~ I received a copy of Wanting by Claire Jia from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review~~

Wanting is the perfect example of the dangers of believing “the grass is greener on the other side”. Jia’s story follows a set of friends who reconnect when one, a popular influencer returns to China to celebrate her pending nuptials. The friends relationship rebuilds but shows the stresses and realities that created the rift between them in the first place.

The beginning of Wanting makes the book seem more like a mystery than it actually is - but it does ask important questions about adulthood in a modern society and how comparison and societal pressure can lead to decisions that while you may question, others may envy. The story has some hiccups throughout but does tie all plot lines together at the end.

A novel that dives deep into jealousy and high society in China, but with a flair for the dramatics (as expected) and a demonstration on how friendships are often born out of circumstances and people drift away. I found the writing to be quite good in dropping us in the world of these characters, and I could definitely see this people existing in real life. I really wanted to like this book, and even though I stuck it out, I just wasn't the biggest fan of this novel--I think it's because I was disconnected from the characters themselves and couldn't get into the headspace where I was actively absorbed in their story. Others might love this a lot more than I did! I'll give it another try in the future to see if my feelings change.

While I was intrigued by the premise, the dual perspectives didn’t quite work for me. The two narratives felt too disconnected—as if I were reading two separate novellas rather than parts of a cohesive story. I would have much preferred a tighter focus on Lian’s point of view.

There was so much potential in Lian and Wenyu’s dynamic—especially around the themes of desire, envy, and regret. I wanted the novel to dig deeper into the emotional tension within their friendship and how personal ambition and unmet longing shaped their lives. Instead, it felt like we only scratched the surface.

That’s not to say Song Chen’s story wasn’t compelling—it absolutely was. But it felt oddly placed, as if it served more to fill in the emotional gaps in Lian’s arc rather than stand on its own or connect meaningfully with the rest of the book.

One aspect I did really enjoy was the subtle critique of American influence—how proximity to the U.S. (and what it symbolizes) shaped the characters’ choices and ideals. The way American culture was woven into the fabric of their aspirations and identity crises was fascinating and well-executed.

Wanting by Claire Jia catapults readers into a lurid drama that captivates not only with its scandal but its dangerous relatability and probes the depths to which we will go to pursue personal fulfillment.

It’s hard to imagine a more fitting title for this novel than Wanting. Any other synonym—desire, greed, yearning, aspiration—doesn’t quite describe the emotional position of its characters. To want something is to experience the most basic form of desire. We associate the word with young children who imperiously shout “I want!” to demand things ranging from basic needs to an impossible whims. Wanting is basic in that it reflects a certain dearth of introspection but is also deeply human. We all want things we don’t have. And there isn’t anything wrong with wanting things, is there?

To be found wanting, on the other hand, means to disappoint through lack of some essential quality. This book follows three primary characters who, despite their outward success in life, are left fundamentally disappointed with where they’ve ended up. Ye Lian has a good job, a loving and stable boyfriend, and gracious in-laws, but she can’t help but look at her former best friend, Luo Wenyu, and envy her adventurousness and daring that led to unimaginable success. Wenyu moved to the United States for school and became a famous YouTuber, documenting her rise from lonely foreigner to peppy Americanized fiancée of a wealthy American entrepreneur. Wenyu and Lian reignite their friendship when Wenyu returns to Beijing with her fiancé to build a luxury home in the suburbs. Wenyu’s American transformation and enigmatic impulsiveness fascinate Lian, who feels stultified with her own safe life choices.

The book also follows Chen, the middle-aged architect of Wenyu’s new house. Chen has experienced professional success most can only dream of, but what he really wants is to feel secure in the affection of his wife, who cheated on him long ago. The shift from the story of the women’s friendship to Chen’s life is an abrupt one. The story lags a bit as we wait for the stories to converge. When they do, however, the consequences of these characters’ wanting—or more specifically, the actions they take to relieve it—reach an explosive climax the night of Wenyu’s housewarming party.

