NOTE: This is a review of the novel, NOT THE MOVIE!
Rachel Chu is a simple economics professor and her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, proposed that they spend the summer in his homeland, Singapore. Unfortunately, Nicky forgot to mention a few things: a) he has a crazily rich family and extended family, b) he's one of the most eligible bachelors in the country or perhaps, entire continent of Asia, c) a ton of relatives and jealous people will put her down and try to tear them apart... while smiling. It will indeed be an adventure of a lifetime... If she survives it.
When you drill far down, this is a novel about an ingenue meeting a prince and finding a secret world she never knew, and trying to navigate it. It's really NOT that different from your typical "young naive student fell in love with a prince in disguise, trying to fit in among palace intrigue". However, the crazy rich Asian world was drawn so well that it would give culture shock to many Westerners, as the stuff was peeled layer by layer. The prologue, just describing how the news spread that "Nicky is bringing home a girl" through gossip net across multiple continents, can be a bit offputting, but once you got past that, and got to the part where they actually arrived in Singapore, then the pace starts to pick up.
It's not the do-all-and-end-all novel, as the author basically name-drops things left and right and practically throws the riches in your face. And the plot does wear thin a bit because you realize they had to throw in a second couple in crisis (Astrid and her husband, who may or may not be straying). The cast of characters are in the DOZENS, many of whom have only minor roles, yet this is over 500 pages! But it is an intriguing world nonetheless. 4/5
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