Renée Ahdieh’s adult debut Park Avenue arrives with the weight of expectation befitting a #1 New York Times bestselling author transitioning from YA fantasy to contemporary adult fiction. Pitched as “Crazy Rich Asians meets Succession,” this novel follows Jia Song, a newly minted junior partner at a prestigious Manhattan law firm, as she becomes entangled in the billion-dollar empire and explosive family dynamics of the Park dynasty.
The premise is undeniably compelling: when your boss hands you the legal crisis of Manhattan’s most powerful Korean family, you don’t hesitate. What Jia discovers behind the polished veneer of Park Avenue penthouses and private jets is a family imploding in spectacular fashion—complete with hidden fortunes, dying matriarchs, and secrets that span continents.
A Protagonist Caught Between Two Worlds
The Hunger for Success
Jia Song emerges as a protagonist shaped by the immigrant experience and driven by an almost desperate need to prove herself worthy of the life she’s building. Ahdieh captures the particular pressure faced by children of immigrants—the weight of honoring parental sacrifice while carving out individual identity. Jia’s relentless pursuit of partnership at Whitman Volker feels authentic, rooted in a deep understanding of what it means to straddle multiple identities in corporate America.
The character’s internal monologue crackles with ambition and insecurity in equal measure. When Ben Volker offers her the Park family case, Jia’s immediate calculation—“Everything she’d spent her entire life working toward would be possible. Security for herself and her family. Honoring her grandfather’s last request”—reveals the complex motivations driving her beyond simple career advancement.
Cultural Identity and Belonging
Ahdieh demonstrates particular skill in weaving Korean cultural elements throughout the narrative without falling into exposition. Jia’s discomfort with addressing Jenny Park by her first name, her automatic shift into formal Korean when introducing herself, and her understanding of familial obligations create an authentic portrait of cultural navigation that feels lived-in rather than researched.
The Park Family: Wealth, Secrets, and Succession-Style Drama
Jenny Park – The Beating Heart
Jenny Park stands as the novel’s most compelling figure, a woman who evolves from apparent victim to architect of her own destiny. Ahdieh’s portrayal of Jenny’s transformation—from a dying matriarch to someone who declares “I will live and die and love for no one but myself”—provides the emotional core that elevates the story beyond corporate intrigue.
The revelation of Jenny’s manufactured illness serves as both plot twist and character study, examining how women in patriarchal structures must sometimes perform vulnerability to reclaim power. Her reading of historical romance novels becomes a subtle metaphor for someone rewriting her own story.
The Park Siblings – Privilege and Pain
The three Park children—Sora, Suzy, and Minsoo—represent different responses to inherited wealth and family dysfunction:
Sora Park-Vandeveld: The eldest daughter, perfectly controlled and deeply wounded, embodies the pressure of family legacy
Suzy Park: The rebellious middle child, whose artistic pursuits mask deeper pain
Minsoo Park: The youngest son, carrying the particular burden of being a gay man in a traditional Korean chaebol family
Ahdieh succeeds in making each sibling feel distinct while avoiding caricature, though Suzy’s dialogue occasionally veers toward overly precious territory.
Romance in the Midst of Legal Drama
Darius Rohani – More Than a Love Interest
The romantic subplot between Jia and Darius Rohani, the Park family’s house manager, develops with surprising depth. Darius’s Persian heritage and his complex relationship with the Park family—particularly his loyalty to Jenny—creates interesting parallel dynamics with Jia’s own positioning as both insider and outsider.
Their relationship unfolds against backdrops ranging from Bergdorf Goodman to private jets, but the emotional connection feels earned rather than manufactured. The slow burn allows both characters to maintain agency while exploring themes of trust and vulnerability.
Ahdieh’s Transition to Adult Fiction
Strengths in World-Building
Coming from fantasy fiction, Ahdieh brings her world-building skills to contemporary Manhattan with impressive results. The descriptions of wealth—from Birkin bags to Park Avenue penthouses—feel specific and researched without becoming gratuitous. The legal thriller elements maintain tension while remaining accessible to readers unfamiliar with corporate law.
