The Wangs vs. the World by Jade Chang

The Wangs vs. the World

Jade Chang

expected publication date October 4, 2016

2/5 stars

I was given this book by the Amazon Vine program in return for an honest review.

In the Wangs vs. the World , Charles Wang (who has just lost his fortune) and his family scuttle out of Bel Air just before the bank can foreclose on their mansion. The plan is for the Wang family to drive cross-country to the NY house of the eldest Wang child, and the novel is the tale of their (supposedly) comic adventures as they travel.

I disliked each member of the Wang family from the moment s/he was introduced, and further character development never changed this. Because I could not connect to any of the Wangs, I found it impossible to take interest in their story.

Humor is, of course, an intensely personal thing. Ms. Chang's humor is not my humor. The use of "bad language" as verbs and adjectives, for example, just doesn't tickle my funny bone. I was also not particularly amused by her elaborate set up of the Wang's name (which Mr. Wang deplores because of the genitalia connotations) and the fact that he was heir to a urea production factory. Like I said, her humor isn't my humor.

Overall, I guess I was not a good fit for this book. A review is a personal opinion, and I've no doubt that other reviewers will see this book quite differently than I did. I, however, simply did not like it. I am giving it two stars, though, instead of one because her use of backstory was well done and effective.