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The Stand-In, by Lily Chu
Apr. 11th, 2023 10:30 amughghghg this is...ok like. This is a romance novel that combines a) things I really like and think are well done, b) things that aren't really my thing but are common for romance novels so I can overlook them, c) things that are like, fine I guess, d) things that aren't handled super smoothly, and e) things that I hate SO SO MUCH.
As you might guess, this combination leaves me feeling a bit conflicted!
The novel is about a biracial woman named Gracie who happens to look a great deal like a famous Chinese actor (Fangli), who because of reasons needs someone to pretend to be her for a few months. Gracie then gets thrown into a world of what it's like to be rich and famous, and spending time with Fangli and her best friend Sam, and learning how to pretend to be someone else.
The premise of the book is pretty inherently silly, but that's fine, implausible set-ups are normal for romance novels and I can have fun with it. The voice is a breezy first-person-present-tense, which is probably my least favourite variety of narrative voice out of all the options, but that's becoming super common as well so here we are.
It was set in Canada, in Toronto, which is hypothetically a plus for me – I enjoy when I get to read a book that is actually set in the country I live in. But it felt in this book like Toronto was just a series of famous set-pieces, rather than being a real city, so that was a disappointment.
I liked the way the book handled Gracie's complexities of emotions over her relationship with her mother and the way it's affected her, and I appreciated the way Gracie and Fangli became friends so easily, and the stuff about Gracie's biracial identity seemed well-handled too. Also the mental health content. And overall I just liked all of the major characters, which takes me a great deal of a way into enjoying a book! Though the romance itself (between Gracie and Sam) was just like. Fine.
But the book spent a great deal of time putting me in positions of feeling like I had to cringe on behalf of the characters, which is NOT my jam, and then near the end, it went all in on a trope that I haaaaate whenever I come across it, which is ( cut for spoilers )
I don't know. It's good representation to exist in the genre, it's a quick and easy read, I can absolutely see it appealing to lots of people, but ultimately it did not live up to what I personally want out of a romance novel. (or a novel, period.) Ah well.
As you might guess, this combination leaves me feeling a bit conflicted!
The novel is about a biracial woman named Gracie who happens to look a great deal like a famous Chinese actor (Fangli), who because of reasons needs someone to pretend to be her for a few months. Gracie then gets thrown into a world of what it's like to be rich and famous, and spending time with Fangli and her best friend Sam, and learning how to pretend to be someone else.
The premise of the book is pretty inherently silly, but that's fine, implausible set-ups are normal for romance novels and I can have fun with it. The voice is a breezy first-person-present-tense, which is probably my least favourite variety of narrative voice out of all the options, but that's becoming super common as well so here we are.
It was set in Canada, in Toronto, which is hypothetically a plus for me – I enjoy when I get to read a book that is actually set in the country I live in. But it felt in this book like Toronto was just a series of famous set-pieces, rather than being a real city, so that was a disappointment.
I liked the way the book handled Gracie's complexities of emotions over her relationship with her mother and the way it's affected her, and I appreciated the way Gracie and Fangli became friends so easily, and the stuff about Gracie's biracial identity seemed well-handled too. Also the mental health content. And overall I just liked all of the major characters, which takes me a great deal of a way into enjoying a book! Though the romance itself (between Gracie and Sam) was just like. Fine.
But the book spent a great deal of time putting me in positions of feeling like I had to cringe on behalf of the characters, which is NOT my jam, and then near the end, it went all in on a trope that I haaaaate whenever I come across it, which is ( cut for spoilers )
I don't know. It's good representation to exist in the genre, it's a quick and easy read, I can absolutely see it appealing to lots of people, but ultimately it did not live up to what I personally want out of a romance novel. (or a novel, period.) Ah well.
