The premise of this book is wonderful, but it didn’t deliver for me. I generally felt like the producers of the reality show — this family is boring! I also didn’t get why there were so many paragraphs on purging instructions. I was hoping for Kevin Kwan style snark/fun and this was more about how boring some people found the early pandemic. Nonetheless, thank you to the publisher for the free ARC.

Tehrangeles introduces us to the Milani's, a wealthy Iranian-American family who are on the brink of getting their own reality show right before covid hits. This book highlights their somewhat delusional, self-absorbed nature and makes comments on influencer culture.

It think there was a lot of potential here, and it really did start out so good, but it lost me somewhere along the way. The author states that the book really stemmed from her hatred of Little Women, but I think she put a little too much hate in it because there was not a single redeeming quality to any of these characters. The book jumped around between narrators a little too much, and the plot was all over the place. There was even a session with a cat psychic somehow thrown into this book.

One of the bigger plot points of the book was the family throwing a massive party in the middle of the pandemic with seemingly no reaction from the outside world. It was very strange.

I think if you're looking for reality TV/influencer satire, this will be great for you, but it was just a little blah for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pantheon for the ARC!

There are things I really enjoyed about this book: glimpses at Iranian-American culture, over the top wealth and fully out of touch rich people, and the idea of a reality show trying to encapsulate this. However, the out-of-touch characters were almost a bit too much, and I'm not ready to be not annoyed by descriptions of irresponsible early Covid behaviors. The scene of one of the sisters reading step by step instructions for purging were so detailed that a day after finishing it I still feel sick to my stomach from reading it, and I encourage readers to be aware of this trigger in the story.

This book was a bit slow at first. Reading about each sister slowed the story down and left me eager for things to start moving. It was only the perspective of the parents that brought the story into focus. Unfortunately, after their chapter the attention shifts back to the girls and things become tedious again. Watching as the girls try to navigate themselves and their world in a pandemic was disheartening as they had little guidance from any adults. Check it out if you’re interested but I’d warn it’s not a light read as it deals with heavier subject matter.

Meet the Milani clan. Al, the patriarch was an immigrant who left Iran at the dawn of the Revolution and became a fast food mogul. “Only the eBay guy and another tech dude, he grumbled often, had him beat” as the richest man in California. Homa, Al’s wife, has suffered from clinical depression since she arrived in the United States from Iran. She met Al when she was 24 and he was already the successful CEO of Pizzabomme. Homa had applied unsuccessfully for an administrative job at Al’s company, but he was attracted to the unassuming Homa.

Al and Homa have four daughters who seem to be a mashup of “Little Women” and the Bravoverse catalog. Violet, the eldest, has reached a certain level of fame as a model with her “near-mythic” beauty, but Violet is addicted to sugar and binges to maintain her career. Roxanna is the scene-stealer and deal maker who considers herself to be a bit like Ivanka Trump as “it felt like she was the real lady of the house.” Roxanne was naturally thin, but no one could know for sure “since she had been rabidly dieting since she was a toddler. . . .” Mina was the practical daughter who was always home (because she was chronically ill) and the “conscience of the family.” Roxanna compared Mina to Miranda of Sex & the City — “she wasn’t really the favorite, but no one would ever call her anything but essential.” Haley was the youngest daughter whose special talent was that she could cry on command, and was athletic and popular. The joke was Haylee was Mina’s evil twin and Roxanna’s child. Mina thought of herself as the “Pretty One.”

The Milanis (at least Al, Roxanna and Haley) are excited at the prospect of their impending realty show that has been delayed due to the pandemic. But, Roxanna is harboring a secret (‘the Secret”) that she is afraid will be unveiled on television. But, then again, all of the Milanis’ problems, including Al’s romantic liaisons, are resolved because they had money. “A few trips, a few expensive therapists, some gifts, time off work, new people to hire, and, voila: problem solved.” Porochista Khakpour is a satirist extraordinaire who brilliantly captures the cultural Zeitgeist. She has crafted a clever beach read that will be catnip (a nod to the Milani’s aloof Persian cat Pari) for fans of the Kardashians and the Real Housewives franchise. Thank you Pantheon and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this fun family saga.

It took me a very long time to get into this. It started as a weaker version of Crazy Rich Asians (which the author said was an inspiration in the acknowledgements!) with a little less humor and a lot more levity, tackling serious topics like xenophobia and racism. The story picked up once it focused on the pandemic, which elevated the story by delving deeper into the four sisters’ characters and their psyche.

