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Real Americans
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
31 posts | 41 read | 13 to read
'Khong masterfully explores a family splintered by science, struggling to redefine their own lives after uncovering harrowing secrets. Real Americans is a mesmerizing multigenerational novel about privilege, identity and the illusions of the American dream' Brit Bennett, author of The Vanishing Half HOW FAR WILL WE GO TO BELONG? On the precipice of Y2K, unpaid intern Lily Chen is attempting to live the American dream in New York City. But her scientist parents imagined so much more for her when they fled Mao's cultural revolution, hoping for a better life. Despite the glamour of her media job, Lily can barely make rent - until she falls into the arms of Matthew. This young financier can give her a fairy tale life of luxury, and for the first time her dreams appear within reach. High school student Nick Chen and his best friend Timothy are plotting to break free. College promises escape from an isolated and close-knit island in Washington State, space from his strict and secretive mum Lily, and the chance to finally fit in. But when Nick sets out to find his long-lost father, a world of questions opens, and it is one unexpected member of the Chen family who holds the key to it all. Real Americans is a family epic about identity, sacrifice, choices and fate. It is a wildly imaginative and profound story of betrayal and forgiveness that asks us how far we should go for those we love.
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Hooked_on_books
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Pickpick

This exploration of 3 generations of a Chinese then Chinese-American family is an interesting look at family relations, race, and immigration. It‘s good, but it‘s nonlinear and the pacing is a little off. I feel like this had the potential to be dynamite if it had been tightened up more during editing.

#TOBlonglist

AmyG I just finished this. Agree about the pacing. I enjoyed it, though. 1mo
squirrelbrain We concur, as you know! 🤪 1mo
Megabooks Agree re: editing! 3w
55 likes1 stack add3 comments
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squirrelbrain
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Pickpick

I liked the first two parts of this story, Lily and her son Nick, although it felt similar to a lot of other books.

Once it moved on to Mei and the science-fictiony/ gene therapy bit I started to lose interest. I don‘t think it went into enough depth to have any kind of impact on the story and the 3 sections felt very disjointed, as the 3 MCs plus Nick‘s Dad weren‘t communicating with each other.

Still a pick though.

#ToBlonglist

AmyG I just finished part one and enjoyed it. We shall see. 😬 1mo
BarbaraBB I feel like I can skip this one for now. Unless it makes the shortlist of course. 1mo
squirrelbrain I liked it @AmyG @BarbaraBB just didn‘t love it. It felt like there was something missing…. 1mo
See All 7 Comments
Hooked_on_books I just finished this one and feel similarly. I think if it had been tightened up more in editing, it could have been dynamite. The pacing was a little off. 1mo
Centique Its interesting - i quite liked this when i read it but it has really gone out of my mind now. While Memory Piece which i found a bit jarring is still in my mind! 4w
squirrelbrain I‘m looking forward to Memory Piece @Centique - I‘ve nearly borrowed it from the library a few times but now I have a good excuse! 3w
Megabooks Yeah, that SciFi stuff came out of nowhere for me!! 3w
66 likes3 stack adds7 comments
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rachelk
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Pickpick

Three generations of a three part novel depicting members of a Chinese-American family. This is a good pick for anyone that loves an epic family drama.

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Centique
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this - my first novel by Rachel Khong. She takes a three POV structure for a “three generations of an immigrant family” style story - but makes it intriguingly different from other such novels with a little sci fi twist. I did wish she had amplified that aspect more, but i was won over by how well Khong writes familial relationships. I enjoyed being in each of the POVs even when not a lot was happening.
Pic: spring at the library

Centique As good as this was, i think the three POV book ill remember most at the end of the year is my previous read - even though it partly frustrated me 3mo
53 likes1 comment
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rachaich
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Pickpick

This was a good read! I've chosen it for our book club and had a worry that I'd picked without researching. However, I think they'll all like either the overall story, or the way n which the theme of Fortune and wealth is represented. The three narrative styles and perspectives work well to unfold the family history.

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marleed
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Pickpick

This 3-generation story of a Chinese-American grandmother, mother, and son was told with the POV of all three just not in the sequence one might expect. It was interesting to gain perspective as each POV was introduced. Also happening is a parallel story about the ethics of gene editing and selection. There‘s so much going on that plot-wise a few things could have been further flushed out, but overall I really liked this.

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janeycanuck
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Pickpick

So this was certainly a perfectly fine book but it didn‘t live up to the hype. Great writing, good story but just left me a bit flat at the end.

