Name: Kale Ishigami's review of Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan
Item: Rich People Problems
Rating: 5
Author: Kale Ishigami

Kevin Kwan

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Esquire Best Books of 2017 Kirkus Best Fictional Families of 2017 Kevin Kwan, bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians (soon to be a MAJOR MOTION PICTURE starring Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh and Gemma Chan) and China Rich Girlfriend, is back with an uproarious new novel of a family riven by fortune, an ex-wife driven psychotic with jealousy, a battle royal fought through couture gown sabotage, and the heir to one of Asia's greatest fortunes locked out of his inheritance. When Nicholas Young hears that his grandmother, Su Yi, is on her deathbed, he rushes to be by her bedside--but he's not alone. The entire Shang-Young clan has convened from all corners of the globe to stake claim on their matriarch's massive fortune. With each family member vying to inherit Tyersall Park--a trophy estate on 64 prime acres in the heart of Singapore--Nicholas's childhood home turns into a hotbed of speculation and sabotage. As her relatives fight over heirlooms, Astrid Leong is at the center of her own storm, desperately in love with her old sweetheart Charlie Wu, but tormented by her ex-husband--a man hell bent on destroying Astrid's reputation and relationship. Meanwhile Kitty Pong, married to China's second richest man, billionaire Jack Bing, still feels second best next to her new step-daughter, famous fashionista Colette Bing. A sweeping novel that takes us from the elegantly appointed mansions of Manila to the secluded private islands in the Sulu Sea, from a kidnapping at Hong Kong's most elite private school to a surprise marriage proposal at an Indian palace, caught on camera by the telephoto lenses of paparazzi, Kevin Kwan's hilarious, gloriously wicked new novel reveals the long-buried secrets of Asia's most privileged families and their rich people problems.

Rich People Problems

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 'Flashy, funny ... Delicious ... A memorable, laugh-out-loud Asian glitz fest that's a pure pleasure to read.' USA Today Nicholas Young's grandmother Su Yi is on her deathbed. While he rushes to be by her bedside, he's not the only one. The entire Shang-Young clan has convened from all corners of the globe to stake claim on their matriarch's massive fortune. With all parties vying to inherit a trophy estate in the heart of Singapore, Nicholas's childhood home turns into a hotbed of sabotage and scandal. Taking us from the elegantly appointed mansions of Manila to the secluded private islands in the Sulu Sea, Kevin Kwan's final installment in this irresistible trilogy reveals the long-buried secrets of Asia's most privileged families and their rich people problems. Kevin Kwan's new novel SEX AND VANITY is available now!

The outrageously funny summer read

Shanthu

Fröska

Kevin Kwan, bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians and China Rich Girlfriend, is back with an uproarious new novel of a family riven by fortune, an ex-wife driven psychotic with jealousy, a battle royal fought through couture gown sabotage, and the heir to one of Asia's greatest fortunes locked out of his inheritance. When Nicholas Young hears that his grandmother, Su Yi, is on her deathbed, he rushes to be by her bedside--but he's not alone. It seems the entire Shang-Young clan has convened from all corners of the globe, ostensibly to care for their matriarch but truly to stake claim on the massive fortune that Su Yi controls. With each family member secretly fantasizing about getting the keys to Tyersall Park--a trophy estate on 64 prime acres in the heart of Singapore--the place becomes a hotbed of intrigue and Nicholas finds himself blocked from entering the premises. As relatives claw over heirlooms, Astrid Leong is at the center of her own storm, desperately in love with her old sweetheart Charlie Wu, but tormented by his ex-wife--a woman hell bent on destroying Astrid's reputation and relationship. Meanwhile Kitty Pong, married to billionaire Jack Bing, finds a formidable opponent in his fashionista daughter, Colette. A sweeping novel that takes us from the elegantly appointed mansions of Manila to the secluded private islands in the Sulu Sea, from a schoolyard kidnapping to a gold-leaf dancefloor spattered with blood, Kevin Kwan's gloriously wicked new novel reveals the long-buried secrets and rich people problems of Asia's most privileged families.

Hilarious, juicy and sensational. I love the booked so much I sprinted through. 

Kale Ishigami

Quinn Tenorio

After finishing up China Rich Girlfriend in no time, I turned to this and was a little disappointed with the lack of continuation of the cliffhanger in the 2nd book. However, I enjoyed this and all three books. I wasn't fully expecting Kwan to cover the stories of everyone in all three books, it seems like there are dozens of characters floating around, I'm surprised how well-tracked most of them were through the three books. I can see the critiques of other reviews, but for something quick and fun, I liked this and the other two. I can definitely tell that some stories were just filler, but he was able to tie them all together at the end.

