"Lives are like rivers, eventually they go where they must. Not where we want them to go.-" Mae Fung

Yang has written a very interesting narrative with a main character whose situation morphs from familial dysfunction to the glitz of high society mixed with a bit of emotional drama.
It is toxic with abuse and a violence that warps the relationships of these characters. 

Ivy had grown up in a frugal household with a fleet fingered grandma and a heavy handed mother and a seemingly detached father, whichbexplains her deep seated yearning to find  and have something beautiful that would be hers and hers alone. She finds that in Gideon, the all American rich boy, and nothing could be wrong with him. 

Exposed to shoplifting from an early age and then briefly to the life of the elite, Ivy grows up with a deep yearning to have all the riches and lifestyle of the affluent; but giving up old habits prove harder than Ivy counted on or maybe not, and she isn't about to let anything or anyone come between her and her richly ever after.

“White I’ve” is dark, and at times can be quite suspenseful. The beginning and middle was somewhat slow, there was a lot of character building involved with a bit of interesting parts thrown in. The last part was the best! It was intense and dark and it’ll keep your eyes glued to the page! 

It was really refreshing to read a book with a main character who is not just imperfect in a quirky way, but flawed in a deep way. I think most people can relate to at least one of Ivy's dark feelings or thought processes, which are too taboo to talk to people about, probably even to your best friend. Yang delves into the parts of Ivy -- and ourselves -- that are too shameful to talk about, but also so central to the way we approach and walk through life. The same raw honesty was present in Yang's writing about Ivy's family, which has real problems that aren't easily resolved -- like in real life! Bottom line: I love how real this book is. I admire Yang's vulnerability in pulling these feelings and thoughts out of her head and sharing them with us. I also appreciate the non-russian Eastern European representation :)

Throughout the story, I felt that Ivy was especially selfish as she always made use of others to gain her footing and throw them off when they are useless to her. I could relate a lot to the strict Chinese upbringing parts and how her parents push her to her limits to succeed in life and how they supported her endlessly when she needed them. The story was a really slow burn and the last few chapter really shocked me and it was good to see how Ivy got what she deserved for the despicable things she has done.