However, as deep as the story went into the four sisters, it never matched in characterization or writing to the one brief chapter about their parents’ backstory. Aside from that highlight, the book’s dialogue was awkward and the writing was clunky. While it was mostly a miss, it feels like there is a hit in there somewhere, so I’m intrigued to see what the author does next.

I personally thought this was a slam dunk, though I think it's going to be a hard sell to the normal litfic crowd. I tend to have a hard time selling those readers on more Millennial or Gen Z focused stories, though that was certainly part of the brilliance of this one. The satirical elements and experimentation with form (and the satire of that in itself) were all there, but I particularly loved the moments of utterly relatable emotion that slipped through the cracks of these larger-than-life characters. And there was a cat psychic, so that's an easy five stars right there. (Also would love if everyone could pleeeease calm down with the accusations of glorifying eating disorders. It's fiction. Also satire. Also written for grown-ups who can exercise like a tiny smidgen of critical thinking skills.)

"Tehrangeles" is a difficult one for me to rate, never mind review. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Did it keep my interest? Yes. Do I get its point? I'm not sure. I'm sure there is one—a novel doesn't end with a stream-of-conscious monologue à la James Joyce if the writer isn't trying to make some sort of statement. But is it that even shallow people have depths? That the rich aren't all that different from you and me? That influencers are horrible? Um, okay?

I'm not sure I'm going to remember "Tehrangeles" six months from now. Some of that might be due to the story's sense of weightlessness. The members of this family are floating in a house that doesn't seem tangible, and while much is made of a social event that takes place in the midst of the pandemic, despite the surrounding in-story social media hubbub, it seems to take place in a vacuum. Is that the point?

Am I too literal-minded and pedestrian to understand the hidden complexities of this book, or are there no hidden complexities? Hmmm...

Thank you, Pantheon and NetGalley, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was ready for an over-the-top satire of a wealthy Iranian-American family in California who is about to have their own reality tv show when the Covid-19 pandemic happens. The book started strong but fell apart for me about half way through. I think as satire, this book missed the mark.

This was an interesting book. You have three sisters who want for nothing. They are richer than all get out, but one pandemic and everything seems to come down around them. Yes, this was true for pretty much everyone, but I loved how this book allowed each character to kind of encapsulate the different personalities we all saw come out when Covid hit. Would I say this is one of my favorite books of the year, probably not, but it was better than I was expecting yes.
Thank you so much to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title,

I received this ARC from NetGalley and really enjoyed it! It’s fast paced and rich with gossip, perfect for lovers of Kevin Kwan’s books or reality tv watchers!

This book is a whirlwind of fun that follows the wealthy Milani family as they try to land a reality TV show. They reside in Los Angeles and their wealth was built on the success of the father’s “Pizzabomme”, a hot pocket-esque microwaveable food that was an instant hit in the US. We hear from the perspectives of all the characters in the book, especially the four Milani daughters, all forces in their own right. The eldest, Violet, is a model that struggles with an addiction to sweets while Roxanna, the second oldest, is the narcissistic star of the show that concocts everything that happens in the Milani household. Chronically ill and K-pop obsessed Mina is second youngest, followed by health nut Haylee as the youngest.

The author does a fantastic job building each of these personas. I truly couldn’t stand how narcissistic and self-absorbed Roxi was throughout the entire book, but I kinda loved to hate her. The entire book is a train wreck you can’t look away from.

The most polarizing aspect of this book is the setting. A majority of the storyline takes place during the COVID pandemic, and chronicles the characters’ varying reactions to lockdown and the spread of the virus. I didn’t mind the setting but some people hate reading about books set in that period so that’s a big heads up. The setting certainly exacerbated the class differences and how out of touch the Milanis are.

Overall this was SUPER fun, a great beach read, and perfect for anyone who devoured the Crazy Rich Asians series. Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This one was interesting but caught me off guard a little bit.

The Milani family, a family of influencers is about to land their own reality TV show and then Covid hit. The idea behind the family had Kardashian vibes. I don't know if I missed it somewhere in the synopsis, but I wasn't expecting a lot of this book to take place during covid, and it didn't entirely sit right with me. I would have liked to have known that going in.

Overall, the family members were entertaining in a "love to hate" kind of way. They were so dramatic and over the top, but that was kind of the point of it.

There are some trigger warnings and some questionable issues that felt a little glorified.

Overall, there were some funny parts, and I thought it was decent, but not entirely for me.

