Susie Yang

Ivy Lin, a Chinese immigrant, always felt like she didn't fit in. From a poor family that bordered on abusive, attending a wealthy school, Ivy struggled academically and socially. She coped with feeling inadequate by shoplifting, developing a secret relationship with a kid from the wrong side of the tracks, and eventually set her sights on a handsome, kind classmate. She also desired the automatic respect and attractiveness that comes from being a WASP, something she aspires to.

This novel show more is a fascinating character study of a young woman who doesn't like herself and feels the only way to become something in life is to hide her true nature. Inherently selfish and constantly scheming, Ivy is difficult to like. But the novel was easy to love - very well written and completely absorbing. show less

Well, I DIDN’T see all that coming when I started reading the book about a Chinese immigrant family who moved to Massachusetts. I thought it was going to be a coming of age story, but it’s a lot more than that. Ivy is a very original character. Growing up she learned to steal from her maternal grandmother who started the family career of selling used items on the internet. Ivy does not fit the mold of disciplined, polite Chinese child. She is angry most of the time. She’s extremely show more unlikable, which made it hard for me to believe that she was accepted as the future member of a WASP family when she married the son. And yet, Yang can pull me into believing the story. She had no moral compass in most of her decisions. And yet, at the end, Yang again gets me to believe that Ivy finally sees the importance of family. Soooo….my next question is what Ivy and Gideon’s future will hold. I learned from all the twists and turns in this story, that what I anticipated was not what I got. I didn’t think I’d like this book, but I was compelled to stay up late to finish reading. show less

A dark and twisty mesmerizing tale! White Ivy starts out as a coming-of-age story about a young Chinese girl whose childhood is spent being passed between her loving but somewhat immoral grandmother in China and her hardworking, stern parents in Massachusetts. You can imagine what kind of problems this causes in Ivy's personality and moral compass, but just when her life starts to take a dark turn, the story skips ahead to Ivy's working life after college, as she reconnects with a crush from show more school and his wealthy and politically influential family, as well as other darker influences. Not that anything in this story is black and white, the nuances and subtle flaws of all the character are what makes this book so suspenseful.

I loved this story, it kind of reminded me of the Goldfinch in the way different peoples lives and fates intertwine throughout the years and the dark and light sides of their personalities are revealed. The end was compelling and yet left me wanting to read more. I can't wait to see what Susie Yang will write next! show less

A highly complex character, Ivy Lin manages to be simultaneously vulnerable and terrifying. Brought to the United States from China as a young child, Ivy grows up internalizing the experiences of her immigrant family, while yearning for the trappings of the patrician lifestyle she glimpses at the private school she attends. It is there that she meets Gideon, who will be the object of her obsessive attentions when he reappears in her world years later. As she becomes embroiled in a love show more triangle with a second man from her past whose background more closely aligns with her own, Ivy struggles to hold on to what she believes will finally bring her peace. What follows raises questions about what makes us who we are, rendering White Ivy not only an engrossing read, but fertile ground for meaningful book club discussion. show less