Briar's Reviews

Rich People Problems is the finale to the best-selling Crazy Rich Asians series.

This time around, the matriarch of the family, Su Yi, is dying and the entire family flock to come see her. You might be thinking, because they desperately love her? Oh no, because they would like a piece of that cash, and property, and jewelry and whatever else rich people hold. But that's not all! Oh no! Astrid and Charlie become a scandal when his wife loses it over their affair, Rachel and Nick seem to be enjoying blissful married life, Eddie wants respect, and Kitty still seems crazy.

The first book in this series blew my socks off and the sequel felt kinda meh. The third book in this series didn't hit me well either, which left me feeling super disappointed. 

The thing is, this book is SUPER well written. I absolutely love Kevin Kwan's writing! Not only does he have a unique, easy-to-read, yet super descriptive style but he also makes it super educational. I don't know a lot of the terminology and words from other languages, so I loved being able to take a peek inside of this world. This book is also packed tight full of wild drama and crazy rich people! What's not to love?

I think my biggest problem with this book is that there are so many characters to follow, and I really only wanted to follow the lives of Rachel, Astrid and Araminta. Everybody else didn't connect with me and I just felt very bored seeing into their lives. The funny thing is, their lives aren't boring! I just wanted way more of the characters I fell in love with during book one. In my mind, a lot of this book didn't need to be there to make it good. It felt like a lot of these characters were filler, but maybe that was just me. 

The other little thing that irked me - the last book focused so heavily on Rachel and then she basically disappeared. It hurt a little, since she was one of my fave characters, but it's likely Kevin didn't have much else to do with her. I would have really liked to see her more... Honestly, this made me lose interest more than anything.

Despite the fact that I didn't enjoy this book, I still believe it was super charming. It's lovable, quirky and absolutely hilarious at times! It's well worth the read, in my humble opinion. I clearly had a very high standard that Kevin wasn't going to hit, especially after reading the first book (and watching the movie, because OMG. When are we getting these two books as movies?!). These wild, manipulative characters make this book full of crazy drama and gossip, so it's an absolutely, wildly fun ride! 

Overall, this soap opera was a delight to read. It's a fun series for those who love gossip-y, crazy, soap opera drama!

Two out of five stars.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians (the basis for the acclaimed major motion picture) and China Rich Girlfriend, here is the uproarious conclusion to the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. Book Three of the Crazy Rich Asians Trilogy When Nicholas Young hears that his grandmother, Su Yi, is on her deathbed, he rushes to be by her bedside—but he's not alone. The entire Shang-Young clan has convened from all corners of the globe to stake claim on their matriarch’s massive fortune. With each family member vying to inherit Tyersall Park—a trophy estate on 64 prime acres in the heart of Singapore—Nicholas’s childhood home turns into a hotbed of speculation and sabotage. As her relatives fight over heirlooms, Astrid Leong is at the center of her own storm, desperately in love with her old sweetheart Charlie Wu, but tormented by her ex-husband—a man hell bent on destroying Astrid’s reputation and relationship. Meanwhile Kitty Pong, married to China’s second richest man, billionaire Jack Bing, still feels second best next to her new step-daughter, famous fashionista Colette Bing. A sweeping novel that takes us from the elegantly appointed mansions of Manila to the secluded private islands in the Sulu Sea, from a kidnapping at Hong Kong’s most elite private school to a surprise marriage proposal at an Indian palace, caught on camera by the telephoto lenses of paparazzi, Kevin Kwan's hilarious, gloriously wicked new novel reveals the long-buried secrets of Asia's most privileged families and their rich people problems. Look for Kevin Kwan’s latest novel, Sex & Vanity!

Vicky (A City Girl's Thoughts)

I'm glad authors are giving their characters, especially the villians, a fleshed-out backstory. Villians aren't born but made - especially by transgressions that could've been avoided. Many of the characters in Rich People Problems would have turned out different if they weren't raised to live up to the one percent's ideal social standard: More material goods, plus "old money" lineage (ex: royal ancestors) with a heap of misogyny do not equal happiness, but - as the saying goes - old habits die hard, thus increasing the amount of sorrow and pain each person carries. That doesn't excuse anyone for their wrongdoings but it does help us understand them better.

