The Takedown is the realest story from Lily Chu yet

Lily Chu burst onto the scene with The Stand-In and she hasn’t looked back. Frankly, that’s why I was so excited to read The Takedown.

Maybe it’s because of the darling covers she gets or that each book feels the same yet different. I just adore Lily Chu and her writing.

Going into The Takedown, I hadn’t heard much about it but since I enjoy her books, I knew I was going to be featuring it on here. While romantic, The Takedown leans more towards the contemporary and women’s fiction realm.

Regardless, I have a lot of thoughts about finishing The Takedown by Lily Chu. I’d like to thank Sourcebooks Casablanca for sending me an ARC so I could read this one early.

The Takedown is the most literal of Lily Chu’s books so far.

When it comes to titles, Lily Chu keeps it simple and I respect that. For The Takedown, it feels even more complex. This time, we’re following Dee Kwan who is a diversity consultant and a chronically positive person. Things are looking up for her as she’s recently gotten promoted but it all comes crumbling down.

After her boss announces he’s shutting down his company, Dee is forced to reevaluate her life and career. Coupled with the fact that her family is moving into her house, a dark cloud starts to descend over her. The one bright spot is Questie, a puzzle game she plays with Teddy, her online friend.

Of course, the two eventually decide to meet up and things are looking up for her. Dee’s able to find a job, become friends, and maybe more with Teddy, and is doing her best. From there, it’s a full takedown on every level as everything Dee holds dear is slowly taken away and things only get worse as the book goes along.

While the title focuses on the takedown of a company and a horrible designer, this book takes everything down about Dee, strips it away, and makes her start anew. Lily Chu truly doesn’t give our girl a break until the very end. All in all, this book feels like a departure for Lily Chu yet she keeps the same glittering writing style and trademarks we’ve come to love about her stories.

My only complaint is that I wish there was more romance. While this story was mostly about Dee, I’d love to have seen more scenes between her and Teddy. The two were such nerds and I adored their chemistry. Hopefully, we’ll see more when Lily Chu releases her next book, though.

The Takedown by Lily Chu is out now where books are sold.