This was sadly just not for me. The first part of the story had promise and I loved the narrative and buildup, but we lose that intrigue and forward momentum in the second and third parts, because of the narrative switch. I love multi-generational stories and multiple POVs, so long as they are executed well. This felt very surface level and half-baked. The narrative shifts were too quick and took me out of the story. It's not terrible, there were elements I loved, but it was sadly forgettable.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Holy s#!* this was so good! I didn’t make it more than a few chapters in on the first go around. (Same happened for me on The Overstory!)
It seemed like it was going to drag, but then you turn a page and a whole life has been lived. Such fun play with time and family and success.
What Bear is to a love story between sisters, Real Americans is to a mother-daughter love story.
This is the matriarchal tale of Frankenstein that I’ve been waiting my whole life for!

This was a unique story with some really interesting points but the way the story was told drove me nuts. This book follows three generations of the same family starting around 2000 until the future. Instead of going back and forth with the multiple POVs this one had each part told by a different person in a different time. For me after finishing the first part I was so invested in Matthew and Lily that when it switched to Nick it left me wanting more from the previous characters. I could see others really enjoying this book the writing was very well done and the characters were well fleshed out and I really cared about them. I hope to pick up more from this author in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

truly one of the most beautiful pieces of writing i've ever graced my eyes with. just WOW. i saw pieces of myself in every page and every line. what a raw book. definitely will read more books from this author!!

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Now available.

Like a cinematic masterpiece, Rachel Khong's Real Americans starts with an unexpected meet and greet. When twenty something Lily goes on a date with young, handsome, and mysterious Matthew, she can hardly imagine the twists and turns her life will take. Told from the perspectives of Lily, her mother, and her son Nick, this story travels from 1970s China to 2030's America. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two sections, but began to lose some interest in the third - mainly because I wanted more Lily! Selfishly, I enjoyed seeing her transition from her twenties to her fifties, to see her settle into life. I wanted to hear more about her experiences later in life, alone but still finding ways to make life beautiful and meaningful. The sci-fi elements in this work are subtle but still intriguing enough, though they feel secondary to the human drama at the heart of the piece. Very moving.

A beautiful tale spanning countries, generations, socioeconomic circumstances. If you enjoy multiple perspectives and intergenerational family stories you will love this one!

What an absolutely brilliant novel! This is a multi-generational masterpiece unlike any other. Real Americans follows three generations, not chronologically, of a Chinese American family, with each of the three POVs at a specific point in life when they are trying to figure out their purpose and relation to the world. I was surprised by the plot twists - I was expecting a "no plot, just vibes" novel, which I love - but I was pleasantly surprised to be on the edge of my seat with some of the mysteries and plot points. Each time one POV ended, I was upset to lose the connection to that character, but I was quickly drawn in to the next. The ending was SO satisfying, with so many threads all coming together, and a perfect final scene. One of my favorite books of the year, for sure. I'll be recommending this to everyone.

At first glance, this book deals with a single mom’s teenager son’s coming-of-age story and how he discovers that not everything is as it seemed regarding his mom’s relationship with his dad.

At a deeper level, you’ll be thinking about issues around bioengineering ethics, race / ethnicity, social construct of nationalism, etc.

This story was moving and captivating. The twists and turns caught me off guard but made for a more interesting story. Highly recommend!

Real Americans!
First, special thank you to Netgalley and PRH audio for the complimentary files in exchange of my honest review. The narrators were amazing!

What does it take to be called a real American?
I am really sensitive to the plot that involve immigration because I for one was an immigrant turned American citizen and yet I can never consider myself to be real American.

The story span into a big three generation family saga full of drama, struggle, rich culture and either missing or feeling the sense of belongingness. The differences to adapt per generation and all the secrets in between causing conflicts, betrayal, hurt feelings and more. It started really strong and captivating. Very defined when it comes to character build up yet at some point, the switch from one generation (part 1,2 and 3) has lost me. Halfway through was a becoming to be a drag.

What did I love from this book? It was beautifully written and while I am very familiar with the scenarios presented, Family values are strong factor to Asian culture and I love how this was manifested in great detail. I can't help but relate as to why the parents hold on to their roots and the children are somehow finding faults with their parent's upbringing. I was very disappointed at conceivable notion that the acceptance standards of being white tends to go down low to the looks and the whiteness of it all compared to being labeled as "plain Asian" feature. Why? I do not get it and I am Asian with I guess, plain features.

I am having unresolved issues about this book to no fault of the author. It is definitely a ME-thing. Rest assured, the book is a must-read and a commendable reading over all!

I was underwhelmed with this book. The idea was there but I found the pacing was so off I couldn't get into the book at all. At half the length the plot would've worked for me. This book was trying to hit on some questions of autonomy and family, but because of the pacing and lack of character development, I never felt like it got there. There were a lot of cliff hangers to try and make the reader care, but none of them paid off because the character's motivations made little sense. I needed more in the form of details and less in the form of vibes.

“Time passes, indifferent to me. So much of my life I have let slip by, because I have not attended to it. All this while, instead of seeking more time, I could’ve been paying attention. I notice it now, my present: my grandson’s face, his warm hand in mine, and the smell and sensation-here the words, in any language, fail-of being alive.”

