The Chosen and the Beautiful
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- Create Date：2021-05-31 10:51:49
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Nghi Vo
- ISBN：1250784786
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Summary
Immigrant。 Socialite。 Magician。
Jordan Baker grows up in the most rarefied circles of 1920s American society—she has money， education， a killer golf handicap， and invitations to some of the most exclusive parties of the Jazz Age。 She’s also queer， Asian， adopted， and treated as an exotic attraction by her peers， while the most important doors remain closed to her。
But the world is full of wonders: infernal pacts and dazzling illusions， lost ghosts and elemental mysteries。 In all paper is fire， and Jordan can burn the cut paper heart out of a man。 She just has to learn how。
Nghi Vo’s debut novel The Chosen and the Beautiful reinvents this classic of the American canon as a coming-of-age story full of magic， mystery， and glittering excess， and introduces a major new literary voice。
Jordan Baker grows up in the most rarefied circles of 1920s American society—she has money， education， a killer golf handicap， and invitations to some of the most exclusive parties of the Jazz Age。 She’s also queer， Asian， adopted， and treated as an exotic attraction by her peers， while the most important doors remain closed to her。
But the world is full of wonders: infernal pacts and dazzling illusions， lost ghosts and elemental mysteries。 In all paper is fire， and Jordan can burn the cut paper heart out of a man。 She just has to learn how。
Nghi Vo’s debut novel The Chosen and the Beautiful reinvents this classic of the American canon as a coming-of-age story full of magic， mystery， and glittering excess， and introduces a major new literary voice。
Reviews
Heidee Howard
，
I've been trying to think of how to describe this book for over and hour， and I think all I can say is this: If The Great Gatsby was the great American novel of the 20th century， Nghi Vo managed to give it update America needed。 I've been trying to think of how to describe this book for over and hour， and I think all I can say is this: If The Great Gatsby was the great American novel of the 20th century， Nghi Vo managed to give it update America needed。 。。。more
Adri
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4。5 Stars CWs: alcoholism and intoxication; infidelity; parental death; murder; racism and outdated racial epithets; references to suicide and abortion; some descriptions of vomit; graphic injury; and some scenes containing graphic sexThe Chosen and the Beautiful is a stunning Gatsby retelling that adds so much richness and depth that is absent from the original text。 While The Great Gatsby is a fascinating， dramatic story about glamour and debauchery it leaves a lot of unanswered questions a 4。5 Stars CWs: alcoholism and intoxication; infidelity; parental death; murder; racism and outdated racial epithets; references to suicide and abortion; some descriptions of vomit; graphic injury; and some scenes containing graphic sexThe Chosen and the Beautiful is a stunning Gatsby retelling that adds so much richness and depth that is absent from the original text。 While The Great Gatsby is a fascinating， dramatic story about glamour and debauchery it leaves a lot of unanswered questions about the characters' motivation and circumstance。 In this retelling， Nghi Vo seeks to answer those question by introducing magic and queerness to the story in a way that brings the events of Gatsby into new light， and the complexity presented by those new elements is shown to be every bit as necessary to the story as they are refreshing。I love how magic is used in this story。 It's very much woven into the fabric of this world and time period to the point of being commonplace。 In the original story， we're told that Gatsby throws these hugely extravagant parties in the hopes of drawing Daisy's attention and luring her in， and while that is still true in The Chosen and the Beautiful， there's an added layer with the notion that perhaps Gatsby sold his soul to a demon and provides opportunity for gluttony and licentiousness in service of the underworld。 It also provides another answer for how he came into his fortune and how he can afford to throw these lavish parties night after night。Magic is also connected to our main character， Jordan， who has the ability to create living creatures out of paper， which is connected to her Vietnamese heritage。 It's really interesting to see her discover that power throughout the story， but also seeing how she is expected to use that power in service of the white people around her。So the use of magic is commonplace to the point of it almost being inconsequential， and it's also seen as an "indulgence" that serves the purpose of entertainment。 In that way， magic becomes yet another form of currency and status in this society， which is further reflected in how the story explores money and wealth as its own form of magic。 Money is connected to privilege， and when you have enough money you can open any door， conjure anything at your fingertips， and make anything you want become real。 What is that， if not a kind of magic？ By association， Jordan is folded into the protective circle of privilege afforded to her rich friends， and that privilege is magic enough to make her culture and her ethnicity "disappear" enough to make her "tolerable。"The addition of queerness in this retelling is also equally important， especially in how it reveals more about Gatsby's interest in Nick。 He's drawn to Nick not simply because they lead vastly different lives or because of Nick's blood relation to Daisy （though that does play a role）， but also in part because he desires him。 By reimagining Jordan as a queer woman as well， The Chosen and the Beautiful takes what's merely implied in the original text and makes it explicit。 And because Gatsby's parties are a space where all are welcomed and where anything can happen and be forgotten by morning， that would naturally create a site to explore queerness without fear of stigmatization or rejection。 The story does what The Great Gatsby fails to do by acknowledging the historical existence of people who A） were not white and B） were not straight。I also think it's so smart how the narrator who is providing an entryway to this story is yet another character who might otherwise be considered "a side character" at best， in the same way that Nick， in the original story， primarily plays the role of a witness。 But unlike the original， there is historical precedent for why Jordan would be considered secondary， and it's because she's a Vietnamese immigrant。 Because of her cultural background， she is considered to be "apart from" the Gatsby's and Daisy's of the world， even though they tend to run in the same circles。 