Book Review: Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan

Genre: Fiction / Romance

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

There were two events in recent history that changed the way we see the world — changed how we enjoy this life; Apple announcing iOS 7 and Kevin Kwan publishing the Crazy Rich Asians Trilogy. But since then, we have been going down the slippery slope in the same way the British empire did following the death of Queen Victoria.

That summarizes my overall thoughts on Kevin Kwan’s Sex and Vanity. Let’s get the positives out of the way first — the books did not disappoint by wanting me to take a trip to Capri (once the pandemic is over). It’s the perfect place to set a novel that touches on a dramatic disaster romance.

While Lana Condor’s face keeps on popping in my head as Lucie Churchill while reading the novel, I could not possibly think of a Chinese man to play George Zao. Chris Pang maybe?

Kwan gave me the summer I wanted — skinny dipping on a beach in Anacapri enjoying the sparkling clear azure waters of the Mediterranean; enjoying the views, culture, history, food, and fashion.

But I felt rushed when reading the beautiful tragedy of a romance between Lucie and George. Kwan could have explored more how both characters would, could, and should think and act based on those thinkings. For example, I take Lucie as an escapist; wanting to ditch the scene the moment she makes a terrible move. But it seems she reacted rather unnecessarily and even made a petty move just to make sure the Zao’s never get an apartment in their building when she was caught crossing paths with George once again. I felt she reacted to her feelings and emotions a little over than expected. That might just be part of the whole satire or maybe that’s what Kwan was gunning for but it did come out as overly done.

Also, Kwan did little justice to George by giving him a small story in the book. We only came to know this Chinese hottie with an Australian accent and upbringing through his mother towards the end of the book. And the way the romance between him and Lucie was really fast I felt I got whiplash when I turned the last page of the Capri part to the New York part.

I also felt a little betrayed because I didn’t get all the rich dramas I was expecting — the title of the book suggests it as well. The whole intrigue was not as grand as I thought it would be. The drone thing and the whole fit Charlotte threw? Petty. Needless to say, I kept on turning the pages hoping for something that never came.

I felt Kwan was rushed into writing the book — rushed to a point you would not believe it was written by the person who wrote the phenomenal Crazy Rich Asians. I felt that he did not write this book given how good his characters and stories were in the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy.

Nonetheless, Sex and Vanity is Crazy Rich Asians meets Gossip Girl in East Hampton. [Kevin] Kwan’s new novel oozes with lavish weddings, posh and superrich people, big houses that no one lives in, American elitists, arts, culture, travel goals, and a whole lot of Western money that does not pale in comparison to the money rich Asians get to enjoy.