lolol exciting times? probably not, but this was good! i totally understand why people didn't like it/gave it bad reviews, but IRISH AUTHORS WRITE CHARACTER DRIVEN BOOKS AND I LOVE THAT FOR THEM! if you're a fan of Sally Rooney you'll enjoy this which i am and i did. i flew through this. nothing really happened but so much was said in every sentence. i would describe Ava, the main character as morally ambiguous and an unreliable narrator who is emotionless in her interactions and is trying to navigate her uncertainties about her sexuality, class, and lack of ambition. this story is messy and confusing up until the last quarter of the book. but i really, really enjoyed it! people's negative reviews are a little confusing.. like people are claiming that this book is full of racism? the entire book seems to feel like a deconstruction of a foreigner's view of Hong Kong and how British classism and snobbery have infiltrated the culture irrevocably and how even this is some ways preferable to the looming and uncertain threat of China. to me it feels like Ava is meant to act as an unreliable narrator who doesn't realize that she's also using her position in the country for her own selfish ends and the moments when she really sees Hong Kong and its people as more than just backdrops happen more and more as the story progresses and when she spends more time away from Julian and more time with Edith ( )

"Choose Your Own Adventure" time for Ava: wealthy banker Julian or loving lawyer Edith? Ava is an Irish transplant to Hong Kong, where she learns English grammar while teaching it to fourth graders. Struggling to live on her meager salary, she accepts Julian's invitation to move into his cold, barren luxury high-rise apartment for free, as they trade snarky quips of seeming disinterest in each other as Ava secretly yearns to be his official girlfriend. What does Julian think? We don't know, because we aren't privy to his inner thoughts about Ava, or if he even has any. When he is sent back to London, Ava founders until she meets the stunning Edith and they become lovers. We do know Edith's thoughts, because we hear many an argument between the women, about Ava's tenancy in Julian's digs, and Edith doesn't even know that Julian and Ava are not-so-platonic roomies. When Julian returns to Hong Kong, he admits to having missed Ava. Ava doesn't admit Julian's status to Edith, who inadvertently and disastrously discovers the truth about her unwitting membership in the odd romantic triangle. Ava is flighty and selfish, though she maintains a close and loving relationship with her Mam back in Ireland and a granddaughterly-like rapport with Julian's dad. Now Julian is being permanently reassigned to Germany. Whither Ava? The novel is filled with humor and silly behavior, several cuts above a beach read and was a roaring debut novel success in Europe.

Quotes: "I wondered if Victoria was a real person or three Mitford sisters in a long coat."

"The buck stopped with him, a reflection of his general distaste for parting with currency." ( )

Unfortunately, I found this book a boring entrance of dairy of a 20something year old woman trying to figure out how to do life in that age. Nothing exciting or life changing ( )

i'm finally freed from this boring book. on paper i should love it coz i loved normal people but I didnt care abt anything or anyone, nothing happend in this and everyone was annoying. gave it 2 stars just bc it had alot of sentences and thoughts I annotated and found relateable but it still wasnt enough to save this book. ( )

Featured in a blog post at https://booksbeyondbinaries.blog/2020/05/25/be-our-guest/