She is invited to witness and play accomplice in the on-goings of their lives， but she is not invited to center herself or take up space。 Her friends allow her to be around because they consider her cultural experience to be dismissible and inherently secondary to their own lives。And I think that ties into the greater questions presented in the story: What does it mean to be wanted？ What does it mean to belong somewhere？ How much are we entitled to， if anything？ In that sense， there are so many powerful parallels between Jordan and Gatsby。 They both surround themselves by hundreds of people without truly being known by anyone; neither are not free to pursue that which they really want， either because of opportunity or circumstance; and they both trend towards the destructive as they merely go through the motions of life。 If something is available to you does that mean it belongs to you？ That's a question both Gatsby and Jordan are struggling to answer in this story。Overall， I found this to be an evocative and powerful retelling that made me look at the original in a completely new light。 Through the addition of magic， queerness， and a POC narrator I was also able not only to engage with the story in a different way， but imagine myself in it for the first time。 While the plot remains largely grounded in the original events， the story reads completely differently and stands on its own。 Even though the it does feel a bit too slow-paced at times， it's still a beautiful and thoughtful story that gradually reveals more and more of itself the longer you sit with it， and that lingering longevity makes it wholly worthwhile。 。。。more
Danika at The Lesbrary
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Although this is a fantasy novel， the magic is in the background for most of the story。 Gatsby’s parties employ magical entertainment and decor–but that’s not dramatically different from the lavish parties he would throw without it。 The book has a languid， dreamy quality。 Time passes unpredictability: we are just seeing the beginning of Nick and Jordan’s relationship when she mentions how it ends。Jordan is a fascinating main character。 She’s adopted from Vietnam and was raised in a wealthy famil Although this is a fantasy novel， the magic is in the background for most of the story。 Gatsby’s parties employ magical entertainment and decor–but that’s not dramatically different from the lavish parties he would throw without it。 The book has a languid， dreamy quality。 Time passes unpredictability: we are just seeing the beginning of Nick and Jordan’s relationship when she mentions how it ends。Jordan is a fascinating main character。 She’s adopted from Vietnam and was raised in a wealthy family。 She has to learn how to navigate this world， spending most of her girlhood being treated as exotic by friends before they grew up and abandoned her for more respectable companions。 She may seem to others to be a spoiled， overindulgent， “careless” young woman， but she’s constantly aware of not truly fitting in。She has plenty of love affairs with men and women， and she even frequents a gay bar。 In this version of the story， Nick and Gatsby have their own romantic relationship， which makes the love triangle （or square or pentagon） between Daisy， Tom， Gatsby （and Nick and Jordan） even more fraught。 Nick is reluctant to acknowledge that he has any inclination towards men， but he clearly cares deeply about Gatsby and their… dalliances， even if Gatsby doesn’t take them seriously。This is a beautiful， absorbing story with an overwhelming atmosphere of magic， indulgence， and tragedy–this time with queer and Asian American angles that add depth to the story。Full review at the Lesbrary。 。。。more
Delaney
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Thanks to TorDotComPub for the early finished copy！Full review to come soon！
Tatyana Vogt
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Okay， not a surprise but I really enjoyed this book。 I was hesitant about it at moments but I really loved the main character Jordan， I loved the queerness， the Asian American Perspective， the Magical Realism， the multiple timelines。 All of it， I really enjoyed it。 I will say that it was a little confusing at times and I wonder how much I may have missed if I hadn't read the original book。 I also didn't realize how much of the magical realism element was part of the story until 40-50% into the b Okay， not a surprise but I really enjoyed this book。 I was hesitant about it at moments but I really loved the main character Jordan， I loved the queerness， the Asian American Perspective， the Magical Realism， the multiple timelines。 All of it， I really enjoyed it。 I will say that it was a little confusing at times and I wonder how much I may have missed if I hadn't read the original book。 I also didn't realize how much of the magical realism element was part of the story until 40-50% into the book， which wasn't a smooth transition。 Almost felt like I was reading two different books。 I still enjoyed it quite a bit and will probably re-read it some day in the future。 。。。more
Beauregard
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I am a fan of Nghi Vo's previous novellas， and was thrilled to be able to read a full-length novel by her。 A retelling of one of my favorite books， The Great Gatsby， but through the eyes of a queer Vietnamese-American Jordan Baker？ With magic？ 100% up my alley。This book is successful in a lot of ways。 The lush， hedonistic vibes of the book are skillfully rendered with Vo's descriptive and meandering style。 I appreciated getting to view the story through the cool and exacting view of Jordan。 The I am a fan of Nghi Vo's previous novellas， and was thrilled to be able to read a full-length novel by her。 A retelling of one of my favorite books， The Great Gatsby， but through the eyes of a queer Vietnamese-American Jordan Baker？ With magic？ 100% up my alley。This book is successful in a lot of ways。 The lush， hedonistic vibes of the book are skillfully rendered with Vo's descriptive and meandering style。 I appreciated getting to view the story through the cool and exacting view of Jordan。 The magic and demons were never really explained， which I imagine could be frustrating for some readers， but I thought it suited Jordan's indifference and diaspora。 I was especially in love with how we get to see Gatsby through Jordan's eyes， a more obsessive and hungry character compared to how Nick sees him in the original novel （and this book）。Since this is a retelling， the main plot points and general story are the same as the original novel。 No surprises there， but the novel does drag a bit in the last half。 The details surrounding Jordan's home life with her aunt also weren't as interesting to me。 Not sure if I missed some details or forgot backstory from the original book。There was an absolutely heartbreaking twist in the last few pages that made me want to immediately reread the novel to see if I could have predicted it。Thanks to NetGalley and Tor for a free eARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Abby