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vonnie862
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Mehso-so

I thought this was going to be a higher star read for me but it was just ok. It contained 3 different stories, 3 different point of views. And honestly, it was hard to fully connect with the characters. I enjoyed Lily's part the most and May's part the least. I thought there was going to be more discussion of what it meant to be an American while being non white. It was disappointing.
3⭐️

#BookspinBingo #6 #DoubleSpin
@TheAromaofBooks

Ruthiella I feel similarly about this. It‘s so different from her debut which I loved 4mo
Amiable Same! 4mo
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 4mo
30 likes3 comments
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Floresj
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Pickpick

Three POVs- mother, child, grandmother,- that fill in gaps of the family dynamic. The characters are complex and engaging, the plot curves enough to be believable and page turning. It‘s a good book when as one POV ends, I want more. Excellent.

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TheLudicReader
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Pickpick

Three different narrators & perspectives during three different time periods, this book doesn't quite land, but it was easy to read and definitely offers lots of food for thought about genetics, life experiences and family. I think we'll have lots to talk about in book club. Solid 3.75 stars.

dabbe Looks like a lovely reading spot! 🩶🖤🩶 4mo
48 likes1 comment
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ICantImReading
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Mehso-so

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I liked the structure of this book and the characters were all intriguing. The numerous themes and characters ended up feeling like they were all spread a little too thin for my personal taste, though. The audio narration was very good with a different narrator for each character, and this helped bring the story to life. 🎧

TheLudicReader I have to read this for my next book club meeting. 5mo
ICantImReading @TheLudicReader I feel like there would be a lot to discuss with a book club. I hope you and your group enjoy and have a great chat! 🙂 5mo
34 likes2 comments
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Leftcoastzen
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Pickpick

Beautifully written, it will make you think. A multigenerational story, looks at how even science can bust up families, people with the best intentions, create secrets that some can‘t forgive. About immigration, the illusions of the American dream , how immigrants assimilate and so much more. There is a sadness to it maybe more noticeable by me as I‘m a bit sad these days.

BarbaraBB ❤️ 5mo
Bookwomble ❤️🫂❤️ 5mo
britt_brooke She‘s definitely a solidified a spot among my must-read authors! 5mo
Leftcoastzen @britt_brooke Goodbye Vitamin was really good ! 5mo
britt_brooke @Leftcoastzen Yes! I loved it. 💛 5mo
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Megabooks
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Pickpick

I finished this a week ago, and it has still stuck with me even if I didn‘t enjoy part three as much as the first two. What starts as the story of a slightly mismatched couple turns into a sweeping book about family bonds, biomedical ethics, and 20th century Chinese history. So much more than meets the eye in a fantastic way!

Read4life I liked this one, too! 6mo
Megabooks @Read4life it was really good! 6mo
squirrelbrain I need to get to this one! 6mo
See All 6 Comments
BarbaraBB Glad you ended up loving it. You had been looking forward to it! 6mo
Centique Ive got this on hold, you have me excited for it! 😁 6mo
Megabooks @squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB @Centique I hope y‘all enjoy it too!! Khong is such a fantastic writer. I hope we don‘t have to wait another 7 years for her next book! 6mo
79 likes6 comments
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MysticFaerie
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Pickpick

4.5⭐️/5⭐️

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Read4life
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Pickpick

Such a good book. Multigenerational, secrets, choices & consequences with high stakes. When science and scientific research are used without one‘s knowledge, can a family mend from the cracks it puts in their relationships? Khong builds wonderful stories & characters.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 6mo
52 likes1 comment
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ReadingSusan
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Pickpick

Book 131 of 2024. Real Americans by Rachel Khong. I love a family saga that spans generations. This book was excellent. The writing was so beautiful and I was captivated by this story. This was one of those books that really made you think.

Read4life I loved it, too. 6mo
youneverarrived Love the cover! 6mo
61 likes2 comments
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Decalino
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Pickpick

This compelling intergenerational story is told from the perspective of Lily, the aimless daughter of Chinese immigrants; Nick, her blonde, blue-eyed son; & Mei, her driven mother, a scientist who left everything behind to secure a better life in the US. A fascinating look at the choices parents make for their children, the disconnect between the love you need & the love you get, & the cost of defining yourself by what you want & how much you have

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HeatherBookNerd
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Pickpick

I simply ADORED Khong‘s first book, so maybe I just had unreasonably high expectations. I did enjoy this and the story was compelling, but it just didn‘t bowl me over. The story is told through three related characters who have vastly different life experiences. It seemed like three coming-of-age stories with an additional science/ethics thread tying them together. It didn‘t feel as cohesive as I wanted. But it was good and worth a read.