The globetrotting elements, particularly the sequences in Scotland and Paris, provide opportunities for Ahdieh to showcase her descriptive abilities while advancing the plot.
Writing Style and Prose
Ahdieh’s prose style adapts well to adult contemporary fiction, though occasional flourishes betray her fantasy background. Phrases like “His cologne wafted in her direction. Leather and oud, which was basically smoke mixed with sin” demonstrate her flair for sensual description, though they sometimes feel overwrought in the contemporary setting.
The integration of Korean terms and cultural concepts flows naturally, enhanced by Ahdieh’s own Korean heritage. The legal terminology and corporate dynamics feel authentic, suggesting thorough research.
Areas for Improvement
Pacing and Plot Mechanics
While the mystery of the hidden Park family fortune drives the narrative forward, certain plot mechanics feel convenient rather than organic. The ease with which Jia gains access to private information and the way obstacles resolve sometimes strains credibility, even within the heightened world of billionaire family drama.
The novel’s structure, with its globe-hopping investigation, occasionally feels scattered. Some international sequences, while atmospheric, don’t advance the plot as effectively as they could.
Character Development Imbalances
While Jia and Jenny Park receive rich development, some supporting characters—particularly within the law firm—remain somewhat two-dimensional. Ben Volker, despite his importance to Jia’s career trajectory, never quite emerges as a fully realized character beyond his function in the plot.
The resolution of Minsoo’s storyline feels particularly rushed, given the complex issues surrounding his sexuality and family expectations.
Themes That Resonate
The Cost of Ambition
Park Avenue succeeds in examining the price of relentless ambition, particularly for women of color in competitive fields. Jia’s journey from hunger for partnership to questioning what she truly wants feels authentic and earned.
Family, Legacy, and Identity
The novel’s exploration of family dynamics—both Jia’s immigrant family and the Park dynasty—provides emotional weight to the corporate intrigue. The question of what we owe our families versus ourselves runs throughout the narrative.
Power and Agency
Jenny Park’s arc, in particular, examines how women can reclaim agency even within systems designed to diminish them. Her transformation from apparent victim to someone orchestrating her own liberation provides satisfying character development.
Comparison to Ahdieh’s Previous Work
Readers familiar with Ahdieh’s Wrath and the Dawn series or Beautiful quartet will find familiar themes of strong female protagonists navigating complex power dynamics, though the contemporary setting allows for different kinds of exploration. The romantic elements retain the author’s signature slow-burn intensity while feeling more grounded in reality.
Recommendations for Similar Reads
Readers who enjoy Park Avenue might appreciate:
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan for similar themes of Asian wealth and family dynamics
Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Wiess for corporate drama with strong female leads
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid for stories of women reclaiming their narratives
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty for wealthy family secrets and complex female relationships
The Family Game by Catherine Steadman for thriller elements involving wealthy families
Final Verdict
Park Avenue represents a successful transition for Ahdieh into adult contemporary fiction, though it’s not without growing pains. The novel succeeds most when focusing on character development and cultural exploration, particularly Jia’s navigation of identity and ambition. While some plot elements feel manufactured and pacing occasionally stumbles, the emotional core of the story—particularly Jenny Park’s journey toward self-determination—provides genuine satisfaction.
Ahdieh demonstrates clear understanding of the immigrant experience and corporate dynamics while maintaining her gift for creating complex female characters. The romance feels organic rather than obligatory, and the Korean cultural elements add authenticity and depth.
While Park Avenue may not quite reach the heights of either “Crazy Rich Asians” or “Succession,” it establishes Ahdieh as a novelist capable of crafting compelling adult fiction with heart, ambition, and cultural specificity. For readers seeking contemporary fiction that examines family, identity, and the true cost of success, Park Avenue delivers an engaging, if imperfect, reading experience that marks an author’s successful evolution into new territory.