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I do think it's funny that I rated this the same as the Great Gatsby， though unintentionally I really wanted to love this book。 This may entirely be just what I expected and wanted from The Great Gatsby a further exploration of its original themes and as the Jordan is Asian and queer it should have made it very easy， I'm not claiming that Vo failed to do this because I don't think the goal was to further dissect the fantasy of the American Dream that's just what I thought was going to happen and I do think it's funny that I rated this the same as the Great Gatsby， though unintentionally I really wanted to love this book。 This may entirely be just what I expected and wanted from The Great Gatsby a further exploration of its original themes and as the Jordan is Asian and queer it should have made it very easy， I'm not claiming that Vo failed to do this because I don't think the goal was to further dissect the fantasy of the American Dream that's just what I thought was going to happen and I can't separate that from my own reading experience。 Vo's writing is of course beautiful and atmospheric and I'll read whatever she writes because of that。 。。。more
Sapphic Bookshelf
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Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for the ARC of this wonderful book。The Chosen and the Beautiful is the last sapphic novel that I’ve read and despite thinking that I would fall in love with it， it wasn’t what I expected。Nghi Vo’s debut novel reinvents the well-known story of The Great Gatsby from her own point of view。 She adds fantasy and mystery to the luxury and extravagance。 Jordan is a professional golfer， she’s also Asian and queer， and has access to the most exclusive social circles a Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for the ARC of this wonderful book。The Chosen and the Beautiful is the last sapphic novel that I’ve read and despite thinking that I would fall in love with it， it wasn’t what I expected。Nghi Vo’s debut novel reinvents the well-known story of The Great Gatsby from her own point of view。 She adds fantasy and mystery to the luxury and extravagance。 Jordan is a professional golfer， she’s also Asian and queer， and has access to the most exclusive social circles and the most important parties in 1920’s New York。 But Jordan feels like an exotic attraction made to entertain others。 In spite of having a spot in this society， she doesn’t feel like she belongs and she knows that all the important events happen in those places where she isn’t allowed to go。 In this society full of jazz， infernal pacts and mysteries， Jordan will have to learn where she really belongs， but to that end she’ll need to cross a line she had never crossed before。 The author gives Jordan Baker the opportunity of being the protagonist of this story， using her voice to complete these unknown chapters of Fitzgerald’s classic。The world the author builds is one of my favourite things about this book。 A dazzling atmosphere that makes you travel to a world that really existed （mansions filled with secrets and secret clubs and parties due to the Prohibition in the US） but this time with magical elements， like dragons that come to life from a piece a paper。 The small details create a fascinating universe， full of lights and shadows that seem to hide secrets in every single page。The author uses a careful and grandiloquent prose， using expressions that match the time period。 Her prose and the rhythm of the book are probably what I liked the most about it。 The mix of all these elements transports you to the world created among these pages and makes you want to keep reading。However， to me it was rather difficult to connect with the story and characters。 In spite of there not being a warning anywhere —perhaps because Americans think that the world revolves around them and we have all read their classics— you need to have read The Great Gatsby to understand this story。 The author uses an existing timeline to tell her story， but knowing Fitzgerald’s story superficially will not help you grasp the complexity of this book， because Nghi Vo even uses actual scenes from the original book。 This novel is very fast-paced， there are lots of things happening， including flashbacks and it is all mixed with the main character’s memories， so knowing the original Gatsby’s plot will really help you see the whole picture。Besides from this， I have also not understood how the magic and fantasy intertwine with this world of elegance。 To me it was an element that added more confusion than interest to the book。 Despite of my favourite scene from the book including a magical element， I think the （fantasy） plot is left incomplete and unexplored。Jordan， the main character， has remained a stranger to me until the end of the book and the rest of the characters are not even worth mentioning。 I would have liked to know more about Jordan’s feelings， about how being Asian affected her life and how racism and growing up with a white family shaped her personality and personal growth。 The author portrays the banality of the characters and the time being faithful both to history and Fitzgerald’s novel， however， I would have liked Jordan’s internal monologue to be deeper。 Why should I care about Daisy and Gatsby’s relationship when Jordan Baker is a magician？ Why don’t we get to know more about how Jordan ended up in the US and what the circumstances were？ I also should mention that despite the fact that Jordan is said to be queer， this is another element that gets mentioned but not developed， a small detail that doesn’t change the course of the story。In conclusion， in spite of enjoying the style， narrative and atmosphere， I haven’t liked this book as much as I expected to。 However， I do admire how Nghi Vo has turned this classic into a story that feels current and still maintains the magic of all that surrounds Gatsby。If you like retellings of classic novels， fantasy books and love triangles this might just be your book！ This book has not met my expectations but Nghi Vo has been an amazing discovery and I’m sure that I’ll read more of her books in the future， so I still recommend this book to other people that might enjoy it。 （If you would like to read this book I recommend reading The Great Gatsby —or at least watching the movie— first， if you haven’t yet。）3/5Rep: LG（B）T – Main character 。。。more
Randi （Rampant Reading Reviews）