AHHHHHHHHH! I absolutely devoured this one with such delight. Calling all reality tv fans of all shapes and backgrounds, whether you’re a Real Housewives undying supporter or would lay your life down for Vanderpump Rules, and let’s not forget The Kardashians, Tehrangeles brings on a world of satire that is so messily ridiculous and chaotic that you’ll be screaming for more. I am so thankful towards PRH Audio, Pantheon Books, and Netgalley for the #gifted audiobook and digital access before this gem hits shelves on June 11, 2024. Yall, get ready. This one is fun.

Four sisters: Violet – the foodie model; Roxanna – the chaotic, chronically cancelled influencer; Mina – the online activist and overachiever; and Haylee – the right wing, problematic conspiracy theorist. Let those descriptors set the scene, for this mix of Little Women meets The Shahs of Sunset.

These four spoiled Iranian heiresses are living off the hardworking spoils of their entrepreneur father, raking in the royalties of his endeavors and pursuing their very own reality TV show. Each Milani daughter brings a new personality of dysfunction to the pot, reacting to life events such as COVID-19 and cancel culture with their own ebb and flow.

I couldn’t get enough of the drama and chaos with this saga, yearning for each confessional update from the sisters as they navigated their lives through lockdown, quarantining, and throwing parties that went against CDC guidelines and recommendations.

MEET THE MILANIS. FAST-FOOD HEIRESSES AND SOON TO BE TV STARS!

4 young women and their Iranian parents Ali and Homa. Fleeing his home during the Revolution, Ali meets fellow Iranian refugee Homa and. then made his money selling a twist on hot pockets and pizza. Their children have all the money in the world at their finger tips and they suffer for it. There is the eldest Violet, a model with an out of control sweet tooth, Roxanna, an influencer hiding a great secret from her friends and fans, Mina who is ill and wan and hides in her room and the youngest Haylee - a health influencer and potential conspiracy theorist.

When offered the opportunity to create a reality tv special about their lives, the family jumps without looking. Little do they know, they all have secrets from each other and their is pandemic looming at their door. Read the bingeable story of your next favorite reality tv family - the Milanis! The only problem with this book is it ends! #knopf #Panthon #vintage #tehrangeles #porochistakhakpor #tehran #iranianamerican #realitytvroyalty #watchoutkardashians

Usually, I love a good satire, subtly poking fun at society and pointing out how ridiculous we humans can be, but I was not ready for the Persian Kardashian's and their exploits as they tried to become reality show famous. I also think this book needs to have a bit of a flag on it warning readers that a significant portion of the book takes place during the covid-19 lockdown. I was not prepared, and the actions of several of the characters made me beyond uncomfortable.

What I liked--I am a big fan of the book Little Women, and there were distinct parallels between the characters in both books. I felt like the characters were actually quite realistic, sadly, and behaved much like we have seen other reality show celebrities act. Like many financially well-off people, the idea that their wealth made them somehow beyond reproach seems to be prevalent in some circles.

I did not appreciate the glorification of drug use and bulimia, realistic though it might be. I also felt like the characters were not developed as more than caricatures, and even the characters that I might have had empathy for had few redeeming qualities.

If you are a fan of reality shows (like The Kardashians or The Osbournes), you may enjoy this book. Thank you to Netgalley and Pantheon Books for the digital ARC of Tehrangeles by Porochista Khakpour. The opinions in this review are my own.

What a bummer. The premise and cover are so great... but this didn't work for me at all.

This family was insufferable. None of the relationships were very inspiring or genuinely healthy and there were so many opportunities for this with two parents and four daughters!

So much of this made me uncomfortable- from the anti-Persian behaviors of... Persian characters to a literal starter's guide to disordered eating. And the description does not inform you of this, but this is a covid book in a very major way, with a "fun" review of all the conspiracy theories that were circulating in 2020. No thank you.

A hilarious, biting satire about reality TV culture, the Irani-American community of Los Angeles, wealth, Covid.

Khakpour is the real deal.

Thank you to the publisher for the e-galley!

I always forget how much I don’t enjoy satire in books. Movies and TV, love it. Books, I find it grating. So, I thought this satire about an Iranian family with four young daughters preparing for their reality TV debut would be fun, but I mostly found it annoying.

There were some parts I found funny and I’m sure many people who do enjoy satirical books will love it, it just wasn’t for me.

Welcome to the world of reality TV, Tehrangeles style! The campy cover drew me in, and the writing style matched it. Even more camp than the Real Housewives, watch out Kardashians, the fun/wit/meta-level reality TV show writing is something else. This was scarily enjoyable. Real reality TV VIBE. Thanks for the ARC!

I really liked the cover for Tehrangeles, it’s what drew me to read this book. The story is about the Milanis, who are about to film a reality television show. Then the pandemic hits. A fun chaotic story with a high functioning dysfunctional family.