Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan (BOOK REVIEW) 5/5

I was a little nervous when I opened this book. The last of a trilogy- would it make or break my experience? Would the end fit all my hopes and dreams for this incredible cast of characters?

I’m extremely happy to say I am not disappointed. Admittedly, when the book started, I grew wary. Within the first 200 pages, my attention began to drift, and my score came from a 5 to a 4… and then a huge moment hit, far sooner than I expected it would, and bam- my score soared back to a 5, I became totally invested in the story, and lost myself in the world of crazy rich asians once more.

This book has some serious developments, and ended on a perfect note. I don’t even want to talk about it, because it’s one of those things I think people need to read for themselves (apologies to all my friends who had to deal with messages of, “Oh my gosh, this just happened”, and photos of the pages). However, I’m a book reviewer, and that screams spoilers- so spoiler warning for the rest of this review.

Rich People Problems shows so much for how far the cast of this trilogy has come. There doesn’t appear to be many- or any- storylines left unsettled, which is always a good thing. It’s overall a happy end to a brilliant trilogy. Su-Yi’s end was shocking for me, coming right after a happy moment. I knew it was coming, but it still got me. It was like a tidal wave, knocking everyone down as it came their way, and the devil was in the details. A romance book at heart, it choked me up when Rachel finally burst back into the book and Nick dissed everyone to run and hug her when she arrived- showing how hard it is to be away from your partner when hard times hit. The insane clammer of relatives to find out what Su-Yi left, and Eddie Cheng’s antics when he thought he was the big winner of the chicken dinner, was laughable and so true to real life. As someone who has witnessed vultures during a funeral before- this was so blatantly honest of the insanity families go through when an old relative dies, just with a bit of a fictional book twist. I had despised the beginning of this book, in large part because of Eddie, but when he got what was coming for him, it was truly one of the best parts. If you hated Eddie Cheng in this book, you’re going to love this book. Fiona, for being a side character, quickly became a favorite of mine for her level headedness and her treatment of her flamboyant, excessive husband.

In addition, I have to say Su-Yi herself surprised me. I was so torn on how I felt about her, but her wisdom, and her gentle love of her family, made me gain a whole new respect for her. I loved flashbacks and moments that showed her true personality, that explained why she did what she did, and I loved how ultimately she displayed a good deal of fairness. She knew exactly what everyone needed. I now believe that Nick was her favorite because he was the most like her, out of everyone. I love how the aftermath of her death was handled- how it was navigated by Rachel and Nick, and how Tyersall Park ended up. I also loved some of the incredible reveals of the side characters: Oliver’s debts, Cat’s true lineage, Colette and Kitty’s new marriage battles throughout the novel.

One of the biggest storylines, for me, remained Astrid, Michael, and Charlie. It stunned me that Michael devolved the way he did, but then so did Isabel, both deteriorating. Charlie and Astrid’s love life just grew more and more hectic, but it ended perfectly for their characters. Astrid is still the beautiful girl who doesn’t play by anyone’s rules- the one who threw a Wendy’s frosty in his face, who threw his ring away, and now, who ran off and ends up having sex in a tourist destination. She’s a liberating character, and while I have no doubt (in my own personal headcanon) that she will marry him in her own time, I respect the ending Mr. Kwan chose for her: An ending of happiness. Though it was a small detail, one of my favorite parts of this book was the fate of Peik Lin and Alistair. It wasn’t a surprise to me, as it just felt right, but it was a nice touch in the end.

I could go on for ages about every storyline, every character, and even the gorgeous end surprise for Nick and Rachel. It’s a long shot, but I wouldn’t say no to side stories from this cast of characters, or a continuation with the next generation. Pretty please, Mr. Kwan?

An outstanding 5/5 read- though the second book remains my favorite of the trilogy.