Set in modern-day New York, Jenny Lee’s debut is a retelling of the widely known Russian classic, Anna Karenina, and it follows the story of Anna K., a Korean-American girl that seems to have it all in life. Anna was born into privilege with exquisite beauty and has the perfect boyfriend for the past few years, everyone knows all about her and her family, including her little brother, Steven, who has caused her too many troubles to count, but she loves him dearly. Although she’s perfectly in control of navigating her life, the tables have turned when she unexpectedly meets a boy, Alexia “Count” Vronsky, at Grand Central. Before this, she was completely confident that she knows what she wants and what’s best for her. But now, her mind keeps going to the Count and she starts to question everything that she’s so fiercely sure before.
It all begins with uncovered infidelity committed by Steven to his girlfriend, Lolly. Determined to make up for his mistake and knowing Lolly’s admiration for his older sister, Steven desperately calls for Anna to come back home and get an apology from Lolly. Anna, being a good older sister, immediately takes a train to reach her brother and she amuses herself by talking to a lady. When they finally arrive, Anna finds her brother had been waiting for him, but along with him, there was another lad that she never met before. Turns out, the lad was Alexia ‘Count’ Vronsky, who happened to be the son of the lady that took the train with Anna earlier.
Since that moment, it was clear that the two of them were taking an interest in each other. But Anna has a lot to handle first, most importantly, saving his brother’s failing relationship, dealing with her distant parents, and maintaining a relationship that she has had for years, but lately feels insecure about. Being a teen and juggling all of these problems while unexpectedly being thrown into the spotlight of New York and Manhattan’s elite society for an incident that she never expected. Will Anna K. solve it all and discover who she really is at the end of the day?
There’s no denying that the first impression that I got from reading the earlier chapters from Anna K. was its cast of characters. And not only that, but the story was also told from multiple perspectives (around four or five!). It was quite shocking at first, sure, but the second I got used to the flow, which happened pretty fast by the way, it was incredibly fun. I enjoyed every single point of view that shaped this story. Each character got their very own personality and their voice really shined through. With that being said, I applaud Lee for her wonderful work at creating and developing these diverse characters.
While the characters were marvellous, the plot didn’t fail to amaze me as well. Obviously, since this is a retelling, the general storyline was adapted from its original book. But, the few minor adjustments and changes to today’s modernity and trend was incorporated amazingly. It never felt forced, not even once. Anna’s journey along with everyone around her was believable, especially since this book heavily centered around teenage dramas and struggles, which is at great risk of being cliché if it’s not executed properly. Instead, Anna K. was discussing the sensitive matter of drug use, infidelity, racism, and parents’ abuse with not only grace, but also with an offer of taking a deeper look to see these issues more comprehensively. The book never supports the idea of abusing and cheating, but it helps us to discover the wider perspectives of these cases.
In terms of writing, though this book was written from the third-person point of view (which has never been my favourite for a long time) and Lee managed to do it effectively. This perspective is my least favourite because most of the time, it makes me feel like I was being told a story instead of experiencing it myself. No matter how awesome the characters were or how delightful the plot was, if I couldn’t experience the whole narratives, then it simply won’t work. But with Lee’s Anna K., it hits differently and it definitely works.
In conclusion, Anna K. being promoted as the mix of Crazy Rich Asians and Gossip Girl couldn’t be more accurate. Lee’s fresh take on the classic Anna Karenina, which she delivered through an enticing diverse group of characters and witty narratives, will leave you wanting more.
Anna K is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Every happy teenage girl is the same, while every unhappy teenage girl is miserable in her own special way.
Meet Anna K. At seventeen, she is at the top of Manhattan and Greenwich society (even if she prefers the company of her horses and Newfoundland dogs); she has the perfect (if perfectly boring) boyfriend, Alexander W.; and she has always made her Korean-American father proud (even if he can be a little controlling). Meanwhile, Anna’s brother, Steven, and his girlfriend, Lolly, are trying to weather a sexting scandal; Lolly’s little sister, Kimmie, is struggling to recalibrate to normal life after an injury derails her ice dancing career; and Steven’s best friend, Dustin, is madly (and one-sidedly) in love with Kimmie.
As her friends struggle with the pitfalls of ordinary teenage life, Anna always seems to be able to sail gracefully above it all. That is…until the night she meets Alexia “Count” Vronsky at Grand Central. A notorious playboy who has bounced around boarding schools and who lives for his own pleasure, Alexia is everything Anna is not. But he has never been in love until he meets Anna, and maybe she hasn’t, either. As Alexia and Anna are pulled irresistibly together, she has to decide how much of her life she is willing to let go for the chance to be with him. And when a shocking revelation threatens to shatter their relationship, she is forced to question if she has ever known herself at all.
Dazzlingly opulent and emotionally riveting, Anna K.: A Love Story is a brilliant reimagining of Leo Tolstoy’s timeless love story, Anna Karenina―but above all, it is a novel about the dizzying, glorious, heart-stopping experience of first love and first heartbreak.
