written by Nghi Vo, book 43 of 2021
For him, the world was always ending. For him it was always a wreck and a ruin and he had no idea why the rest of us weren’t screaming.
Nghi Vo- The Chosen and the Beautiful
I wanted to love this story but instead I think I “fell in like” with it. There are some really great parts to it: Jordan Baker as an immigrant “oddity” among the glamour of 1920’s New York, the social commentary around immigration and sexual politics, the fact that the main character’s magical talent is presented as the least interesting thing about her. But I felt like it teased a lot of potentials that weren’t fulfilled and dragged a bit in the middle. Nghi Vo is incredibly talented and I almost wish this wasn’t a retelling of The Great Gatsby at all and instead an entirely original story so that she could have dove more into the Jordan Baker’s past and future. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for future works from Vo and I’m looking forward to something fully original.
I felt like this was a solid 3 star listen up until the ending (which I really loved and won’t spoil!) so I’d say it’s at least a 3.5.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.
Recommended for: anyone who looking for more queer love stories, 1920’s enthusiasts, or fun twists on classic works.
Content Warnings: Racism, Infidelity, Xenophobia, Deportation, Sexism, Homophobia, Abortion, Death, Self Harm.