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888 Love and the Divine Burden of Numbers

A Novel

Audiobook
0 of 1 copy available
0 of 1 copy available

"Narrator Eunice Wong breathes life into the diverse cast of characters with an energetic precision that gives this audiobook the feeling of a lively radio drama."—AudioFile

"Abraham Chang's novel, packed with pop culture, is wonderfully alive. This is a beautifully tender and funny examination of love, of identity, of making your way in a world that is getting bigger and smaller at the same time." —Kevin Wilson, bestselling author of Nothing To See Here

Young Wang has received plenty of wisdom from his beloved uncle: don't take life too seriously, get out on the road when you can, and everyone gets just seven great loves in their life—so don't blow it. This last one sticks with Young as he is an obsessive cataloger of his life: movies watched, favorite albums . . . all filtered through Chinese numerology and superstition. He finds meaning in almost everything, for which his two best friends endlessly tease him. But then, at the end of 1995, when Young is at New York University, he meets Erena. She's brilliant, charismatic, quick-witted, and crassly funny. They fall in love and, for Young, it feels so real that he's thrilled and terrified. As Young and Erena's relationship blossoms, we get flashbacks to Young's first five loves. That means Erena is "number six." Was his uncle wrong—is she the one and only? Or are they fated for failure to make room for Young's final, seventh love?
A love letter to Western pop culture, Eastern traditions, and being a first-generation New Yorker, Abraham Chang's dazzling debut reminds us that luck only gets us so far when it comes to matters of the heart.
A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      March 25, 2024
      Chang channels High Fidelity for a lively if underdeveloped story of a first-generation Chinese American reckoning with his heritage and his first potentially serious relationship. It’s 1995 and NYU undergrad Young Wang works at a used record and video store. When his classmate Erena Yasuda comes into the store looking for anime recommendations, he parlays their interaction into a date. Things seem to go well—she opens up about her mixed Japanese and Korean heritage, and they kiss, but then Young flees. It turns out Young’s globe-trotting, lottery-winning uncle once told him everyone has seven great loves in their life, and Young has only loved five girls before he met Erena. What follows is a series of flashbacks to his previous infatuations, which ended either in the friend zone or with Young otherwise heartbroken. Meanwhile, in the present day, Young relentlessly emails Erena for a second date, wondering if his uncle’s theory is right after all. Stylistic flourishes abound; in addition to email transcripts and explanations of pager code, Chang imagines conversations with his favorite film directors including Rob Reiner (“You never did like All in the Family (not really the target demographic), but it’s me—Meathead! I done good, yeah?”). The numerology stuff feels a bit half-baked, but Chang strikes all the right notes in his portrayal of a tender youth. Gen Xers will revel in the nostalgia. Agent: Faye Bender, Book Group.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      The strength of Eunice Wong's narration is her ability to capitalize on the humor underlying this novel about Young Wang's coming of age in the 1990s. As Young tries to find his own way in the world, Wong breathes life into the diverse cast of characters with an energetic precision that gives this audiobook the feeling of a lively radio drama. Her dexterity helps the listener make sense of the many lists and side notes that relate to Chinese culture. Wong's mastery of tone and pacing will draw listeners deeper into the story, keeping them consistently entertained. She brings together superstition, numerology, and contemporary pop culture through the lively character of Young--all of which makes for a delightful comedic listening experience. M.R. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

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