Rental House by Weike Wang

Rental House Reviews

• 
  Roxane

  This is an odd little novel with an odd (compelling) protagonist. It’s the story of Keru and Nate, a married couple, and two vacations with their families in rental houses. It’s so very wry and subtle an an interesting way to create a portrait of a marriage. I’m curious to see wha others will think about this novel.
• 
  emma

  i'll never get tired of reading lit fic about weirdos
• 
  Jessica Woodbury

  Weike Wang is becoming one of those authors I like spending time with. I settle in with her books, I get comfortable, I know I will enjoy my stay.
  
  Keru and Nate have been together since college. He is a professor, she is a consultant. He comes from a small Appalachian town where he never fit in. She is an immigrant who never fit in. They work as a couple, though they have been together long enough that we see the cracks that have formed from small divisions growing over time. They have been together long enough that their love is more assumption than action. They work a lot, they have no children, and their lives have taken on a flatness they don't know if they like or not.
  
  We see them over two vacations, five years apart. And each time their vacation is intruded on by others, mostly by their own families. Both Keru and Nate have strained relationships with their parents in different ways, and they also struggle to relate to their in-laws. Their families are probably the biggest pressure on them individually, but also as a couple. And watching the two of them navigate these visits is both cringey and relatable.
  
  It's mostly a quiet book, but one I couldn't stop reading. I like the strange little details, the way Keru throws things at pivotal moments, the constant taking pillows on and off the couch. The book is quite evenly split between the two of them, and they both feel fully drawn. This isn't really about going anywhere or seeing any big change, and that was fine with me.
  
  I like the way Wang's work explores the lives of women who are variations on a theme. Daughters of Chinese immigrants, women driven to succeed, women who do not fit the mold of their parents' expectations or the American culture around them. They may have similar character sketches, and the stories around them explore similar themes, and yet they all feel quite different. I love that we see so much that can open up even in what others may consider a limited scope.
  
  I mostly wish her books were longer because I so enjoy how lived in they are. The sharp eye for detail, the real consideration of relationships. Here in particular there is so much about what we may owe our parents, when do things cross the line, what is the goal of a relationship with people who do not understand you. Nate's family in particular pretends to play-act that everything is great, which Keru struggles to do. And Keru's family is so blunt that even Nate's Chinese lessons haven't done much to ingratiate him. Keru and Nate may come off as prickly sometimes but they both really struggle with the obligation to their families and the difficulty that comes from interacting with them. And yet they continue to try, continue to reach out, continue to support the families that don't support them. It isn't a book that wants everyone to get along or one that minimizes the pain parents can inflict. This is a tricky subject for me, but I never felt like Wang was being too optimistic or too harsh, it just felt right on.
• 
  Laurel

  I know that life comes at you nasty. But for as much and as many times as I have read JOAN IS OKAY, the ultimate comfort book of the late pandemic. I was not ready for this swerve of a title from Weike Wang.
  
  And sure, her debut CHEMISTRY could be seen as the origin story for this one. But those earlier books have lightness and hope, levity. And I was so excited to get approved for the ARC of this title.
  
  Also I had 2024 Covid when I got approved, which just proves my point about how getting the galley of JOAN IS OKAY in 2021 was the novel version of the vaccine. Even though I wrongly sometimes associate reading it with the 2020 of it all, like it’s the LAUGH NOW CRY LATER Drake video and a bottle of SUNNY SIDE UP eau de toilette from Juliette Has A Gun.
  
  So my 2024 Covid read of this book was bed bound, but that doesn’t account for me reading all three of Weike Wang’s novels in a day. What it does say is that no matter when I read this book, I still would’ve stopped less than halfway through to read the others, because I just needed a break from this bleak novel.
  
  I love this author. I just really hated this plot. I usually thank the publisher at the end of my reviews for the ARC but this time I want to thank Weike Wang. I reserve the right to change my mind on how much this novel wounded me, which is why I am giving it 5 stars.
• 
  Christina Li

  very very incisive and observant
• 
  Alejandro Lugo

  First, I'd like to thank Riverhead Books for sending me a copy of Rental House in exchange for my honest review. This book, set to release on December 3, 2024, is a compelling exploration of family dynamics, cultural intersections, and the immigrant experience.
  
