Stars: 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“The whole thing was a fucking disaster.”

^ this is the first line of the book, and this is when I knew I would love it.

Anna K is a Korean-American, modern retelling of Anna Karenina with Gossip Girl vibes and I absolutely loved it. Right after I finished the book, I settled on four stars, but honestly, I kept thinking about it and was inspired to re-watch the Anna Karenina movie with Keira Knightley. I have not read Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, but I do own it and plan to read it…eventually!

If I’m still thinking about a book days after I finished it, I think it deserves more stars. I can definitely understand why some people would not like this book though. It’s plot-driven, most of the characters are not exactly good people, it’s slightly absurd at times, and the general excessive-ness of the wealthy 1% can drive anyone crazy. And yet, I loved this book so damn much.

“Thank god I met her after I got into MIT, because that girl is a GPA-wrecker.”
“Is that nerd-speak for crazy hot?”

Anna K follows a group of young teens dealing with first love, first breakups, family pressures, loss of loved ones, and the general craziness of being a teenager.

The best part about this book is definitely Jenny Lee’s writing. Lee expertly weaves modern pressures with a classic love story. I love that the flow mostly stuck to the original Anna Karenina story (which I am assuming is somewhat similar to the movie), but the wild parties and excessive wealth gives it the Gossip Girl vibes.

There are some wonderful differences though, including the ending which did shock me a little (again, compared to the movie). The added rep is also wonderful with half-Korean characters, a black adopted character, and a character who I think is bisexual or pansexual (I can’t recall if it’s ever explicitly said).

“I truly believe men need us women to show them their purpose in the world.”

The characters are definitely well-written, even if they are not so lovable. I really didn’t feel connected to anyone, but that didn’t matter for me. Their stories were wild, and their actions even wilder. That is the part that really worked for me. I’m sure someone can relate to these people, but it wasn’t me. I’m happy to watch the shows (xoxo GG) and read the books about the 1% though!

There are also some really strong themes and messages throughout the story. Even though most of our characters engage in underage drinking and do drugs, there’s definitely a tone that this is not appropriate. Many of the characters also cheat on their partners, which is also called out most of the time.

There’s also a stress on mental health. It’s definitely the main part of one character’s story, but we see it in many of their individual stories too. They realize they have to live their lives for themselves and not others, no matter how “perfect” things might seem on the outside.

“At school she usually reads through lunch. Books! Not her phone, even.”

Like I said, I can absolutely see why people might not like this book, but I devoured it and loved it. I hope you do too!

Trigger/content warning: drug use, drug overdose, sex/underage sex/child pornography, underage drinking/partying, animal deaths, cheating, parental pressure/manipulation.