The end of the “Crazy Rich Asians” trilogy is a mostly satisfying romp, with more high drama and preposterous situations that we have come to love from Kwan. The characters are consistent from the previous books: Rachel is sweet and wooden, Eleanor is domineering and awful, Nick is charming and charming, Astrid is otherworldly, Eddie is a screeching gasbag. And so forth. Su Yi is on her deathbed and in this final act, we find out what happens to her estate, and all of the couples, those happily married, “happily married” and otherwise.
There are a few twists and surprises, but overall, the resolution is satisfying and predictable. It’s nice to get this final installment and it’s a trilogy worth your time, especially if you are looking for a delicious and gossipy bit of escapism. Though overall I like the book and found it satisfying, the end felt a bit too forced.
It seems like Kwan wrote himself into a corner, with too many loose ends and plots to tie up. The epilogue gives us a “one year later” to show the reader how it all turns out, but it is a little too convenient and neat, reminiscent of a 90s movie end credits that shows what each person is doing in the future. Case in point, and this isn’t a spoiler, Eddie, who is a catastrophic self-absorbed ass for three books, almost as an aside, has gone to therapy and “turned his life around.” It’s a little too convenient. Everything and everyone is fine, but, this is a fairy tale of sorts, so it isn’t so bad to leave you with a smile on your face, and resolution that all is well.