  Rental House follows Keru and Nate, a married couple navigating their life together, despite coming from very different cultural backgrounds, - Keru being Chinese and Nate American. The story delves deeply into how they interact with each other's families, highlighting the pressures and expectations imposed by both sets of in-laws. Weike Wang does an excellent job portraying the complexities of these relationships, particularly how immigrant parents' desires for a better life for their children can clash with the realities of their children's lives in a new country.
  
  Though the story itself is relatively simple, it is enjoyable and relatable, offering a thoughtful look at the balancing act many couples face when blending different cultures. What stands out in Rental House is its ability to teach us about the importance of empathy, understanding, and compromise in any relationship. Overall, Rental House is a touching and meaningful read, proving both entertainment and reflection on the intricate nature of family and cultural identity.
• 
  Barbara Waloven

  A penetrating look into family relationships between a couple who met in college, are pushing 40, have no children but successful careers, are quite content with their life choices. Will they remain content when their parents start expressing interests in their choices and lifestyles? They vacation with Chinese parents who demand perfection and working-class white parents who believe hard work, not intelligence, is most important. But the parents aren’t there at the same time because that would be more chaotic. Plus…the couple has a lovable giant sheepdog that they treat as their child. Eye opening and fun read.
• 
  ‎‧₊˚n o e l l e˚₊‧

  a portrait of a marriage, one that might feel familiar (interracial, in-law relationship strife, etc.) and a strong conclusion. pacing and plot isn’t super applicable here but the character study element shines.
  
  many thanks to penguin riverhead and netgalley for the advance reader copy. this book is set for release on 3 dec 2024.
• 
  Jay Lowe

  I loved this. A great meditation on marriage and family. Ended much too soon
• 
  Stephanie

  4.5/5 - If you've ever had in-laws or even struggled with your SO's parents, you need this book. You'll be seen.
• 
  kadence ✩‧₊˚

  i usually don’t read this type of book but the mc is chinese and their dog is named mantou so
• 
  Klaudia K

  A thought-provoking look into marriage- life, love, death, anxiety, and the terrible feeling that you are hurtling into nothingness. Nate & Keru met at a Yale Halloween party; initially brought together by their collective witty nature & impulsiveness, the two follow the blueprint of the typical successful millennial American dream: marriage & a dog. This story follows Keru and Nate through the lens of two vacations a few years apart.
  
  I found it compelling the use of outside factors to provide the reader insight into Keru & Nate’s emotions, their dog Mantou being one of them. As the stress and heartbreak of the owners’ lives materializes through anxiety & depression, those same symptoms are revealed in the pup and are quickly medicated. Nate and Keru are not so quick to take care of themselves- so that provides an interesting and well thought out contrast.
  
  Sometimes it’s hard to imagine that vacations can be some of the most stressful times of peoples’ lives, but Wang does a great job of encapsulating the stress of unplugging, and all the nasty emotions that don’t get brought out in everyday life, when the monotony is simply too monotonous for you to care.
• 
  Annie Tate Cockrum

  A portrait of a marriage in two vacations, several years apart. We learn about Keru and Nate's relationship with each other, their parents, and each other's parents - financial and cultural tensions being at the helm of their relationships with both sets of parents. The novel takes a very interesting form, but the subject matter felt bleak at times. Rental House comes out November 12, 2024.
• 
  Kate Czyzewski