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I received an advanced copy of The Chosen and The Beautiful through NetGalley so I could share my review with you！Jordan Baker has stood on the sidelines of one of the most highly regarded American classics， The Great Gatsby， for long enough。 A professional golfer， a socialite peer of Daisy and Tom， Nick’s summer fling。 None of these titles even scratch the surface of Jordan Baker， who holds more mysteries than anyone could imagine。 Jordan was adopted as a baby， taken from her home in Vietnam to I received an advanced copy of The Chosen and The Beautiful through NetGalley so I could share my review with you！Jordan Baker has stood on the sidelines of one of the most highly regarded American classics， The Great Gatsby， for long enough。 A professional golfer， a socialite peer of Daisy and Tom， Nick’s summer fling。 None of these titles even scratch the surface of Jordan Baker， who holds more mysteries than anyone could imagine。 Jordan was adopted as a baby， taken from her home in Vietnam to become the youngest in a wealthy Louisville family。 Though she has no memories from her life before Louisville， she is constantly aware of the ways she stands apart from her peers。 Difference can be power， though， and Jordan Baker has never been afraid of standing out in a crowd。 In a magical and intriguing retelling， Jordan finally takes center stage， sharing her perspective on the rise and fall of Jay Gatsby。 You can get your copy of The Chosen and The Beautiful on June 1st from Tor Books！This Great Gatsby retelling has all the glamor and twice the magic of the original！ The prose was easily on-par with Fitzgerald’s own writing， and oftentimes I found myself pausing to appreciate the poetry in Nghi Vo’s style。 The thing that makes The Chosen and The Beautiful stand out from any other retelling I’ve read， though， is the choice in taking Jordan Baker’s perspective rather than Nick’s。 This decision shaped the story into something incredibly unique and compulsively readable。 Being both an insider and an outsider within the ranks of high society， Jordan's character gave the plot a new light。 The Chosen and The Beautiful reminded me why， exactly， I love retellings; they allow readers to explore beloved stories through new eyes！My Recommendation-This book should be required reading for any fan of the original Great Gatsby！ The Chosen and The Beautiful is a captivating story that feels every bit as hectic and enchanting as I imagine the 1920s to have been！ 。。。more
♥Milica♥
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I went into this with medium-high expectations and was left a bit disappointed。 The writing style was beautiful， enchanting even， but the overall story/plot （or lack thereof） didn't grip me。 While reading I kept waiting for the story to start， for something important to happen， and it all somehow fell flat。 I didn't feel any excitement， but I wasn't bored either。 Occasionally， the lack of a definitive plot doesn't bother me as much if I like the characters。 Here I felt lukewarm about everyone ex I went into this with medium-high expectations and was left a bit disappointed。 The writing style was beautiful， enchanting even， but the overall story/plot （or lack thereof） didn't grip me。 While reading I kept waiting for the story to start， for something important to happen， and it all somehow fell flat。 I didn't feel any excitement， but I wasn't bored either。 Occasionally， the lack of a definitive plot doesn't bother me as much if I like the characters。 Here I felt lukewarm about everyone except the paper cutting troupe which didn't make an appearance until the second half of the book。 The part I liked the most was the magic， which I wasn't at all expecting。 The ghosts should've been the first clue， I suppose。 The sad part is， that the magic shows up only a few times throughout the book and it makes barely any difference to the story if it's there or not。 And a tiny curiosity I have is the golfing。 It's mentioned in the blurb， in the book only once or twice and is never seen again。 What happened there？ Someone please remind me if it's like that in the original as well。 Bonus points for all the LGBT characters。 *Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review* 。。。more
Carmen
，
Great Gatsy retelling told from Jay Baker， Daisy’s friend from the original tale。 A Jay Baker who is now a young， queer， adopted Asian woman who is magical。 I’m sure you’re already as intrigued as I was when I first read the synopsis。 Thank you to Tor Books for the e-galley via NetGalley。 I am such a huge fan of Nghi Vgho’s writing。 I’d read The Empress of Salt and Fortune and When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain this past year。 Her writing is so highly fantastical and her storytelling is so ma Great Gatsy retelling told from Jay Baker， Daisy’s friend from the original tale。 A Jay Baker who is now a young， queer， adopted Asian woman who is magical。 I’m sure you’re already as intrigued as I was when I first read the synopsis。 Thank you to Tor Books for the e-galley via NetGalley。 I am such a huge fan of Nghi Vgho’s writing。 I’d read The Empress of Salt and Fortune and When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain this past year。 Her writing is so highly fantastical and her storytelling is so magical that you cannot help but be drawn in by her writing。 The Chosen and the Beautiful follows along the main plot line of The Great Gatsby。 But while that may provide some literary nostalgia， readers will find that this new retelling is truly an original。 Nghi Vo brings so much more magic， possibility， and depth to the story by making Jay Baker a young， queer， rich woman of an affluent family - who is also restricted by her Asian， adopted， and queer identity。 It is a social commentary of the 1920s but with a much more diverse and interesting perspective than even The Great Gatsby manages to be。The Chosen and the Beautiful takes on many of the elements that I now connect to Nghi Vo - the fantasy that underlies the ordinary and just the sense of never really knowing what may happen next in the story。 She surprises you at every turn - even for a retelling of a well-known story that is The Great Gatsby。 I was entranced by her magic once again and she is a must-read author。 TW: racism， xenophobia， sexual content， car accident， murder， death， infidelity 。。。more
Pamela
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Vo’s debut novel is inspired， clever and， at times， lyrically written。 She has taken one of F。 Scott Fitzgerald’s characters from his novel The Great Gatsby and expanded her。 In Vo’s novel， Jordan Baker becomes Asian， lesbian with a touch of magic about her。 Vo’s retelling （if that is what this is） of The Great Gatsby is seen through Baker’s eyes unlike the original novel that was told by a male character。 Regardless of whether you’ve read The Great Gatsby or not， anyone liking nuanced writing a Vo’s debut novel is inspired， clever and， at times， lyrically written。 She has taken one of F。 Scott Fitzgerald’s characters from his novel The Great Gatsby and expanded her。 In Vo’s novel， Jordan Baker becomes Asian， lesbian with a touch of magic about her。 Vo’s retelling （if that is what this is） of The Great Gatsby is seen through Baker’s eyes unlike the original novel that was told by a male character。 Regardless of whether you’ve read The Great Gatsby or not， anyone liking nuanced writing and strong women characters in a historical setting （in this case the Jazz Age of the 1920s） is sure to enjoy this novel。This novel deserves to be at the top of nearly everyone’s to-be-read list。My thanks to Tor and Edelweiss for an eARC。 。。。more
