Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan (Book Review)

The long awaited conclusion to the outrageously hilarious trilogy about Asia's 1% does not disappoint. Like the previous two books Crazy Rich Asians and China Rich Girlfriend, Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan follows the ridiculously wealthy Shang-Young family and their antics.

Su Yi's health is failing and, as the matriarch of the Shang-Young family, her approaching death launches anxiety and sadness all across Tyersall Park. After all, if Sun Yi dies, who gets the estate? The fight for inheritance dissolves into something not unlike Game of Thrones.

Nicholas Young has not spoken to his grandmother since his marriage to someone "beneath him" but decides to make the trip across the Pacific to see her only to be turned away at the gate to his childhood home because of a jealous relative. His cousin, Astrid Leong is in the midst of a tumultuous divorce fit for a soap opera, is juggling this tragedy juxtaposed with the engagement to her long lost love. Oh, also remember Kitty Pong? She's back (with a much more fashionable and wealthy last name), and she's just as entertaining as ever. Her feud with her step-daughter is boiling over.

Kevin Kwan brings back almost all of the ridiculous characters readers have come to know and love. And they're back with their designer name-drops and private jets. Kwan manages to take these characters, who have private butlers and spend $10 million on one shopping trip in Paris and make them entertaining. The familial drama will be relatable to all readers, regardless of their tax bracket.And while some of the characters are ridiculous, we all know someone similar Eddie Cheng who insists on making his grandmothers death all about himself. Even for someone who rolls their eyes at designer labels will find something to love in this book.

A warning though, there are a lot of characters in this book. And for readers that are not familiar with Asian culture, it can be a bit confusing at first. Kwan is not shy with sprinkling Chinese words and cultural references into each scene. Some sections can go by quickly, and there are quite a few footnotes that readers will have to recognize.

Nevertheless, Rich People Problems is a bit of fun, and it is an easy beach read for anyone looking for an (extremely wealthy) escape. While the series gets tied up in a cute bow, that won't keep readers from wanting more from these characters and their bank accounts.