Overall this story was ok; Nick returns home to visit his dying grandmother Su Yi but is met by his gossipy relatives who are extremely annoying. While everyone is speculating on who will get what in Su Yi's Will, Kwan has us catch up on leftover drama from China Rich Girlfriend while tying up loose ends. The good ones receive a happy ending while the villians are either punished or change, but I felt their were too many stories being told while trying to tie them into the main plot, leaving some loose ends. A new character was introduced - and then dismissed - in the Prologue for no reason, never returning throughout the remainder of this novel, plus some relationships were either revealed at the last minute or left undisclosed. Regardless of the abovementioned (and the usual gossip these characters engage in) this novel ended with (almost) everyone looking towards life with a deeper commitment to personally understand others and not just worry about how much money, homes, cars, designer labels, and publicity they need to be "The current hottest topic."

alexandra

i thiiiiink this is my FAVORITE of the series???? and that's saying something since this series itself is already one of my favorites

Albert Dong

Rachel Kanyid

Liked this one a lot more than book two. Loved how this all wrapped up.

Steph L 

Truly 4.5 but Good Reads makes me only use full star ratings. I enjoyed this book and it was one of my favorite books in the series. I wish there had been more drama in this book as there had been in the others. That's why this was not a five star read.

From the bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians and China Rich Girlfriend, here is the uproarious conclusion to the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. When Nicholas Young hears that his grandmother, Su Yi, is on her deathbed, he rushes to her bedside--but he's not alone. It seems the entire Shang-Young clan has convened from all corners of the globe, ostensibly to care for their matriarch, but truly to stake claim on the massive fortune that Su Yi controls. With each family member secretly fantasizing about getting the keys to Tyersall Park, the place becomes a hotbed of intrigue. As relatives claw over heirlooms, Astrid Leong finds herself at the center of her own storm, desperately in love with her old sweetheart Charlie Wu, but tormented by his ex-wife--a woman hell-bent on destroying Astrid's reputation and relationship. Meanwhile Kitty Pong, married to billionaire Jack Bing and determined to raise their son more lavishly than a future king, finds a formidable opponent in his fashionista daughter, Colette. A sweeping novel that takes us from the elegantly-appointed mansions of Manila to the secluded private islands in the Sulu Sea, from a schoolyard kidnapping to a gold leaf dance floor spattered with blood, Kevin Kwan's gloriously wicked novel reveals the long-buried secrets and rich people problems of Asia's most privileged families.

the plot was really interesting but i think the style of writing for the series just wasn’t for me

Lindsey Davis Blanchard 

Mariane Ferrantino 

This series was seriously so fun. This one tied everything up in a neat little bow for everyone; everyone who deserved it lived happily ever after, and the villains got theirs, and sometimes you just need to read something like that.

A Novel

Rebeca Keren Nuñez

Sorpresivo, intrigante y entretenido, es un final a la altura de la saga. Lo disfrute mucho! Se lee muy rapido, mi demora fue porque tuve un monton de cosas que se cruzaron en el medio. Muero por ver como lo terminan adaptando, si es que lo hacen al final.

This series is solid for escapism, in the reality TV kind of way. I think the first one's the best, as it's grounded in a fish-out-of-water story with relatable stakes (although the movie is better imo). The sequels get a bit too bogged down in glamorous details and drama that swings from fun into tiresome. But because the POV changes from chapter to chapter, it's easy to skim through the side plots that drag. If you don't mind keeping up with a lot of names, they're solid beach-type reads.

Melissa Schwartz

I miss the characters already. Great series! Hoping for more

Flavia Louise

Eveline

I HIGHLY recommend this book ! 
My favorite one of the trilogy !!
Great way to end this beautiful trilogy. Light & funny as always it had me going from happiness to sadness to nostalgia even !
Loved every bits of it !!

A RELALY really good read. Love this whole series so much and would revommend to anyone.

This book was the perfect ending to wrap up the young’s. Nick and Rachel will always be that couple i Stan😩🤩

Lauren Attaway

I've been reading this series-does three books count as a series?- faithfully since the first Crazy Rich Asians. I would gladly drop in on these characters every few years for as long as Kevin Kwan wants to keep going. 


This book continues the series routine of multiple storylines, and I was genuinely surprised that Nick (a professor who initially brought his now-wife Rachel into this culture of exceptionally wealthy Asians) and Rachel took such a backseat to the rest of the characters in this novel.

In this book, Nick Young's grandmother is near death and his relatives all begin to scheme over her belongings, most importantly the one-of-a-kind house that's frequently referred to as the largest private estate in Singapore.Prior to his estrangement with his grandmother, Nick's family believed he would be willed the family home, but his relatives now see an opportunity in Nick's absence. 

Nick's cousin Astrid is the only other relative more concerned with losing their grandmother than what she might leave them. Astrid's in the middle of a nasty divorce and she's trying to be happy without completely alienating her parents.