Laura （crofteereader）
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Just like with The Great Gatsby itself， I went through a large portion of the book wondering what the point of it all was。 From wholly irreverent narrator Jordan Baker （who， in all her attempts to be the puppet master of all those around her， to cut tension with wit or romance or just being entirely unexpected， just ends up being sad and distant） to magic that is both on the very fringes of the story and imperative at its center （which is never truly defined and only hinted at in such a way that Just like with The Great Gatsby itself， I went through a large portion of the book wondering what the point of it all was。 From wholly irreverent narrator Jordan Baker （who， in all her attempts to be the puppet master of all those around her， to cut tension with wit or romance or just being entirely unexpected， just ends up being sad and distant） to magic that is both on the very fringes of the story and imperative at its center （which is never truly defined and only hinted at in such a way that probably should have been clever but felt only very frustrating because my engineer brain just wanted to know how it worked and instead got vague hand-wavy parlor tricks）。I will say that the descriptions were phenomenal - from setting the scene at speakeasies and parties to outfits and expressions， the book was a sensory experience unlike anything I've read since Erin Morgenstern's The Starless Sea。 Also Jordan's and Nick's and Gatsby's dalliances with people of multiple genders from kisses to sex to flirtation - it felt very in line with the idea of roaring 20s debauchery with a more modern acceptance of sexuality。But all of that felt like a hall of mirrors， keeping us from seeing what lies beneath。 A distraction and a metaphor rather than sinking its claws in。{Thank you Tor。com for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own} 。。。more
cossette
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buddy read w quinn 🤍
Erica
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I was definitely captured by the lyrical beauty if Nghi Vo's writing in this one。 Just so beautiful and really immersive at times！ Though I've read The Great Gatsby， I found myself falling into this story trying to anticipate what was coming next as if I hadn't read the novel which is always something I look for when reading 'retellings'。 I thought Jordan was a very intriguing character， and that some of her more stark/offensive traits weren't overdone。Regarding the magical element of the story I was definitely captured by the lyrical beauty if Nghi Vo's writing in this one。 Just so beautiful and really immersive at times！ Though I've read The Great Gatsby， I found myself falling into this story trying to anticipate what was coming next as if I hadn't read the novel which is always something I look for when reading 'retellings'。 I thought Jordan was a very intriguing character， and that some of her more stark/offensive traits weren't overdone。Regarding the magical element of the story though， it was a hit or miss with me on every page。 Sometimes I would fall right into it and other times I was left very confused。 Though I wish the magic system and the history behind it was a bit more fleshed out， I think it serves the novel better that it wasn't。*thank you to the publisher for sending me this arc in exchange for an honest review* 。。。more
Alena Reading
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Check out my new Booktube channel！ARC provided by Tordotcom via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。A lot of the things about this book should not have worked for me。 1。 I don't usually read retellings。 2。 I DNFed The Great Gatsby because I was utterly bored。 3。 I really dislike stories about shallow people who only care about being rich， going to parties， and sleeping around。 With all that being sad， I am pleased to say that this retelling managed to enchant and entertain me from start t Check out my new Booktube channel！ARC provided by Tordotcom via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。A lot of the things about this book should not have worked for me。 1。 I don't usually read retellings。 2。 I DNFed The Great Gatsby because I was utterly bored。 3。 I really dislike stories about shallow people who only care about being rich， going to parties， and sleeping around。 With all that being sad， I am pleased to say that this retelling managed to enchant and entertain me from start to finish， and I will definitely be checking out other works by Nghi Vo because I'm completely hooked on her beautiful writing。The whole experience of reading this novel felt like an intoxicated dream thanks to the charming prose， magical realism element， and all the characters constantly being intoxicated either by drinking alcohol or demon blood。 I was really intrigued by the paranormal aspects of the world and would love to learn and see more about them but I understand that they were used sparingly for a reason。As I said before， I didn't finish the original classic and I'm sure I'd get more out of reading this retelling if I did， but in my opinion the novel stands well on its own and you don't need to have read Gatsby in order to understand and appreciate it。 As far as I've seen from the reviews， it follows the original closely but is much more diverse， queer， and explicitly sexy。I would definitely recommend reading The Chosen and the Beautiful， whether you love the classic story or not。 。。。more
Marie Aitchison