  One of the most honest, raw and observant stories of modern marriage!
  .
  Weike Wang's Rental House tells the story of a young couple, Nate and Keru, college sweethearts, who marry despite their differences in families. Nate's parents are rural, white and working class while Keru's parents are strict, Chinese, successful.
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  Nate and Keru are what the modern kiddos refer to as DINKS- dual income no kids. And they have a dog, because, of course they do. Are you feeling seen yet..because I sure as hell did. While they've been married for some years now, they invite both sets of parents on vacations- to Cape Cod and then at a later time, to the Catskills. While many approach vacation as a way to relax, disconnect and unplug from life's expectations and struggles, the close-proximity and time spent with parents and in-laws cracks open presumption that Keru and Nate's marriage is lacking.
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  If Keru and Nate are hardworking, devoted to each other and great "dog parents", doesn't that make for a successful marriage and relationship? For anyone whose ever experienced the pressure of a traditional marriage forced on you from either parents or in-laws, this book is for you.
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  Weike Wang's sharp insight, humor and sympathy for the human experience will have the reader hugging their partner a little tighter after reading. We're all just trying to do our best, right?
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  Thank you to Riverhead Books for sharing an early copy/booksellers copy ahead of 12/3/24 release.
• 
  Annie

  Rental House is told in two parts over the course of two family vacations. Keru and Nate met in college and married despite the differences between their families and their upbringings. Keru's parents moved to the US from China when she was young for the opportunities they hoped she would find there. Nate's family is from the South and he's the first out of all of them to go to college. Keru and Nate have grown and moved on from the families they've come from, but these vacations bring those differences back into focus. This book touched on a lot of interesting ideas about what it means to be family, how where we come from and the people who raised us influence us our whole lives, and what it means to belong. I'm a huge fan of Wang's writing style, so I found this to be a quick read. The tone is very straightforward, but it's also heartwarming and humorous. This will definitely appeal to readers who enjoy stories about families and character-driven stories.
  
  Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the gifted copy.
• 
  Kris

  In Rental House, Weike Wang examines the lives of an international couple in 3 stages of their relationship. Through rich vignettes the reader perceives the inner workings of Keru and Nate's relationship. We find out what they mean to each other and as well as to their parents. We are given glimpses of their work personas and wonder how their lives will unfold with the passage of time. This is a short novel with a quiet plot but Wang's descriptions are full of thoughtful imagery, "Keru's mother had pronounced wedding ... weeding. It was unintentional and her mother could not hear the difference. But maybe there was no difference, Keru thought. Who was the weed, herself or Nate? The weeding of Keru from her family to his, and vice verse. The sudden appearance of a conspicuous foreign plant in an otherwise immaculate lawn." Another insightful novel from an accomplished storyteller.
  
  Many thanks to NetGalley for the advance ecopy of this book.
• 
  Andrew

  4.5 stars. Try as we might, we are often indeed the products of the ones that raise us. Weike Wang explores a lot in her prose, but also conveys a lot with what isn't explicitly stated-- whether that's navigating how our upbringings impact our relationships, disappointing our parents by straying from the path, or, ultimately, learning to live with the impact that all of these and more can take on the lives we build for ourselves. Rental House feels emotionally intricate in how Keru and Nate choose to deal with their families, as well as their marriage, given their lifelong differences, coming from two very different walks of life that will never be fully understood by the other.
• 
  Audrey

  Loved. This. Not only does this have sharp and insightful observations, it’s funny. Wang captures the cultural and class differences in an interracial couple and their respective parents as well as with vacation neighbors. Some of the incidents, I felt deja vu in my own life and Wang encapsulates and articulates why these resonated with me. The smart writing reminds me of Danzy Senna’s observations and both immensely talented writers and story tellers.
  
  I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
• 
  Leann

  Weike Wang is always insightful and always so dryly funny that you aren't sure whether to laugh. I love her characters so much. I appreciate that her books are condensed, but this is one where I wish it was a bit longer, just so I could see some more resolution for the main characters.
  
  Thanks to Riverhead Books for the review copy.
• 
  Victoria

  Five stars, recommend unreservedly, ENJOY.
• 
  Bethany Hanson

  ARC from Beth
• 
  Lea Kocurek

  Thanks to Riverhead Books for the ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
  
  For literary & contemporary fiction lovers, this story touches on race, social and family topics. A story of a couple who have two vacations with their families at two different rental houses. There are a lot of familiar, relatable aspects to the relationship between the two main characters and to their family members and I particularly enjoyed the time spent with the quirky neighbors next door. This is my second novel to read by Weike Wang and I plan to continue reading anything she publishes.