive novel I finished in one long reading day because I needed to know how Audrey would resolve the messes she made of her life.

This is mainly the story of Audrey, an Asian American women in her twenties. Audrey was born in the US after her parents immigrated from China. She is engaged to Ben after a 3-4 year relationship together. His family probably came over on the Mayflower so they have some cultural differences to navigate. Audrey fits in well with Ben’s family but Ben has never met Audrey’s family. Audrey would like to never return to her home in the farm belt but Ben insists that he meets them at Christmas. From the first minute they arrive it becomes very clear that Audrey needs to sort out her feelings about her family and friends. Without coming to terms with the past she will not be able to move on. The ending was a surprise. Otherwise the story was fairly predictable.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the DRC. This opinion is my own.

I am so conflicted with this one. At its core, Central Places is a glimpse into what happens when we try to curate a present that does not account for past traumas and experiences. I really enjoyed the uncomfortable process of self reflection Audrey underwent through the course of the book, but was ultimately disappointed with with a few key plot points.

First, it was frustrating to watch nearly everyone from Hickory Grove villainize Audrey for leaving a place where she was clearly unhappy. I understand that Audrey made mistakes, and she let people down, but no one really asked her why she never kept in touch. There were specific PAINFUL instances of racism that she experienced as an adult, and yet everyone seemed to be irritated that she was thriving in New York (except Fran and Audrey's dad). It also felt like some of her friends gaslit her a little bit regarding her experiences as one of the few people of color in her community.

I can accept the difficult balance that many children of immigrants face between living their life and pleasing their families, who often make huge sacrifices to ensure a better future, so the moments between Audrey and her mother were so interesting. I also found Audrey's mother to be a fascinating character in her own right.

I also just didn't really buy the surprise romance that occurred between Kyle and Audrey. We know that he chose to date the more popular girls in high school, and never really made a huge effort to make his feelings known to Audrey, so I was more skeptical of the whole 'well I loved you the whole time and never told you because I was too INTIMIDATED'.

Honestly, the frustration I feel about specific plot points in the novel come from lived experience that are similar to Audrey's own conflicted feelings between her past and her present. For me to relate so much to a protagonist's struggles is a positive, but I was so let down because I really don't know if Audrey really learned anything that would help her move forward in a way that would satisfy her in the long-term.

I enjoyed this book as it touched on some experiences that I strongly related to. I found Audrey to be a sympathetic character who shaped most of her life around her parents' expectations and her childhood environment of being one of the few POCs in a small-town neighborhood. The one thing that was kind of weird for me was the change in pace -- I felt like her feelings toward Ben and her mom kind of dramatically shifted, and the pacing of that was more abrupt that I would expect. The ending was also wrapped up very quickly, and it felt like we needed more development on that side.

Received a free copy from Netgalley.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. The main character, Audrey, is a 27 year old who was raised in the Midwest and has built a life for herself in New York. She returns to her hometown with her fiancé to introduce him to her parents. Such an interesting set-up, even though it’s been widely explored before. My struggle with this story came when Audrey and her boyfriend arrived in her hometown, and she is so awash in her own memories and perspective that she treats everyone there horribly. It’s as if there has been no maturing or processing or growth for her the entire eight years she’s been away. She expects people not to have changed, not to be upset with her for her absence, or to expect anything from her at all. This theme - her refusing to take any responsibility for her relationships - continues throughout the book and made it difficult to read at times. That said, the writing was engaging and I was still curious how things would turn out. I’m glad I read this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book.

The main character, Audrey, is a fairly successful, newly engaged young woman living in New York City. After growing up in a predominantly white, rural Illinois town as one of the few people of color, you'd think she had made it. Her younger self probably would have. And yet, there is a sense that she is an outsider in NYC too, especially around her fiancee Ben's social group. When the two of them travel back to Audrey's hometown so she can introduce Ben to her parents, the trip awakens a lot of issues from her past that then spill into the present. Old patterns and insecurities emerge, but so do old friendships. I liked that Audrey's flaws and maladaptive ways of thinking were contrasted with the very real challenges and hardships that she experienced. I also thought that the author did a great job of exploring the different ways in which love and care were expressed in Audrey's family, and how there was hope for change, even after so many years of existing one way.