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“I like large parties。 They’re so intimate。 At small parties there isn’t any privacy。”I’ve always loved that quote from The Great Gatsby and was happy when I saw it used in this magical retelling。The Chosen and the Beautiful has Daisy Buchanan。 It has Jay Gatsby。 It has Nick Carraway。 And the entire story is retold through the eyes of Jordan - Daisy’s strong willed， queer， Asian American best friend。The author breathes fresh life and new layers into this classic novel， while still honoring the o “I like large parties。 They’re so intimate。 At small parties there isn’t any privacy。”I’ve always loved that quote from The Great Gatsby and was happy when I saw it used in this magical retelling。The Chosen and the Beautiful has Daisy Buchanan。 It has Jay Gatsby。 It has Nick Carraway。 And the entire story is retold through the eyes of Jordan - Daisy’s strong willed， queer， Asian American best friend。The author breathes fresh life and new layers into this classic novel， while still honoring the original story。 It read like a fever dream。 The prose was utterly enchanting， & I drank the rich imagery up like the highest quality top shelf gin at the very best speakeasy in town。Also， I am really loving the retellings that are coming out and flipping the script- telling familiar tales through the female perspective。 I appreciated that this reimagining has LGBTQ representation， addresses topics of racism and classism， and has a fun and unexpected layer of magical realism and the paranormal mixed into the jazz age。 Yes， there is ghosts， magic， and those who sell their souls。 It was enchanting。 🥂✨Of course I pictured Gatsby as Leonardo DiCaprio。 There’s no other way。 I will now be rereading the classic story and watching the movie again。 This book brought back all the feels， and more。 If you’re a Great Gatsby fan and/or enjoy the lavish eccentricities of the 1920s and a bit of fantasy， this is a must read！ 。。。more
Kate
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4。5/5。For some reason I didn't put together that "Jordan Baker" meant that this was a more literal retelling of Gatsby。 I thought it was going to be more 'inspired by Gatsby' but it is， in fact， an urban fantasy retelling of the same plot from the perspective of a a side character from the original。 I love the reading of Jordan as Vietnamese。 I haven't read The Great Gatsby in a while， but it FEELS like it works。 I'm happy to read a version of the story where it's irrefutably true。I need to talk 4。5/5。For some reason I didn't put together that "Jordan Baker" meant that this was a more literal retelling of Gatsby。 I thought it was going to be more 'inspired by Gatsby' but it is， in fact， an urban fantasy retelling of the same plot from the perspective of a a side character from the original。 I love the reading of Jordan as Vietnamese。 I haven't read The Great Gatsby in a while， but it FEELS like it works。 I'm happy to read a version of the story where it's irrefutably true。I need to talk about the inclusion of magic in this book because I've gone on a roller coaster of opinions about it。 First， I liked it， I thought it was going to add to the Roaring 20s flair， which it more or less did。 Then I liked it less， because it felt more like an aesthetic than metaphorical inclusion。 Like， it was fine， and because I enjoy fantasy and magic I mostly enjoyed it， but it felt like a bit of an unnecessary heavy-handed metaphor when it *was* being used as a metaphor。 But then there are a few choice scenes towards the end where the magic becomes a necessary part of the story。 And not just necessary as a device to move plot along - necessary emotionally， necessary metaphorically， necessary for the story to feel complete and whole and correct。 But yeah， I really loved this。 I loved the languid pace， the sticky summer feeling。 The language is beautiful and evocative， descriptive， delicious。 The writing itself is decadent and luxurious like the lives of these rich New Yorkers， but not only that， it's comfortable and personable。 It brings you in like a conversation or like getting into a warm bath， and everything - every word - is just right。 Also the queer stuff was GREAT。 Just woven in immaculately。 Somehow not the focus but also the point of the story at the same time。 Which， in my opinion， is more true to the feeling of being queer than almost anything else I've ever read。 What a masterful expression of that experience。 。。。more
Colby
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My love for The Chosen and the Beautiful feels just as extravagant and all-consuming as being drunk at one of Gatsby’s infamous parties。 Nghi Vo has written a masterpiece of a novel that will forever be my favorite rendition of The Great Gatsby。 It is a gorgeously written， blood-soaked， and unapologetically queer response to Fitzgerald’s work that—narrated by an Asian-American Jordan Baker—gives us the character perspective that I’ve always wanted。 Between the wicked magic and Vo’s incisive pros My love for The Chosen and the Beautiful feels just as extravagant and all-consuming as being drunk at one of Gatsby’s infamous parties。 Nghi Vo has written a masterpiece of a novel that will forever be my favorite rendition of The Great Gatsby。 It is a gorgeously written， blood-soaked， and unapologetically queer response to Fitzgerald’s work that—narrated by an Asian-American Jordan Baker—gives us the character perspective that I’ve always wanted。 Between the wicked magic and Vo’s incisive prose， the entirety of this story feels like a lethal fever dream and by the time it’s over， you’re elsewhere entirely， glaring into the past at all the times academia placed The Great Gatsby in front of you and wishing that this had been the story you’d been made to read instead。 It’s fucking perfect。Thank you to Edelweiss+ and to Tordotcom for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Anthony
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Review to Come。 The Chosen and the Beautiful comes out on June 1。 I read an electronic advance review copy from NetGalley。
TheArtemisDuology
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Vo’s retelling of The Great Gatsby is a stunning work of art and craftsmanship。 The story manages to embody the tone and parts of the original essence of The Great Gatsby with its glamor and its tragedy while adding extra depth to it by telling the story through Jordan’s eyes: a queer， Vietnamese socialite who must deal with the society’s rules and flawed hearts。 The Chosen and the Beautiful feels like a character study of Jordan and her relationship with the golden world around her: she knows t Vo’s retelling of The Great Gatsby is a stunning work of art and craftsmanship。 The story manages to embody the tone and parts of the original essence of The Great Gatsby with its glamor and its tragedy while adding extra depth to it by telling the story through Jordan’s eyes: a queer， Vietnamese socialite who must deal with the society’s rules and flawed hearts。 The Chosen and the Beautiful feels like a character study of Jordan and her relationship with the golden world around her: she knows that behind the wallpaper is something ugly but she （must） find her own way of keeping the privilege she had acquired that many openly may not want her to have。 The retelling becomes complex because of Jordan’s identity and her relationships with the people around her， especially with Daisy。The prose is glittery， dreamy， and vague which makes it both magnificent but also can be slightly confusing to follow at times。 