It would be easy to describe this novel as a critique of material greed in modern-day China. The characters appear obsessed with status and fortune. But none of them is really after material acquisitions or gold stars, per se. They want professional, familial, and romantic fulfillment—it just so happens that, to them, these things are inextricably linked to materialism and social position. What makes this book so slippery is that every character is relatable enough to be sympathetic. We sympathize with Lian’s frustrations with her staid boyfriend and unglamorous life in a country she once hoped to leave for the glittering promise of America. We can sense the deep-rooted insecurity and alienation behind Wenyu’s exuberant online persona. And we can empathize with Chen and his (not unsubstantiated) fear that he will never be good enough for his brilliant and pragmatic wife. Jia turns this sympathy against us when every character makes irredeemably immoral choices in their unhappiness, which is what sets Wanting apart from other “rich people behaving badly” stories. Jia makes these characters sympathetic not to contest the morality of their decisions, but to reveal how frighteningly easy it is to make and justify them in the face of life’s inevitable disappointments.

The author’s propulsive writing style and clever foreshadowing makes for a reading experience akin to riding a car hurdling along at top speed toward a cliff. She provides the characters plenty of opportunities to hit the brakes and make better choices: they never do. We are left with the panicked knowledge that somebody is going to pay the price for all of the secrets and lies, yet we have no idea whether the consequences will be karmic, tragic, or both. It’s a harrowing ride worth taking and one that is sure to spark lively conversation and, potentially, uncomfortable introspection.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tin House books for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is an excellent book the explores envy between friends, the idea of the grass being greener on the other side, and the what-ifs and roads not taken that life throws at you.

Through the lives of three characters, best friends Lian and Wenyu, and a gentleman named Chen, you see how the choices they made, the paths they took, shaped who they are. Their stories are intertwined and they all feel envious of other people’s lives, thinking that the grass is greener on the other side.

This book really captures girlhood and the way we constantly compare our lives with others. When we only see the highlights, we think that we’re not doing enough, we’re not successful enough, we are doing something wrong. Comparison is the thief of joy. We, like the characters in this book, often feel that we aren’t enough. The characters have some much depth to them and you can feel their wanting as you move through the chapters.

Thank you NetGalley and Tin House Books for the eArc. This book hits the shelves on July 1, 2025.

*4.5 stars*

Claire Jia’s "Wanting" completely pulled me in—I honestly wasn’t expecting to feel so deeply about a story that, at first glance, seems like a classic tale of friendship and comparison. But by the end, I felt cracked open in the best way. It made me reflect on my own choices, my own definitions of “success,” and how easy it is to look at someone else’s life and start questioning your own.

Ye Lian, the main character, has a life that seems stable and well-put-together—a good job, a solid relationship, plans for the future. I related to her in that quiet, slightly uncomfortable way, where you recognize yourself in someone who’s done everything “right” but still feels a little off balance. When her childhood best friend Wenyu returns, glittering with American success and Instagram-perfect everything, I could feel Lian’s world shift. It made me think of those moments when someone from your past suddenly reappears, and you can’t help but compare paths—even if you don’t want to.

What really hit me was how Jia writes emotion. There’s this restraint to her prose that makes it feel all the more powerful—like the moments that hurt aren’t shouted, they’re whispered. I found myself pausing often, not just to take in what was happening, but because it stirred something personal. The side story of Song Chen, the architect caught in his own quiet crisis, added this layer of melancholy and reflection that stayed with me long after I finished.

"Wanting" made me sit with uncomfortable truths—how we measure ourselves against others, how we chase dreams we’re not sure we even want, and how easy it is to confuse security with happiness. It doesn’t try to tie everything up neatly, which I appreciated. Life doesn’t always make sense, and Jia captures that beautifully.

This book felt like a conversation I didn’t know I needed to have. It’s tender, sharp, and real. If you’ve ever looked at someone else’s life and wondered “What if?”, this story will speak to you. I know I’ll be thinking about it for a long time.

This is an addictive tale of a complex friendship laced with envy, competitiveness, and deep caring. The two key characters meet as tweens in China, one is academically-oriented and seemingly the "good girl" while the other is brazen and more willing to defy conventions. The tale shifts between the present and their teen years, and gradually the full complexity of their tangled friendship comes into full view. A subsidiary set of chapters also offers the back stories of various people in their orbit. This is ostensibly a fun summer read--in fact, I read it on a plane and it made my long flight fly by (pun intended). What I did not expect was how well the author captured how one can know (and love) others, yet still encounter obstacles rooted in cultural and individual misunderstandings. This came through in the two main characters' relationships with one another and in their relationships with male partners and would-be partners. Recommended as a good summer read.