I’m rating this book a five based on the emotions and thoughts it stirred in me, and I know will leave me with for a long time. I wish I read this book for a book club, because there is so much to think about and talk about!
There are three narrators and three storylines in different timeframes. May, Lily, and Nick are three generations of a Chinese-American family. May, born in China, Lily, born in America, and Nick ironically not born in America but seemingly (to his grandparents) the most “American” of all.
The book is heartbreaking. Choices made that the characters make out of seemingly good intentions (and some ego to be sure) turn out to ruin their lives. I felt for Lily, because the choices of others impacted her life and completely changed the trajectory of it. I admire her, because she did a good job of raising Nick in the face of a lot of challenges.
There is a lot of science in the latter 70% of the book, but written in an easy way to understand. Questions of ethics regarding DNA abound. But wrapped in the overall question of- what wouldn’t you choose to make life easier and better for your child?
I have to be honest. This book really hurt my heart. The characters spent so much time in sadness when they could have tried to work things out. (Lily and Matthew, Matthew and Nick- placing blame squarely on Matthew) May’s life is so hard in China- I learned a lot reading her passages.
Overall, this is a thought provoking book that flies by. I read faster than I should have, wanting to know what HAD happened and what WOULD happen. I highly recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this as an ARC.

This book started off strong for me, but the second half of it was lackluster. I liked the generational storytelling but there was nothing about the second half that kept my interest.

In Real Americans Rachel Khong has created a multi-generational family story, in which she poses probing questions about what it means to create
your identity and sense of self within the forces of class, racism, cultural identity, and inheritance. The book is told in three parts and from three perspectives. While easy to read, Real Americans is a multi-layered story that dives into eugenics, genetic research, racism, women in science and Asian immigrant stories.

Omg this book! So amazing and well written. I loved it and couldn't put it down. So glad I got to read it!

Thank you NetGalley and Rachel Khong!

I really liked the structure and premise of this book. It concentrates on three generations as it unveils their lives, their aspirations, and their relationships.

The book opens with the daughter, who is about to become a wife and soon to be a mother. The second part of the novel divulges the story of the son, Nico or Nick, as he connects with his estranged father and also his thought to be deceased grandmother. The third section focuses on the grandmother, her life in China and then the US, and beautifully (and sometimes tragically) ties all of the characters together.

I love stories with multi points of views, and this one delightlfully gives us three. I liked the dual setting and how the happenings occurring in the setting of China tied in so intricately with the setting and the incidents in the US. The three stories transition and flow together so well.

We are also treated to a love story between Lily (the daughter) and Matthew (husband and father of Nico). In addition to a love story, we are dealt a story about doing what is morally right (or what we believe is morally correct); a story about what consitutes family; and a story about belonging.

I was ready for strictly a historical fiction novel transitioning into present day and solving a mystery, but in Khong's story, we are also served some sci-fi or magical realism which is crucial to the plot. All in all, it was a story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you, NetGalley and Knopf Publishing, for this very enjoyable, but at the same time tragic, story.

I was a tad bit underwhelmed with this one. It was a decent read, but I didn't get all the rave. Well written.

This book was not what I expected, and bordered on being the type of story that I'm not usually drawn to, but I loved it, and the ending was perfect!
This book follows Lily, and her quest to succeed in life, and with the work that she loves doing, until one day she meets the love of her life, Matthew. The two of them fall in love, marry and have a child that looks identical to Matthew and nothing like Lily. They love little Nick/Nico, but something seems off. From the moment Lily's mother met Matthews father, something seemed off, and once Lily overhears a conversation with the two of them she knows why.
The day she hears that and decides to change her life, Nick and Lily move forward together. As Nick decides to change his life he decides to move away from his mother, and seek out his father. That sets him on a course to drastically change his life.
Definitely recommend this read for people who want to be persuaded by the possibility of scientific breakthroughs to change our everyday life for the better.

Every now and then, a book comes along that leaves a lasting impression, one that lingers in your thoughts long after you’ve turned the final page. This particular novel is a beautifully crafted gem that immediately draws you into the lives of its characters, making you eager to see where their stories will lead. Told through the perspectives of Lily, Nick, and Mei, each voice brings something special to the narrative, with Lily’s being especially captivating. Her ambition and determination are so palpable that you can't help but feel a deep connection to her journey. Nick’s story evokes a sense of empathy, as I found myself rooting for him to discover his own path to happiness. Mei’s narrative, while tinged with sadness, is also rich with hope and wonder, adding a poignant layer to the overall story.

This book turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Despite its multiple points of view and timelines, the story seamlessly weaves together, offering new insights into each character by the end.
I loved this book. Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the ARC which was provided to me in exchange for my honest review.

Really engrossing family epic that explores ideas of what a parent can choose for a child and all the different ways it can be hard to connect—racial differences, age differences and experiences, class cultures, and more. There were a few plot points that didn’t add up (no child custody agreement? High schoolers taking themselves on a college tour?) but overall a really thoughtful and thought provoking work.