Ruthiella I also loved Goodbye , Vitamin and am listening forward to this one. I‘ll try to adjust my expectations. (edited) 6mo
HeatherBookNerd @Ruthiella you may just love this one too! Lots of folks are just crazy about it. Enjoy the book. 6mo
ErikasMindfulShelf I loved this one but haven‘t read her first one. Definitely plan to. 6mo
HeatherBookNerd @ErikasMindfulShelf Goodbye Vitamin is entirely different. I loved it. 6mo
41 likes1 stack add4 comments
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SerenaCrawford
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5 ⭐️

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Amiable
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Mehso-so

I‘m not totally sure what I just read. Individually, I enjoyed the stories of Lily, Nick and May and how they each navigated their ways in the world. But the big reveal involving science and genetics left me scratching my head. And the decisions made by several characters seemed contrary to their natures. I was left feeling confused, unsatisfied and wanting more.

Ruthiella I‘m reading this now and couldn‘t agree more. It‘s like three different approaches to the same concept and she couldn‘t decide which was best, so kept them all? Very unsatisfying and way too long as a result, IMO. 5mo
58 likes1 comment
blurb
Amiable
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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When you‘re reading your current book and suddenly stumble across the place where you work! 🤯

I had to look up the author‘s bio—yep, she went to Yale. Of course. Lots of references to New Haven locations in here.

Aims42 That‘s so fun! Like a little Easter egg just for you 🥰 Whenever a book mentions towns in Iowa I smile and my mental rating for it always goes up half a star lol 7mo
Amiable @Aims42
Me: “I‘m going to relax and read a book and not think about work.”
The book: 🤗

😄
(edited) 7mo
Aims42 @Amiable 🤣🤣🤣🤣 7mo
Jerdencon Love when things like that happen! 7mo
56 likes4 comments
blurb
britt_brooke
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Poolside reading might be my favorite!

#BOTM

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LatrelWhite
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Up early on this Memorial Day!🇺🇸 So ironic starting this!😊❤️💙🤍

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ErikasMindfulShelf
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Pickpick

Really liked this book about family, choices and genetics. What makes us who we are?
Highly recommend.

LeeRHarry Genetics you say? 🤔 7mo
40 likes1 comment
blurb
Leftcoastzen
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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#BookMail is the best mail ! #BOTM

Ruthiella Nice! 👍 7mo
LeahBergen 👏👏 7mo
sarahbarnes It truly is. 7mo
Branwen It sure is! 💕📚 7mo
66 likes4 comments
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perfectlywinged
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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So far I can‘t put down this multi generational story following members of a Chinese American family, starting off in Y2K New York.

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Amor4Libros
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Pickpick

What I enjoyed the most about this book is the 3 different POVs, even though sometimes it took a little bit of adjusting from one to the other (this happened mostly with Nick).

The story centers around a Chinese-American family and how trying to shape fate affected them. I loved it. I loved the dynamics and how the author developed the characters and presented the story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

blurb
Amor4Libros
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Read the first chapter and it looks promising… #NetGalley

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Aims42
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Pickpick

If you‘re in the mood for a fantastic, literary read - this book is it! It reminded me of a steak & potatoes dinner; it has heft to it and was very filling, but didn‘t feel forced or insincere. Told from 3 POVs, this is a multigenerational saga that will keep you hooked. If you enjoyed her debut (“Goodbye, Vitamin”) I would definitely add this to your TBR 👍 Pub date is 4/30/2024

Aims42 Themes: Relationship Dynamics (Family, Friends), Rich Storytelling, How far will we go for our loved ones safety and happiness? 10mo
44 likes1 stack add1 comment
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SaraBeagle
Real Americans | Rachel Khong
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed Goodbye Vitamin, so I was excited to read her new one. This one is much longer, more sweeping. It‘s a multigenerational story told from multiple points of view, from the reeducation during Mao‘s Cultural Revolution to modern day US.

Aims42 I‘m reading it now and don‘t want it to end 😩 Rachel Khong has such a gift for writing complex but still realistic characters 10mo
20 likes1 comment