There's a wisdom that comes with age at different stages. Audrey bolted from small town Illinois as soon as she could, leaving behind her hover mom and her complacent dad and all her small town friends. She built a life in NYC and avoided coming home for 8 years. She's bringing her fiancé home for the holidays to introduce him to her parents. She tries hard to hold on to New Audrey, but Old Audrey is waiting in her old bedroom.
I suppose this is a coming of age type story, where New Audrey has been living in a bubble, completely ignoring Old Audrey. There is A LOT of chatter from her head about her strained relationship with her mother and the new revelations regarding her father. But it is mostly about her mother and how she's walking herself through all the turmoil in her head.
By the end, Audreys old and new have found each other and there's where the wisdom comes in. Life is short. Pay attention to what is important.

I was asked to read a prepub copy of this book for my honest review, which I have provided.

I especially enjoyed the ending of this story. I like when an author doesn’t go the predictable route.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.

Central Places is a quiet yet energetic story about a young woman going back to her hometown to visit her parents after steering clear for eight years.

Audrey Zhou is 27 and recently engaged to photojournalist Ben Stear. She loves her life in New York. Audrey and Ben have been together for three years and she reluctantly agrees to take Ben to where she grew up in Hickory Grove, Illinois to meet her parents. What she doesn’t know is that this homecoming will change everything…

I really enjoyed this. It is a thoughtful character study of a young woman who can’t wait to get away from her past and the tensions that arise when she confronts the people and place she left behind. We get to explore fraught mother-daughter relationships, racism, unrequited high school crushes, falling out with best friends, and more.

Recommended to anyone, especially readers interested in engaging stories featuring family and relationship drama.

Thank you very much to Random House Ballantine for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

CENTRAL PLACES follows Audrey Zhou's return to her hometown, Hickory Grove, after moving to New York City 8 years ago to introduce her fiancee Ben to her parents for the first time. This trip was Ben's idea because Audrey has a strained relationship with her immigrant parents, but she goes because she also learns that her dad is not well. In the book, we learn about Audrey's experience growing up in the Midwest as one of the few people of color at her school and the friendships she had that eroded in her time away. She begins to run into people, including a high school crush that creates some tension with her fiancee.

I thought this was a relatable story about reconciling who you once where and who you are trying to be. That feeling of wanting to get away from your hometown and seeing things in a new perspective after some time away. Audrey is a messy, sometimes unlikeable protagonist, but she is real and she's aware of her shortcomings, even if she doesn't know what to do about them. I think there are a lot of moments that will resonate with other children of immigrants as Audrey tries to communicate with her parents despite the language barrier and resentment from their past. I couldn't help but root for Audrey even when she made choices I didn't agree with and it was fascinating to see her growth throughout the book.

A stunning debut! Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine for the ARC!

This book was unfortunately a bit too slow for me. Even the conflicts seemed very tame. I kept reading hoping it would pick up in pace, but it just wasn’t the pace I normally like in books so unfortunately I stopped reading midway through. I think many people will still find this book enjoyable if a slower paced book is their jam.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this title.

This novel is a beautiful reminder of what it means to go home again. A reminder of the things we leave behind, both good and bad, and how they can remain a big part of your life as you move forward. Audrey's internal thoughts and dialogue were some of the best I've read. This was a wonderful debut.

A somewhat typical novel of a woman trying to regain her independence from the scorn and high expectations of an overbearing mother.

Audrey moved to New York as soon as she could escape the clutches of her overbearing parents. Creating a life for herself that she could be proud of with the man she fell in love with had become a reminder that Audrey could no longer hide who she had become. She needed to confront the past and allow the memories she tried so hard to shut out back in.
Returning to the town she grew up in, with her fiancé in tow, Audrey rekindles old hurt, the curiosity of past friendships, and the tangled-up feelings for a crush she had thought she’d left behind.

Overall the characters were a bit predictable and lacked a bit of substance. Not to mention the plot had a Hallmark movie feel to it. As one that’s not generally into that genre, it was still a pretty quick and enjoyable read.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a great novel! I found the main character and her love interest's very interesting and enjoyable. The plot was unique and kept my interest the whole time. I am looking forward to more work by Delia Cai.

“I was always trying to lose this place; I just hadn’t realized what it would mean once I did.”

Audrey Zhou left her hometown of Hickory Hills, Illinois for college and then moved to New York City. She reluctantly returned eight years later when her fiancé, Ben, wanted to meet her parents.

The people and places that shape us when we’re growing up can either strengthen us and future relationships as we dive into adulthood or it can weigh them down. We learned all that weighed Audrey down from her relationship with her parents, to an old high school crush, her begrudged best friend, and some surprising truths about her fiancé.

I highly recommend Central Places that essentially was Audrey’s diary. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in advance for an honest review.

"A young woman’s rootless past and uncertain future collide when she brings her white fiancé home to meet her Chinese immigrant parents, toppling her carefully constructed life in this vibrant, insightful debut from an exciting new voice in fiction."