I don't want to forge to mention the social-climber Kitty Pong, because she's back and still spending money as fast as she can come into contact with it. She's at a self-imposed war with her stepdaughter to see who can make the biggest splash the fastest.

As with the two earlier works, I was immediately pulled into Young family's world of luxuries and laughter. Families are crazy, period, and this family's wealth does nothing but create more sources of craziness for them. I especially loved the chance to get a better understanding of the family's matriarch, who was previously only really discussed as another plot point. Astrid also had a higher page count this time around, and while I enjoyed the deepening of her character I was sad to see she still had so many problems. 

If you enjoyed the rest of the series you'll find plenty to like here, but newcomers may find themselves struggling with why they care. 

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Saskia P

taryn

Sahi K

I definitely enjoyed this finale more than its predecessor. The whole drama surrounding the inheritance, all the family members vying for their share, and the unexpected revelations made for a lot of entertainment. But I was pleasantly surprised when the revelations happened almost at the halfway mark and I wasn’t sure what more story could be left, but I actually liked the latter half of the book more. The ending was such an interesting resolution and I absolutely adored the arcs for both Astrid’s story as well as Nick’s. 

This series may have been superficial and pretentious, but I did have a great time listening to the audiobooks and were the exact kind of books I needed during this time. Just pure fun.

Francesca G

Oh well. 

Here it goes I guess. 
So, from the premise, I knew that I was going to feel very on edge for most of this book. I don't particularly deal well with the incoming feeling that something important for the story might or might not happen. And Rich People Problems made it happen at the weirdest of times. So, half of the book I was on edge, the other half I spent trying to figure out whether I was happy or not Kwan took the plaster off when he did. Ultimately I wasn't unhappy with it because he had a big enough margin to explain the aftermath, so he tied up all the knots that needed it.

 The writing style is the same as the other two books in the trilogy, but only in this one I realised it was giving me a headache. Nothing wrong with it, apparently, but an omniscient third person narrator can be awful, I don't necessarily need to know what everyone is thinking at all times, thank you very much. That being said, I loved Astrid's character in this one and the third person narration did give it an interesting curve.

Overall, even if I didn't love it, I would say it's a satisfying conclusion to the Crazy Rich Asians Trilogy. I was very glad that with every one of the books I learned something more about a culture I knew very little about.

It was a slow burn for me first versus the first 2 books but it got better eventually. It definitely more relaxed than the others in a way? Especially since it touched on the Youngs more and how they related to each other. It was a nice relaxed read for sure. I would miss the characters!

POLAINE ELISE PAULINO

Amanda Wells

Well, I picked this up at the library because I'd heard of the series... and it sounds fun! 
I fully expected to have to put it down again quickly, because this is # 3 in the series, and I've not read #1 and #2, but actually it worked fine on its own - you get the idea of people who were featured in previous books, without having to go in depth with them. 

It is a fun book, a little exhausting at times - just because of the flawed nature of these characters. 

I enjoyed where it all ended up, and it even avoided the 'easy' resolution that I suspected might happen.

Lisa W.

Oh Kevin Kwan has truly done it again. What a fantastic trilogy. This book is actually a 4.5.

I was completely shocked that the book lasted after after the death of Su Yi but he has plenty to share. I especially like the ending wrapped up perfectly I’m a bow. Nice finishing touches. 

Character break down below. 

Eddie Cheng is and will always be scum of the earth . Sometimes you want to think otherwise but then realize, nope he is still trash. 

Alastair Cheng is someone I wish I got To know more of. We would always here his name and he would have minor parts in the story but turns out there something I could have really liked about him. 

Oliver Tsein is a confusing character. You never know where to really place him because he plays for whatever side will suit him. I find him to be the the master of secrets like lord Varys. My major issue with him was his relationship to Kitty. She treats you like dirt and still you give her all of the tools to make her successful. 

No amount of spinning could ever make me like Kitty. I was really quite happy Colette was besting her left and right even though I couldn’t stand Colette either. The fact that everyone had to tell you how to be a boss chick means you never deserved what you had. Ambitious with no sense to make it work, what a tragedy. 

Colette has the game, she is cunning and plays the long hand. No matter how much you dislike her you’ve got to give it to her. She is a beast. I hated what she did to Carlton but ultimately he bounced back. What an icon! 

Astrid has always been a gem and I absolutely adore Charlie. I shipped the hard it wasn’t even funny. Their story was by far the most interest in one. Gosh I hated that michael didn’t get what he deserved but Astrid being ever so the lady doesn’t care about revenge. 

As always Nick and Rachel are constant and adorable.

Fröska &
Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan

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Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan