Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for the digital review copy! I remember feeling very moved by Rachel Khong’s debut novel Goodbye, Vitamin and eagerly requested her latest.
Though I wasn’t sure how I would feel about her foray into historical fiction, as it’s not always my favorite genre. Yet, the bulk of the story is more recent history and the main character is a contemporary of mine. Being able to relate to where Lily was life during the Y2K era, I was immediately drawn in to this emotional roller coaster of a family drama filled with such realness. Though the narrative touches on timely moral issues (race, class, consumerism, genetic engineering) it doesn’t feel didactic. 
I think I (slightly!) prefer her first novel, and Real Americans didn’t quite rise to a full five star review for me because sometimes the jumps in time felt jarring, I thought the ending fizzled/didn’t pack as much of an emotional punch as it could have, and the connection formed between the youngest and eldest characters at the end seemed unrealistic. But I absolutely love Khong’s writing and it was an absolutely beautifully compelling story with twists that just kept me enthralled. Highly recommend!