I was eager to read Real Americans by Rachel Khong, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. The first and last thirds of the book were strong, drawing me in with their engaging storytelling and emotional depth. However, the middle section felt like it lost focus and didn’t resonate as much as I’d hoped.

There’s a touch of magical realism woven into the narrative, but not overwhelmingly so, which I appreciated. Perhaps I had hyped it up too much going in, and that heightened anticipation left me more critical of its weaker moments. This sometimes happens with celebrity book club titles because there’s so much buzz around them, and it can set expectations sky-high.

That said, I’m glad I gave it a chance. Real Americans has moments of real insight and beauty, and for readers who love Rachel Khong’s unique voice or enjoy thought-provoking stories with a touch of magical realism, it may still resonate. It’s not a perfect read, but it offers enough to make it worth checking out!

Thank you to Knopf for my free review copy.

A unique, almost magical realism take on a generational story. I had high hopes for this one given all the acclaim but something about the pacing and style prevented me from ever getting hooked. I’m happy I read it and see how well-researched and well-written the text truly is.

An interesting story that tackles many subjects including family, culture, privilege, race, and identity. The story has three parts that almost felt like three short stories yet come together at the very end. The family dynamics between all the characters were quite interesting and enjoyed the drama as well as look into how parents shape and affect the lives of their children. The first two stories are coming of age stories in a way following Lily and Nick who both seek to find meaning and identity and navigate cultural norms as well as fraught relationships with their parents. I found Nick's story the most compelling. Lastly, I found the addition of biology and genetics a fascinating aspect to the storyline. Enjoyable read but felt as if it took on too much.

Rachel Khong wowed me with her debut, Goodbye, Vitamin. I had hoped to be as enraptured by this intergenerational family drama, which promised a story sweeping decades and continents, unearthing the complexities of one family's rich identity and history.


The story strongly opens in 1999 with Lily, a 22-year-old Chinese American trying to find her footing in New York City. Her romance with the dazzlingly wealthy Matthew seems like the stuff of dreams, complete with a first date that ends in a spontaneous trip to Paris.


Khong masterfully threads their relationship with a palpable imbalance, hinting at deeper rifts beneath their glittering veneer as this relationship progresses. Dinner scenes, for example, are racially charged as Lily questions her place in a world of ultra-wealthy white people who seem to use Asian women as props in their lives.


The narrative then leaps forward to 2021, centering on their teenage son, Nick, who navigates a fractured family history in which his mixed race makes it difficult to connect to either side of his family, especially as his appearance aligns closest with his absent white father. Disconnected from his roots, Nick's quest for belonging pulls him westward to San Francisco, where a chance encounter with his grandmother, Mei, unlocks a new layer of understanding to his heritage.


Mei's 1960s narrative, set in the third section, takes readers to the politically volatile atmosphere of China's Cultural Revolution, showcasing the sacrifices made for her descendants' struggles in America. In this section, Khong throws in some magical realism and a light science fiction bend to her story, taking it in sometimes surprising and unusual directions.

If all that sounds overwhelming, it was. It was a kitchen sink of a book filled with many themes that aren't always fully fleshed out for the reader, keeping me at arm's length for much of the 416-page narrative. I had hoped to see this on my best books of the year list, but the pacing felt uneven. There were moments I loved and moments that slogged. It felt like I was reading three different books, and the sections never fully came together as I had hoped.

I'm not sure who to recommend this novel to except those who appreciate Khong's perceptive prose, knowing this novel might not deliver a cohesive reading experience. Ultimately, I'm glad I read it, even if it didn't reach the heights I expected.

Real Americans by Rachel Khong is a beautifully written, poignant exploration of identity, belonging, and the immigrant experience in America. Through sharp, heartfelt prose, Khong delves into the complexities of family dynamics and the search for meaning in a fractured society. As a Read with Jenna pick, this novel’s introspective narrative and emotional depth make it a thought-provoking and memorable read.

I like the first third and the last third. The middle kind of missed the mark for me. There was a little bit of magical realism, but not too much. Overall it missed the mark and I think I was maybe just hyping it up too much.

Sparks fly and lives change drastically when Lily and Matthew meet and fall in love in Real Americans by Rachel Khong. What starts off as a love story on the brink of Y2K becomes a sweeping saga, involving three different lives all intersected with one another during different time periods. As different as Lily and Matthew are, they're drawn to each other. Years later, you meet their teenage son Nick and wonder what happened to divide the star-crossed lovers and why Nick embarks on a quest to find his father.

