Jenny Lee (2) (1971–)

This book heavily reminds me of The Clique series by Lisi Harrison, books I used to be obsessed with as a young reader because their spoiled and dramatic main characters were so unlike anyone I knew in real life, and I loved the glitz and over-the-top-ness of it all. "Anna K" has the same vibes; the blurbs calling it the contemporary "Gossip Girl" retelling of "Anna Karenina" are spot-on.

There were points I thought I might hate this book because of certain characters and actions, but the character growth really comes through in this one. It's not like everyone is a saint at the end, but I was pleasantly surprised with how things wrapped up. For example, I came to love Kimmie's character, and thought she was a really accurate and heartfelt portrayal of a 14-year old girl trying to be her own strong self and learn how to be a feminist.

I would also mildly argue that "Anna K" might be more likable if you have read or seen the real "Anna Karenina". Although this retelling is a bit on the nose at times, there are certain plot points that I think just might seen totally bizarre if you don't know what they're echoing. I saw a few people complaining about the ending, but having already seen the movie I personally was waiting for that to happen, so having that knowledge is just going to change your reading experience!

All of March I've been in a horrible reading mood and only read one other book, and "Anna K" got me out of that slump. The story is just the total opposite of my headspace right now during self-distancing, so maybe part of why I enjoyed this was the escapism factor. Either way, I thought it was a really fun read!… (mehr)

Anna K: A Love Story has been this daunting book on my bookshelf for quite some time. My friends hyped it up SO much that I was nervous to start it. Do you ever have those books that you're scared that they were over hyped and now will be a let down? Anna K. was that for me. I was so nervous but I finally decided to jump in.

Jenny Lee crafting an intertext for Anna Karenina was what really drew me to this book. I haven't read the original (but I truly need to), but I thought it'd be a cool read. I think if I read the base text I'd appreciate this story SO much more, so I definitely recommend that to any reader coming in.

Taking away the intertext, this book was.... interesting. I personally did not like the writing style. It's definitely written in an older, slower paced style that felt reminiscent of books from the 1800s. It was beautiful but struggled to keep my attention. But, that's also just me! I'm the kind of reader that needs a fast paced book with very fun writing styles to keep me engaged. Jenny Lee's writing style is very beautiful though, so don't take that as a hit against the book.

The story itself was incredibly engaging, which is what kept me going. There's lots of high society drama among the American-Korean crowd. All of the main characters in this book are teenagers (it's a YA book, obviously), but they go through as much drama as a Real Housewife - cheating, drugs, alcohol, and like... where was I when this happened in high school? (Staying inside and reading books, so obviously I missed out). It seems so out of touch for what I knew from high school but from my understanding this definitely was there.

I'm not going to get too much into the plot since I read it during a very exhausting week. Essentially, Anna K., our lead, is one of the top ladies of society and she has the world's perfect boyfriend. She then meets Vronsky who sets her heart on FIRE. She goes after him and starts to ruin her reputation. Meanwhile, her friends and family are also having their lives fall apart in various ways. Cue (and queue) the drama.

I might not have connected well with the story, but I did enjoy reading it. Is it my favourite? No. Should I come back to this after reading the source material? Yes. I think I will appreciate it more then.

For now, lovely read! Truly interesting and I think it's audience will ADORE it.

Three out of five stars.… (mehr)