Love and Other Moods by Crystal Z Lee

 

Love and Other Moods by Crystal Z Lee
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3.5 ⭐
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Synopsis:
Naomi Kita-Fan uproots her life from New York to China when her fiancé’s company transfers him to Shanghai. After a disastrous turn of events, Naomi finds herself with no job, no boyfriend, and nowhere to live in a foreign country.

Amidst the backdrop of Shanghai welcoming millions of workers and visitors to the 2010 World Expo, we meet a tapestry of characters through Naomi: Joss Kong, a Shanghai socialite who leads an enviable life, but must harbor the secrets of her husband, Tay Kai Tang. Logan Hayden, a womanizing restaurateur looking for love in all the wrong places. Pan Jinsung and Ouyang Zhangjie, a silver-aged couple struggling with adapting to the ever changing faces of their city. Dante Ouyang, who had just returned to China after spending years overseas, must choose between being filial and being in love. All their dreams and aspirations interweave within the sprawling web of Shanghai.
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"For so long she had felt like a creature in flight, lost in the dark expanse, floating directionless, aimlessly always on the run"

Through vivid imagery and descriptions of architecture, food and familial drama this book completely immerses you in the culture and complexities of life in Shanghai. It is real and gritty and relatable, which I didn't expect considering how vastly different our lives are. The book is very fast paced and actually takes place over several years of life in the city, and through the experiences of multiple different people. The lost-but-finding herself foreigner, the best friend who married into Shanghai elite, the modern and eligible businessman, his traditional parents. Unique and at times brutally honest perspectives of life in the city that never stops.

There is also another layer to the story in the World Expo that is taking place in the city during the same time. I especially enjoyed reading about how extreme the different exhibits and crowds were as it is on my bucket list to attend one day.