4 strong stars. I very quickly loved Celeste Ng's writing style, and the mesmerizing way Ng pulls you into characters. I don't remember the last contemporary family drama I read that did it so well, but Liane Moriarty comes to mind. There are also some obvious comparisons to be made to The Lovely Bones - minus the afterlife/magic bits - but I wasn't a big fan of that book, so I'll leave that to someone else. This book explores familial expectations and parental pressures, race and interracial relationships, childhood friendships, and the things we leave unsaid. It's tragic and sad and interesting and entrancing.