This debut novel centers around three characters and their desires. We first meet twenty-something Ye Lian, who has a good job, steady boyfriend, and plans to marry him and move into a luxury high rise together. But when she rekindles her friendship with her childhood best friend Luo Wenyu, a successful influencer returning to Beijing from America to celebrate her upcoming wedding, Lian begins to question everything she thought she wanted.

In the second part of the book, the narrative shifts to Song Chen, the middle-aged architect of Wenyu’s dream home, who has his own fading hopes and dreams that he must come to terms with. Their stories all connect in the third part of the story, when they collectively grapple with the consequences of their wanting.

Female friendship is at the heart of the story. Lian and Wenyu’s friendship and deep bond comes alive in the shopping malls, restaurants, and karaoke bars of Beijing. Together they recklessly take their “perfect” lives to the edge of destruction as they search for something more real below the surface.

The title is fitting: at its core, this is a story about wanting. The American dream, in various forms, is core to the characters’ desires. Yet its harsh truth leaves them each facing different realities than what they had dreamed of.

These are people who can’t be content with what they have; there is always someone with a nicer apartment, better husband, more successful career. They are all lost in aspiration and in need of a reset of what truly matters in life.

The novel sets up some interesting character arcs with strong potential for growth, but I don’t think all the characters truly got there. Chen seems to be the most developed and evolved character. The first two parts of the book read like slow paced literary character explorations, while the final section delivers more action and momentum.

I love the cover and enjoyed the Beijing setting and strength of Lian and Wenyu’s friendship. Ultimately I would have been more satisfied with the book if the characters had evolved further and come to accept that, as Chen’s wife says, greatness is elusive and ordinary is the stuff of life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tin House Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

fun novel about envy, longing, and how people often think that the grass is always greener on the other side. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

2.5 stars - i am a big fan of reading books about rich people drama and complex friendships surrounding money. while this book does a good job exploring the theme of everyone always wanting what they don't have, this book was a little tough for me to get through. all of the characters were very flawed (which i don't mind), but none were very likeable, since they all made such poor decisions - a lot of cheating ew - that i did not understand. the ending also felt pretty underwhelming as there were little consequences on any of the characters EXCEPT for the one character i felt some sympathy for (justice for chen!).

the plot structure was also so strange. when we get to part 2, we suddenly switch from exploring lian and wenyu's friendship to exploring wenyu's architect... it caught me completely off guard since there was barely any mention of him earlier and it left me very uninterested in his plotline and skimming for a while. i was surprised at how the plotlines did end up connecting to each other, but i wasn't really a big fan of it.

This book explores the ups and downs of friendships, but I was a little bothered by the disjunction between part one and part two.

This was a fantastic debut novel. It is a multiple POV story of people wanting to survive, wanting to succeed, wanting the road not chosen, and the affect of each character's decisions on the others.The characters all feel very real; not perfect and not unlikeable, but deserving of empathy as they live their lives and make decisions based on the circumstances they find themselves in, even while these decisions have disastrous consequences at times. At the end, there is an open question of what success really means, and what is it that we really should be striving for with our lives? Jia's prose is absorbing, and I strongly recommend. Special thanks to Tin House for the ARC.

Wanting by Claire Jia tells the story of two best friends growing up in mainland China. It's a tender, evocative debut that explores themes of class divides, longing, and the choices we make and the lasting consequences they leave behind— like no other book I've read before.

The narrative follows Ye Lian and Luo Wenyu's journey from their early bond, to the slow drifting apart over time, and the bittersweet attempt at a reconnection a decade later. The portrayal of this friendship is so strong and achingly real and I was enamored by Claire's ability to draw me in from the very first page. Alongside their story, we meet Chen, a secondary character who's grappling to make sense of his broken marriage and reflecting on his and his wife's shared past living abroad. His story offers a thought-provoking exploration of immigration and the pressure to succeed, to represent, to live up to the image of the “ideal” Chinese man in America. 

