Overall, what did you think of Real Americans? (no spoilers, please!)
I liked the book. The characters were well developed and their storylines engaging. The plotline was quietly revealed, and when I recognized the implications it was a surprise and disturbing.
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@NanK it really was a slow build, wasn’t it? It seemed like just your basic dysfunctional family story until… 
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High praise for Real Americans. It’s hard to describe what this book is “about” as it covers so many different, interesting and important topics, current snd historical. I loved the author’s writing style and became immersed in the characters’ lives immediately. I highly recommend this book!
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I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. It was very well written. I was intrigued by the different character stories as they came to life.
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I enjoyed reading this book and the different perspectives. The topic of “belonging” is beautifully written.
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I found the book very slow at the beginning but am so glad I stayed with it! I like how Khong masterfully wove together the story across generations and continents. And, wasn’t that an interesting twist? I listened to the book over a couple days when I had a lot of windshield time. I enjoyed the multiple narrators.
The book started slowly and I thought it was going to be a typical immigrant story until Nick’s section. Then, I became more invested in the read.
I liked the book once I finally got into more of the story. I did like the characters and their personal flaws. However, I did get frustrated with them, especially with Lily’s insecurities. I felt the story line sometimes left me wanting more information, i.e. I’d have liked more of Matt’s perspective on Lily’s behavior. I would give it four stars out of five.
A surprisingly tough question to answer. I was all over the place with this book - I love it, I hate it, I don’t understand it! The writing was fantastic but, for me, there were too many unfinished ideas. I also thought the topic was so interesting but overly scientific, which made parts difficult. All in all, I enjoyed the book and am grateful to have had the opportunity to read it. I just didn’t love it like I thought I would.
Part Three was my favorite. I liked May’s story. We read about her life in China, horrible as it was she managed to get educated. How she managed to get to America leaving her true love behind. How she came to know Matthew’s father and the scientific studies she worked on. May’s story answered all the questions we had.
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Yes, it was necessary for the author to end with May’s story. Those curious fragments were drawn together.
I agree I like May’s story the best. It tied the book together.
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I went in blind with this book thinking it was going to be a multi generational immigration story, but it was so much more! The twist was amazing, but Im a proud nerd and wanted more info about the specifics of the twist!! Overall I enjoyed this book and all its characters, especially Mays story, it was like a detailed interesting yet heart breaking history lesson.
I agree that I sometimes wanted more information that was lacking. For example about the time stopping and how more precisely they altered the DNA.
Part two was my favorite. We got to see the background of all the characters and then turn to Nick’s perspective and see how he was raised. He didn’t know what we know about his family so it was the most interesting part for me.
It was a good read, very much enjoyed the writing style. The characters were real and flawed and I would have liked for the author to have gone deeper with some, but found the story to be interesting enough to keep my attention.
I was unsure if I would enjoy the book at the beginning, but after the first few chapters, especially the part of the book set in Washington, I seemed to enjoy it more and of course May’s description of her life was a favorite of mine. I felt like there were some loose ends that didn’t seem to connect for me, but overall, it was an enjoyable read. I would have appreciated more explanation of the science experiments done in the lab, and more of an explanation there along with the ethics of it all.
The second time I read the book, I felt more connected to the storyline and thought more about the moral issues at play. My first reading didn’t grab me, and I can’t say why, either.
Real Americans tells the story of three people of different generations from the same family. I was driven to find out what happened to each and to other characters in the story, even though there were instances when the story took a turn while seeming to leave parts left unsaid. I was stunned at the end of the first section wanting to know more because the story jumped several years, although much was revealed in the other two sections of the book. From this story, I reflected on relationships and how some people are difficult to get to know. I learned more about the Chinese Revolution led by Mao Zedong, how it affected the people during this changing time, and how it changed China.