Review: China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwon

Title: China Rich Girlfriend (Crazy Rich Asians, #2)

Author: Kevin Kwon
Publisher: Random House Canada
Publication date: June 16, 2015 

Genre(s): Fiction (Chick lit)

Source: Publisher

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 378

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On the eve of her wedding to Nicholas Young, heir to one of the greatest fortunes in Asia, Rachel should be over the moon. She has a flawless Asscher-cut diamond from JAR, a wedding dress she loves more than anything found in the salons of Paris, and a fiancé willing to sacrifice his entire inheritance in order to marry her. But Rachel still mourns the fact that her birthfather, a man she never knew, won’t be able to walk her down the aisle. Until: a shocking revelation draws Rachel into a world of Shanghai splendor beyond anything she has ever imagined. Here we meet Carlton, a Ferrari-crashing bad boy known for Prince Harry-like antics; Colette, a celebrity girlfriend chased by fevered paparazzi; and the man Rachel has spent her entire life waiting to meet: her father. Meanwhile, Singapore’s It Girl, Astrid Leong, is shocked to discover that there is a downside to having a newly minted tech billionaire husband. A romp through Asia’s most exclusive clubs, auction houses, and estates, China Rich Girlfriend brings us into the elite circles of Mainland China, introducing a captivating cast of characters, and offering an inside glimpse at what it’s like to be gloriously, crazily, China-rich. 

While China Rich Girlfriend is technically the sequel to Crazy Rich Asians, you can read this as a standalone, which is what I did. Kevin Kwon throws you head first into the extravagant and rich life of these rich asians, and I can't lie and say that it didn't give me a headache. I was so shocked and mesmerised at the same time at the reality of their lives. One line that really got to me was said among a couple of the older asian women about someone within their community: 

"Bernard has no money. He only gets about ten million a year to live on," Carol confirmed.  

That's ten million USD a year, by the way. I loved how we were able to see how these people live, and that it's not all roses and 100 thousand dollar Birkin bags. Initially I have to say I was OVERWHELMED by the sheer amount of people in this book. I do think if you read the first book, by the second book you would atlas know 50% of the people. But I didn't and it took me a while to get to know who's important enough for me to really know and who isn't. I wish there was a family tree chart of all the asian clans involved. 

Once we weed out all the unimportant characters, it finally got interesting and exciting. I couldn't put the book down and read it in a day or two. Several different plots are interwoven or stand alone in the book, and I have to say I enjoyed every single one. This is a rarity because I always have favourites and stories I don't like when it comes to multiple POV books. China Rich Girlfriend was a book I kept on recommending to so many of my friends and really stuck with me. Maybe because I was so unaccustomed to their lifestyle. The rich asians are seriously on a completely different level from other rich people. One thing a publicist at Random House said that stuck for me about this book is "There's rich , then there's China rich". I completely agree and feel like anyone who picks it up will get taken for a very interesting and exciting ride, especially if you are already into asian cultures, like I am. I definitely recommend this book to everyone and I can't wait to pick up Crazy Rich Asians and read that. I hope Kevin Kwon continue writing these fascinating and unique books; I really enjoy his storytelling. 

Review: Split Second by Kasie West

Title: Split Second (Pivot Point, #2)

Author: Kasie West
Publisher: HarperTeen 
Publication date: February 11, 2014

Genre(s): Young Adult (Paranormal)

Source: Bought

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 360

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Life can change in a split second.

Addie hardly recognizes her life since her parents divorced. Her boyfriend used her. Her best friend betrayed her. She can’t believe this is the future she chose. On top of that, her ability is acting up. She’s always been able to Search the future when presented with a choice. Now she can manipulate and slow down time, too... but not without a price.

When Addie’s dad invites her to spend her winter break with him, she jumps at the chance to escape into the Norm world of Dallas, Texas. There she meets the handsome and achingly familiar Trevor. He’s a virtual stranger to her, so why does her heart do a funny flip every time she sees him? But after witnessing secrets that were supposed to stay hidden, Trevor quickly seems more suspicious of Addie than interested in her. And she has an inexplicable desire to change that.

When I finished Pivot Point, the first book in this duo-logy, I immediately had to pick up Split Second and find out what happens next. I never do that. I actually NEVER read two books in a series back to back, unless it's Vampire Academy, but I usually like to read another book in between. Split Second picked up exactly from where Pivot Point left off, but this time, the book is actually told from two POV's! Unlike Pivot Point which was told from Addie's point of view, Split Second is also told from Laila's point of view. That seemed very refreshing and interesting, and added much more to the story as the two girls were living apart from each other. 

I will try not to say much without spoiling, but if you haven't read Pivot Point you might want to stop right here. So, in Split Second, we get to find out what happens after Addie chooses the life with her mother, but it doesn't end here. She gets to spend winter break with her dad, and that's when her life with her father starts to play out. This might be confusing if you haven't read Pivot Point (what are you doing here anyways? get out!), but if you have, you'll understand what I mean. It was definitely exciting to see how Addie re-lives her life with her father, without really remembering what she Searched. The readers gets to connect the dots because our memory wasn't erased, so we know what Addie doesn't remember at all. In this book, another character, Connor, is introduced. I sure think Connor was an interesting character, and thought that his part in the story was very crucial. Addie and Laila's characters definitely develop in this sequel, but so do their powers! (eek)! 

If I had to choose my favorite between the two, I'd have to pick Pivot Point. Part of my answer deals with how fun it was getting introduced to the life and the powers, but overall, it was a much more exciting (and addicting) read for me. Split Second was really good too, but I did hope for a more shocking turn of events. Overall, this duology was amazing, and I would totally recommend it to any ya/paranormal readers out there! I absolutely love Kasie West's writing, and will be looking forward to reading more from her!