This book took me by surprise. It sounded intriguing in Nick's search for his father and why his parents parted, but it goes much further than this simpler plot. There are secrets to uncover and life-changing scenarios that irrevocably change the dynamics of families that once seemed unbreakable. Some events arise that will cause you to pause and reflect on what's happening.

I felt that the emotions of the characters were so well-rendered. You understand why they make the choices they make but also cannot understand why they couldn't take an opposite path. In fact, you may deeply wonder what could have happened if they switched gears and opted for the alternative. Three different characters lay out the events that took place years before Lily and Matthew meet. Some of which could seem implausible but makes so much sense when you read the story. I like how you receive wildly diverse perspectives to fully understand the meat of the book.

While some aspects of the novel may feel like science fiction and/or magical thinking, that's not what the book is about, and it shouldn't dissuade you from reading this book. It's more of a family drama but done in such a unique way. You can fully believe all of these events could happen, so you get carried along as you read every page.

The ending totally satisfied me with being a very simple yet profound close to the book. I liked this book enough that I really want to read the author's previous novel. The characters resonated with me despite the fact that most of the events do not reflect my own life. Each character receives enough attention that you understand them while not exactly agreeing with the choices they make. So many of the parts of the novel will make you think and feel and wonder, and I really loved it.

Goodreads Choice Awards Opening Round - Readers' Favorite Fiction

Lily

I'll be honest. I didn't think I was going to like this. I'm still not entirely sure I do, but it gave me a lot to think about. I wouldn't say this part was my least favorite, but Lily wasn't my favorite.

By now, you know the r/WMAF discourse. There are obviously pros and cons to dating outside your race, but when the balance of power is this unequal, I don't think you can truly thrive.

Matthew is supposed to be easygoing and easy to love. I don't see it. I had a feeling this was going where I thought it was going. His family, while not outwardly terrible, is terrible. It's not shocking, and it's not supposed to be.

Nick

I clearly didn't read the premise or anything, because I was shocked when POVs changed. This, surprisingly, was my favorite part. Poor little secretly rich boy has issues.

Nick is Lily and Matthew's son. He looks exactly like Matthew. I know genetics are weird, and this is actually explained later, but as a white passing multiracial person, he feels invalidated by this, and many other things.

A loner, his one friend is Timothy, who is a bit of a sad boy himself. By this point, Lily and Matthew have divorced. Nick has no contact with his father, and doesn't even know his name. Timothy suggests buying a DNA kit. All goes well. Just kidding.

May

I truly thought I would love May's story best. I felt a bit disconnected from her, even more so than with Lily, which shocked me. The choices she had to make in Communist China are obviously not her fault. She did the best with what she had at the time.

By the time she and Charles make it to the US, I felt a modicum of sympathy, but some things still felt unexplained and misinterpreted.

Not sure I enjoyed the wrap-up, but as a character-based novel, this shines. There are plenty of books I love where I hate nearly all of the characters, and I think this will have to be included. What is life, if not people with inherent flaws?

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf

This book was interesting to me. While I generally love a good multigenerational saga, there was just something about this one that didn’t do it for me. I really loved the first section, with the focus on Matthew and Lily, this section ends with the promise of revelations to come, that I don’t think we’re ever delivered. I found myself confused at where the story was headed for a large part of it, and wanted the focus to be on a smaller theme rather that the many that it actually attempted. I felt as though the writing kept the reader at a distance so I never felt truly invested in the characters. All that said, I think there was still something really promising with the book that will land better for other readers.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I got so absorbed in this story, I couldn't put it down. The writing was clear and compelling, and once the character perspective shifted I was hooked. Overall, it was a really beautiful story of how a family evolves over time.

Rachel Khong's Real Americans is a character driven novel centered around the lives of three generations of Chinese Americans. It's well written and I was immediately invested in the stories of the characters. One of my top reads of 2024!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Real Americans by Rachel Khong!

What I appreciated about this book was it's ability to subvert expectations. As the story unfolded, I would have a guess in my mind as to where it was going, where the end of the story would lie but then as I got to that "end", I would see that there's still much left in the books. It is a book that one wants to keep reading to find out what happens to these characters and their lives.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

This book is a beautiful story of three generations of Chinese Americans and how their lives weave and diverge. I had no idea what to expect with this one but really loved it for its simplicity.

The story is told in three parts. First is Lily who falls in love with wealthy Matthew, even though they are radically different. They have a son, Nick, whose story is second. The third, I’ll leave a mystery to avoid spoilers.

I loved all three parts and found them all honest and moving. Lily’s need to be seen and heard resonates with me. Nick’s story is one of searching for himself, and finding his place in the world, which many will relate to. And the third story really ties them all together.

This beautifully written book is one to read. Loved it.

I found part one of this book to be enthralling. Part two did not work for me—I found it to drag a lot. Part three was better than part two, but not as good as part one. Part two lost all of Part one’s momentum. I’m glad I finished the book, but I wish the pacing had been tighter.

Thank you so much for providing me with a copy to read and review

[3.5 stars rounded up]. So much of this was exceptional - the writing, the ambiance, the way it was woven together. Where it fell a bit flat for me was character development, a deficiency of deeper emotions, and irregularities with pacing. It resulted in a disconnected feeling and a lack of investment. I would still recommend, but it’s not the all-consuming, deep-dive I was expecting.

Real Americans by Rachel Khong part one finds us in NYC just before 2000 and we meet Lily Chen. Part two focuses on Lily’s son, Nick, years later in a small island town in Washington State. Part three opens a window into May , Nick’s grandmother and Lily’s mother. Each generation’s actions affects the next and the reader gets to ponder what makes a “real American,” how our choices impact others, and what it means to be family.   

This book appeals to the side of me that loves in-depth world building and complicated characters. Each of the main characters make decisions that most would consider selfish. What I loved about this book is we get to see the motivations behind them. Some were understandable, others were not but they all resulted in a thought-provoking and interesting read. I say this about every book that I enjoy but I would love to see this as a movie.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the opportunity to read. All opinions are my own. 

4.75 out of 5 stars.

I loved everything about this book! Took me a while to finish it, but I loved it. Well written, well done with plot and character.

I recently had the opportunity to read "Real Americans" by Rachel Khong, thanks to an advanced copy from NetGalley. This was my first time reading Khong's work, and I found it to be a mixed experience. "Real Americans" is a multi-generational narrative that spans continents and decades, focusing on the Chen family. The story is divided into three sections, each narrated by a different family member. The first section follows Lily Chen, a young woman navigating life in New York City as an unpaid intern who falls in love with Matthew, the heir to a pharmaceutical empire. The second section is narrated by her son, Nick, who grows up on a remote island and searches for his biological father. The final section is told by Lily's mother, May, and delves into her experiences during Mao's Cultural Revolution and her immigration to the United States. Rachel Khong's writing is undeniably engaging, and she has a talent for creating vivid, relatable characters. The themes of identity, class, and family dynamics are explored with depth and sensitivity. However, I found the narrative structure a bit disjointed at times, which made it challenging to stay fully immersed in the story. The transitions between the different narrators and timelines could have been smoother. While the book offers a compelling look at the immigrant experience and the complexities of family relationships, it sometimes felt like it was trying to tackle too many themes at once. This occasionally diluted the impact of the individual stories. Despite these issues, "Real Americans" is a thought-provoking read that raises important questions about heritage, belonging, and the ethics of genetic research.
Overall, I appreciated the book's ambition and the rich, multi-layered narrative, but it didn't quite come together as seamlessly as I had hoped. #netgalley #realamericans

Real Americans is a novel segmented into three parts, each following a different character/generation (from one family). I didn't mind this structure, but I was surprised to find that both first and second parts were focused on coming of age. The novel is exploring questions of identity; these of course are complicated when someone is young and beginning to understand themselves as an adult at all.

Still, I enjoy Rachel Khong's writing, I was able to find my sea legs in the narrative, and I cared about what happened to these characters. But the third part was a standout, which made the first two parts feel weaker in comparison.

I also felt that Khong introduced many topics/themes but gave them short shrift. I'd have preferred she touch on fewer thorny issues, with greater care.

Overall, I liked it, and I'll be interested in whatever she writes next. (Forgive me for hoping it's more like Goodbye, Vitamin than Real Americans!)