There is a magical aspect to the story that ties into Jordan’s heritage， yet at times I became perplexed by how well any magical detail truly fit into the story （Jordan isn’t the only one who has connections to this magical essence）。 The magic almost felt like it was there to mainly just add to the atmospheric writing， which actually took away from some of the reading because I didn’t entirely understand why it was there。 It can be hard， at times， to truly connect to certain parts of characters in the story when the language is so vague and airy， but as a character study it still is able to create a stunning reimagining。 I do feel as though I wanted something more from the novel， as though a few extra threads could’ve been explored or tied together more nicely。 As someone who has never read The Great Gatsby， Vo’s retelling still is able to stand on its own feet and create a curious and intoxicating exploration of 1920s glamor from the eyes of someone who doesn’t typically get a voice during that period。 There is a precise dislikability to almost every character which someone makes the book more enjoyable。*Thank you Tor Press for sending me a copy！* 。。。more
moony ☽
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I'm so excited about this book。 I mean， "Great Gatsby retelling with a queer Asian main character"， doesn't that sound amazing？ Can't wait to read it。 I'm so excited about this book。 I mean， "Great Gatsby retelling with a queer Asian main character"， doesn't that sound amazing？ Can't wait to read it。 。。。more
Bethany
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The Chosen and the Beautiful is a literary fantasy reimagining of The Great Gatsby， through the perspective of Jordan Baker as a young Vietnamese woman， where most of the characters are in some way queer。 It's an interesting take that explores issues of race， class， and gender- spinning out threads that exist in the original into something darker and more explicit。 There are plenty of nods to the original story， and even direct lines， but the further you get into the book the more certain things The Chosen and the Beautiful is a literary fantasy reimagining of The Great Gatsby， through the perspective of Jordan Baker as a young Vietnamese woman， where most of the characters are in some way queer。 It's an interesting take that explores issues of race， class， and gender- spinning out threads that exist in the original into something darker and more explicit。 There are plenty of nods to the original story， and even direct lines， but the further you get into the book the more certain things take on a life of their own。The fantasy elements are not really the focus， but are built into the world through things like drinking demon blood as liquor or the ability to bring paper to life。 The prose often has a dreamlike quality and can be quite unsettling。 Gatsby is less the tragic hero Nick sees him as， instead becoming something more sinister and obsessive through Jordan's eyes。 Why the difference？ Because Nick is half in love with Gatsby。This is also a more explicitly sexy take on a story that already had a lot of sensuality beneath the surface。 While no one ever defines their own sexuality， Jordan has relationships with both men and women， as do Nick， Gatsby， and maybe Daisy， although she's depicted as more likely somewhere on the asexual spectrum。 Things get messy in relationships with overlapping desire， love， obsession， and resentment。 There are oblique references to BDSM-type relationships and there is sort of a secret gay bar verging on sex club that some of the characters visit。 It's an interesting choice to tell the story through Jordan's eyes。 She's an outsider everywhere。 She was adopted by a white missionary， raised with wealth， but never quite fits anywhere。 She loves Daisy and Nick in different ways， but they both have their own obsessions。 I appreciate what this book was doing and it's an interesting take on the story。 I will say my reading experience was a slow one。 And part of that might be this dreamlike quality which I sometimes struggle with， and the pacing sometimes dragging。 I also thought the ending was strange and unsettling and I'm still not sure how I feel about it。 But it's a fascinating take on a classic and definitely worth a read。 I received an advance copy of this book for review from the publisher。 All opinions are my own。 Content warnings include depictions of blood and bloodletting， violence， murder， abortion， domestic violence， infidelity， probably others but that's a good start。 。。。more
Laura
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I received an advance copy from the publisher via Netgalley for review purposes。 This in no way influences my review; all words， thoughts， and opinions are my own。Rating: 3。5/5Content notes:（view spoiler）[- Alcohol consumption- White supremacy， racism- Infidelity- Allusion to suicide- Pregnancy- Abortion- Death- Bar setting- Vomit- Violence- Sexual content- Car accident （off page）- Murder- Suicide （hide spoiler）]This book has left me feeling conflicted and weird。 The moment I started it， it felt I received an advance copy from the publisher via Netgalley for review purposes。 This in no way influences my review; all words， thoughts， and opinions are my own。Rating: 3。5/5Content notes:（view spoiler）[- Alcohol consumption- White supremacy， racism- Infidelity- Allusion to suicide- Pregnancy- Abortion- Death- Bar setting- Vomit- Violence- Sexual content- Car accident （off page）- Murder- Suicide （hide spoiler）]This book has left me feeling conflicted and weird。 The moment I started it， it felt like reading The Great Gatsby but overtly queer and with magic and demonic powers。 It also almost feels like a waking dream， the way the writing flows and the way Jordan is as a narrator。 This is probably a great example of unreliable and unlikeable narrator。 I don’t even really know what to say about this book， other than it was compulsively readable even as it has left me feeling out of sorts。 Like， I think I enjoyed The Chosen and the Beautiful， but also I can’t tell if I did enjoy it。 I’d definitely still recommend this book， but it’s a weird one and I can’t quite tell if it’s a good weird or not。 。。。more
Morgan R
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Step into the luxurious world of the elite in this imaginative retelling of The Great Gatsby。 We follow Jordan Baker， adopted Vietnamese queer golf star， as she tells her side of the story where magical elements are seamlessly interwoven into the fabric of the Jazz Age setting。 The glitz and glamour of high society are enhanced with Vo's dreamy and immersive prose。 Fiercely independent Jordan is no stranger to being seen as an exotic object and while on the surface， the focus is on the frivolity Step into the luxurious world of the elite in this imaginative retelling of The Great Gatsby。 We follow Jordan Baker， adopted Vietnamese queer golf star， as she tells her side of the story where magical elements are seamlessly interwoven into the fabric of the Jazz Age setting。 The glitz and glamour of high society are enhanced with Vo's dreamy and immersive prose。 Fiercely independent Jordan is no stranger to being seen as an exotic object and while on the surface， the focus is on the frivolity of parties and socialites， the complexities of the characters show a darker more serious undertone that cannot be overlooked。 For fans of literary fiction with a touch of historical fantasy。*Thank you to NetGalley and Tor。com for providing a DRC in exchange for an honest review* 。。。more
