This was a character driven novel about a family patriarch who owns a makeup empire, Charles Wang immigrated to the US from China to live out the American dream. He's on top of the world, until he isn't- the loan that he has taken out is called and he can't pay it. He finds himself picking up his entitled children and driving across the country from LA to NY to stay with his eldest daughter. Along the way, we come to know the Wangs and watch as they slowly realize there is more to life than excess of money.

I lost interest about halfway through, and it was a little tough to slog through the back half. I'm not entirely sure the end was worth the journey, but I'm glad that I finally got to this one. It's been sitting on my physical bookshelf for 7 years. Onto the next!

I loved this book! It's smart, it's funny, it's got great characters. It's also clear, btw,. that Chang likes her characters= something that's not always apparent in this genre. A great read.

I’ve got mixed feelings about this story. All of the characters seems to be self-centered people. I guess money can do that to you. But I was quickly caught up in the story of the rise and fall of a Chinese immigrant in the cosmetics manufacturing business.

I wanted to love this book but it fell a bit short for me. I enjoy exploring other cultures especially if it's "own voices" and can be done in a humorous way. While I respect the attempt here, it just didn't work in my opinion. One of the most glaring failings is the use of another language without any translations - so the meaning (outside of what can be derived from context clues) is literally lost in translation. What could've been a zany road trip featuring several eccentric family members ended feeling messy and over the top (and not in the fun way). 2 out of 5 wine glasses.

The book is often hilarious-Andrew trying out his awful comedic routine in a speak easy in New Orleans before his new (much older) girlfriend; Grace leaving her boarding school in a fit of pique, scene after scene made me laugh out loud. But it also, ultimately, became a moving tribute to family and the connections we make with each other, often awkwardly and hesitantly. And these connections turn out to be the truest meaning of all that we do.

Loved this book
Didn't want it to end
Highly recommended

This was such a feel good, laugh out loud book. I just loved the Wang family!

I give this a 3. This book had a very promising beginning but got lost in the middle through the end. It was about how an Asian immigrant, Charles Wang, made it in America on manure only to be brought down by the Great Recession and the resulting impact on his family. It also was about his yearning to go reclaim his family's land in Mainland China after his father and family were routed out by the Communists and left for Taiwan. However, what gripped me at the beginning quickly sizzled out. The characters were weakly defined, generally unlikeable, and the writing was underwhelming.

The story line failed to hold my attention, and I found the characters unrealistic and unrelateable.

I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. I went into this thinking it'd be a fun, silly, humorous road-trip novel, and while it hits some of those points, I felt the story was trapped between wanting to be funny and wanting to be dramatic. Most of the story focuses on the Wangs - there's Charles, Barbra, Saina, Andrew, and Grace. Some chapters are dedicated to one character and his/her thoughts, and others will jump around between characters. There are even two chapters that are from the car's point-of-view, which was definitely strange. There is tension between the family members, but then the story falters because it wants to be amusing. Absurd scenarios take place throughout the novel, and I was particularly annoyed with the third and final leg. If the author had focused on one or the other - either humor or drama - the story would have been much more successful. I did decide on a three star rating because the writing, at times, was very poetic and moving. I believe this is Chang's debut novel, and I would definitely pick up her next book, especially if it were more subdued and didn't strive to be humorous. Additionally, I did keep reading it! I wanted to know how it would all turn out. However, around the 70-80% mark, I was getting very frustrated and considered putting the book down. At that point, though, I figured I'd come far enough. I might as well finish it. I don't know if I would recommend this book to anyone, though. Like I said, it's trapped between two worlds - the family drama and the absurd, humorous plot devices. I suppose if you interested in both of those things, you can check this one out.

I love this novel! Jade Chang is a wonderful, capable writer, and the writing is so rich and so assured that I was able to sink into this marvelous narrative and absorb a terrific, unique culture. I loved each character--even the powder blue Mercedes.

Because I have several children adopted from China, I am always on the lookout for books that would help me to understand their culture better. I enjoy reading all sorts of books, and was excited to read this one. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get past the first few pages due to the awful swearing. The language was just so bad that I wasn't willing to invest any time in it in order to find the plot.

Charles Wang came to America with a dream: to make money. And he did, he made lots of it. He enjoyed the perks - a massive house, lots of attention, and the knowledge that he was getting one over on America.

Until the economy crashed, and a few bad decisions meant that he lost it all in the blink of an eye. This is the story of his road trip with his family, the trip he needs to make to get his money back and prove, once and for all, that Charles Wang will not be fucked over by America.