Claire Jia’s storytelling really shines in bringing together the messy emotions and real-life challenges her characters face, making their stories feel personal and authentic. This was truly an unforgettable read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Tin House, and to the brilliant author, Claire Jia, for the eARC of this intensely captivating and complex novel :)

Claire Jia’s debut novel Wanting is a riveting exploration of close female friendship and the emotions that accompany it: passion, jealousy, obsession, rebellion. It is a story of the possibilities that can unfold when two best friends forge a world of their own, a world in which they make the rules and they are each other’s “perfect accomplices,” as the main character Lian says of her and her best friend, Wenyu. When the two childhood best friends are reunited after a decade, they rekindle their fierce, uninhibited bond, allowing all of their hidden desires to run wild - knowingly, they risk the destruction of the seemingly perfect lives they have each built for a chance to satisfy their unrelenting wanting.

Wanting is also so much more than a tale of friendship and desire. It is a nuanced portrayal of class tensions and the widespread, devastating effects of capitalism in both China and America. It is a critique of the inaccessible and deceitful “American dream.” And it is a reflection on the complexities and limitations of language: the meanings lost in translation, the contexts in which we speak one language versus another, the statements that we can say comfortably in a foreign language but may never dare say in our native tongue (e.g. “I love you” vs “wo ai ni”).

I am going to be thinking about this novel for a long time. I could honestly write a whole essay about it. Can’t wait to read more from Claire Jia!

This book really captivated me. I wasn’t sure what I was going into going in, but I really enjoyed it. The pace and way the author was able to set the scene as well as the characters was really enjoyable to read.

I loved this story about female friendships, and really just friendships in general. It was an accurate portrayal of how friends come and go. I really enjoyed the writing style from Jia and will definitely be looking out for whatever book comes next.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tin House for a copy of this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC copy of this book.

This novel did such a wonderful job on describing female friendships and how friendships can drift apart as they move through different stages in life. I thought this story was very well done and I enjoyed this author's writing style and descriptions.

This book is such a beautiful expose into what lies on the other side of our wanting - our desires, longings, worries, and pedantic schedules of life. All of us struggle to want that which we cannot have or that which is placed just barely out of our grasp. The longing for something else does not really go away with time or age, only morphs into other desires or festers into a fetid scar. Almost every aspect of human relationship is explored in this book - friendship, familial, romantic, marriage, in-laws, workplace, all of these aspects of our lives are explored.

This book reminded me a lot of Sally Rooney’s writing style in that there is a lot of emotional depth and emotional mining into these characters. But this is the supremely better work in my opinion. Where Rooney looks mostly on human relationships of people in their early to late 20s in a romantic lens, Jia looks at all aspects of human relationships and all ages. The story also looks at wanting in every aspect, from human connection, to excitement in one’s life, to success, wealth, accolades, and more. There is not a single character here who is objectively “good” or easy to root for - all are deeply flawed and make a serious of seemingly innocuous decisions throughout time that lead to devastating consequences. In the end it’s undetermined whether everyone learns their lesson or gets what they deserve, but that’s exactly what life is.

I am so glad I read this book and am even more excited to purchase it once it is finally published. Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher, Tin books, for letting me receive an electronic ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Ye Lian’s life is stable and moving in the right direction, by all accounts. She has a good, reliable job, a long-term boyfriend, and strong family ties. However, when her childhood best friend, Luo Wenyu, returns to China from California - bringing along her white fiance and a life of decadence and social media fame - everything changes. Lian begins to question everything she had assumed was good in her life and begins to wonder if what she really wants is the life Wenyu leads - or appears to lead, at least. As secrets are uncovered, Lian and Wenyu fight to navigate their public and secret lives.

I really, really enjoyed this book. It's a devastating, unflinching look at friendship (particularly female friendship), desire, social media fame, and lies. I was constantly rooting for the characters to make the right decisions, even as I watched them make (arguably) the wrong ones. It's incredible that this is Claire Jia's debut novel, and I can't wait to read more from her in the future.

Wanting is a piercing exploration of the lengths one will go through to obtain their wants and desires. Seen through the lens of Lian, her childhood best friend Wenyu and Wenyu's contractor Chen, wanting takes many forms and many shades. Lies, deception, secrets, capitalism unchecked. Wanting also asks what makes a home, when is enough enough, what's wrong with being ordinary. Thank you to NetGalley and Tin House for the opportunity to read this wonderful eArc In exchange for my honest and fair review.