caro | sanjariti
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Nghi Vo has solidified herself as one of my all time favorite authors。 They can do no wrong。 I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH。 The Great Gatsby is the only classic I enjoy， but Nghi has completely turned the story on its head and I was here for every moment of it。 Jordan Baker is such an underrated character and I just loved the way Vo brought her to life on the page， and the ways she incorporated magical realism into a classic story that undoubtedly every person has heard/read at least once in their l Nghi Vo has solidified herself as one of my all time favorite authors。 They can do no wrong。 I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH。 The Great Gatsby is the only classic I enjoy， but Nghi has completely turned the story on its head and I was here for every moment of it。 Jordan Baker is such an underrated character and I just loved the way Vo brought her to life on the page， and the ways she incorporated magical realism into a classic story that undoubtedly every person has heard/read at least once in their life。Everyone has to read this because in just 260 pages， Nghi has completely revolutionized Gatsby’s story into a commentary on race， class， and more in the 1920s， all while maintaining the luxury and ridiculousness of the era。 I am utterly obsessed and am forever grateful to Tordotcom for sending me an early finished copy of one of my most highly anticipated reads。 Nghi will never disappoint！ 。。。more
belle ☆ﾐ （thisbellereadstoo）
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thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。check out the full review on my blog！reviewhave a little mixed reaction about The Chosen and the Beautiful。 While I did enjoy Nghi Vo’s visual and lyrical writing， it took me a bit to fully immerse myself into the world。 This might shock many but I have never watched The Great Gatsby nor have I read the book。 To say that I was confused about the setting and the connection between the characters is an understate thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。check out the full review on my blog！reviewhave a little mixed reaction about The Chosen and the Beautiful。 While I did enjoy Nghi Vo’s visual and lyrical writing， it took me a bit to fully immerse myself into the world。 This might shock many but I have never watched The Great Gatsby nor have I read the book。 To say that I was confused about the setting and the connection between the characters is an understatement。 In the same vein， this means that I’m not sure how much this book has deviated or stayed the same as compared to the original classic。 Regardless， once I got used to the setting， the book just pulled me in。Jordan’s an interesting character。 Aloof and uncaring about others， Jordan does what she wants as she was adopted into the Baker family and is a part of the high society life。 Magic runs in her veins。 She endures conversations that have racist undertones and lives in a time where an Act was about to pass that bans all Asians。 Through her， Nghi Vo discusses white supremacy， racial discrimination， and class struggles。As mentioned before， Nghi Vo’s writing is enchanting。 She perfectly described the lavish and dazzling lifestyle of a socialite and the magical elements of Jay Gatsby’s mansion and parties。 The complicated relationship between the characters remains a mystery for me。 Daisy， Jordan， Nick， Jay， and Tom’s lives are intertwined with magic and by fate。 Feelings are messy and throw in the five of them， it becomes chaos。Ultimately， this is Jordan’s story and her perspective of a queer Asian in the 1920s。 The Chosen and the Beautiful is another beautiful creation by Nghi Vo。 I just wished there were more explanations for certain things such as the magic and had more time to understand the relationship between each and every one of the characters。Regardless， I had a wonderful time reading The Chosen and the Beautiful。 Nghi Vo never fails to draw me into her works and I’m sure this will not be the last time。 。。。more
Elena L。
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DNF @50 pagesUnfortunately I lost interest and found the plot boring。
Holly
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（I received this as an e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。）My thoughts are pretty conflicted on this one。 Firstly， in terms of things I enjoyed， the magic system was really unique， and when the action started to pick up around the 75% mark I couldn’t put the book down。 I also loved the discussions it offered about culture， race and queerness during this time period。 However， as a whole this book didn’t entirely captivate me。 I wasn’t aware when I picked this up that it was a G （I received this as an e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。）My thoughts are pretty conflicted on this one。 Firstly， in terms of things I enjoyed， the magic system was really unique， and when the action started to pick up around the 75% mark I couldn’t put the book down。 I also loved the discussions it offered about culture， race and queerness during this time period。 However， as a whole this book didn’t entirely captivate me。 I wasn’t aware when I picked this up that it was a Great Gatsby retelling。 Retellings aren’t usually my cup of tea and as The Great Gatsby is not one of my favourite classics anyway， I wasn’t that interested in the core story。 Additionally， the writing， while it will definitely work for other people， just left me confused。 It was often very abstract and flowery and at times I really struggled to understand what was going on。 I also didn’t particularly like the main character， Jordan。 Despite that， I do think that a lot of people will enjoy this。 It was very magical and atmospheric， and overall my ambivalent feelings might be more of a me thing than the book itself。 Content Warnings: （view spoiler）[ racism and racist slurs， xenophobia， intimate partner abuse， adultery， white-saviour complex and stealing of a child from Vietnam， abortion， death of a loved one， body horror， murder， car accident， alcohol use， gun violence， passing mention of war， passing mention of suicide （hide spoiler）] 。。。more
Lisa | Lady_Logomancer
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