What an excellent debut novel -- I can easily see this being optioned for a limited series on one of the streaming platforms. Through main character Audrey Zhou, we get to learn about the complicated experience of being a first-gen American born to immigrant parents, about what it's like to be one of the few non-white faces in an extremely homogenous space, about the things a person has to give up or reject in order to assimilate, about the expectations of both cultures. It was an eye-opening read that I can't wait to recommend to friends.

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was a nice debut novel. Thanks to Net Galley and Ballantine Books for the chance to preview and review. Expected publication date is 1/31/2023.
This is the story of a young Asian American woman whose parents immigrated from China. She grows up in a small town in Illinois but ultimately goes to the University of Chicago and then on to a high power job in NYC (Manhattan). The writing alternates between the present where she brings her WASP fiancee to meet her parents and her time growing up in small town America.
The writing and flow of this novel was excellent, it was a quick and enjoyable read.
I found the issues that the immigrant parents and Audrey herself faced to be compelling and I really felt I learned more about immigrant perspectives from the novel.
Audrey as a character was well developed, I just didn't particularly like her. In fact most of the characters were unlikeable . I had more difficulty interpreting the behavior of the "American" characters, for example Kyle , Ben and Kirsten).
The ending certainly resolved things nicely but I didn't feel prepared for how it unfolded. I would have liked more insight into Audrey's parents point of view.

Thanks to NetGalley & Ballentine Books for this eARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

Format:

eBook

Rating:

5 STARS

Summary:

Audrey is headed back to her small hometown with her bougie photographer fiance, Ben, in tow so he can meet her parents. She has hidden this piece of herself away from Ben, and the rest of her life in New York in part due to shame, and in part due to hurt. She ran from her relationship with her demanding mother to New York, and ran from her small life in her small town, in an effort to both become her own person and please her mother. Audrey is faced with the difficult decision of continuing to hide who she really is and or showing her whole personality to her fiance, and ultimately herself.

50% Progress Check:

I'm not going to lie, it's midnight, and I've been reading since 10, and I'm not going to put this book down till I finish. This is a dramatic hot/cold relationship, mixed with multi-generational cultural divides, mixes with unrequited crushes. Audrey's relationship with her parents hits home for me, as an AAPI.

Immediate Completion Thoughts:

I'm so happy with the ending. I was hoping she wouldn't settle and she didn't. Audrey definitely got the wake-up call she needed and it was so satisfying the way it played out.

Most Surprising Moment:

TBH the drunken moments.

This Book Reminds Me Of:

Mildly like The Notebook Girls and as another reviewer mentioned, 'Tis the Damn Season by Taylor Swift

Final Ramble-y Thoughts:

Audrey wasn't a super likable character, and to be completely honest, most characters weren't 100% likable, except her Dad. BUT I think that's what makes this book so good. Each character is SO real. Relatable and also hatable. There were several times where I was like, Uhhhm, Audrey, you're kind of being a bad person. But I also think that her feelings are so real - it is super hard being the odd one out, especially in a small town, and dealing with racism is really the only way that is possible in such a small town, which unfortunately is just...trying to ignore it, because no matter how hard you fight to stand up for yourself, you still will be outcast. It is terrible. I think this book is powerful in that Cai didn't sugarcoat the truth, which is yes, racism exists, and this is how we experience it as AAPI. In addition to the racism faced by AAPI, there are also such high expectations put on us, both from our own parents, and the same people who are calling us racist names - the stereotypes of being the "smart" Asian, and being the "successful" daughter are indeed stereotypes, but also an expectation we are forced to try to live up to. It was frustrating to read it because I experienced the same expectations from my parents and the same bullying from my peers.

Let's talk about Audrey's relationship with her parents. I think it's accurately summed up by something my mother said to me when I was younger. She said I always go to her for my problems, but when she tries to help me with them, I would cry to my dad about how she was so unfair for judging me. I've noticed that most of my other AAPI girlfriends are daddy's girls, and favor their dad over their mom. It's kind of a forever, "protect dad from the drama". But also mom knows too much so we can't talk to her about bad stuff either. UGH. This book is so good.

I'm going to leave the romance on the table because honestly, the romance was juicy and interesting, but I was more interested in the cultural insights. I have felt that same, "hide who you are" feeling with past boyfriends because I still wanted to uphold the "Asian and Indigenous, but raised white" persona because being too much more than that is "too ethnic" and "too different". How fascinating is it that we have to hide parts of ourselves to fit in, and when we show our whole selves, we're told we've shown too much? I could go on and on about this...so, needless to say, this book shook me.