Home
/
Fiction
/
The Wangs vs The World
The Wangs vs The World
Nov 14, 2025 9:58 AM

Author:Jade Chang

The Wangs vs The World

'Fresh, energetic, and completely hilarious, The Wangs vs. the World is my favorite debut of the year.' Jami Attenberg, author of Saint Mazie and The Middlesteins

Charles Wang has just lost the cosmetics fortune he built up since emigrating to the US. Gone are the houses, the cars, and the incredible lifestyle. Faced with this loss, he decides to take his family on a trip to China and attempt to reclaim his ancestral lands.

But first they must go on a cross-country journey from their foreclosed Bel-Air home to the Upstate New York retreat of his eldest daughter, Saina. Charles takes his other two children out of schools that he can no longer afford and packs them into the only car that wasn't repossessed - along with their wealth-addicted stepmother, Barbra.

But with his son waylaid by a much older temptress in New Orleans, his wife ready to defect for a set of 1,000-thread-count sheets, and an epic smash-up in North Carolina, Charles may have to choose between the old world and the new, between keeping his family intact and finally, finally fulfilling his dream of China.

Reviews

[A] richly entertaining debut . . . smart and engaging

—— Guardian

Sharply comic, The Wangs Vs the World is a hilarious take on the road trip novel

—— Stylist

The Wangs vs. the World is one of the most thrilling, skilfully wrought novels I've read in ages . . .a rollicking rambunctious ride with a crew of unforgettable characters.

—— Emma Jane Unsworth, author of Animals

A recession-era Little Miss Sunshine meets Arrested Development . . . a fun debut that offers something a little bit different.

—— Big Issue

Fresh, energetic, and completely hilarious, The Wangs vs. the World is my favorite debut of the year.

—— Jami Attenberg, author of Saint Mazie and The Middlesteins

A fresh Little Miss Sunshine.

—— Sloane Crosley in Vanity Fair

A heartbreaking, hilarious, and honest American epic

—— J. Ryan Stradal, author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest

Enchanting and clever . . . whip-smart and brilliantly done, with a lightness of touch that disguises a lot of real wisdom.

—— Amanda Craig

Comic gem … fast, furious and fabulous fun.

—— Woman & Home

This fun, super-readable breath of fresh air had us completely hooked

—— Fabulous magazine, Sun on Sunday

Kinsella at her put-a-smile-on-your-face best

—— Good Housekeeping

A warm-hearted comedy about appreciating what really matters in life

—— Sunday Mirror

I'm a huge fan of Kinsella . . . This is a highly enjoyable romp

—— Sara Lawrence, Daily Mail

A captivating story, full of heart.

—— Good Housekeeping
Comments
Welcome to zzdbook comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdbook.com All Rights Reserved