While I liked the whimsical writing and use of fabulism, I really don't think that it provided anything new. It didn't really stray from the original in any substantial way and in the ways it did such as through themes (racism, class exploitation and homophobia), they were never explored as well as they could've. The magic was perhaps the most original part of this tale, yet, it went largely unexplained and underutilised. I found all the characters extremely unlikeable which is a shame because they were somewhat tolerable in the original and so I was hoping to like them here. 

In terms of what did I liked, the author did a great job of naturally slotting in her original elements into the time period and the many whimsical descriptions of the original novel (e.g. demoniac (which I presume alludes to the prohibition, as it is also banned but still used among the rich) and Gatsby actually selling his soul which provides a justified fantasy explanation for his quick acquisition of wealth). I also liked that the author played into the queer elements of the original though I still thought it was very heteronormative as if the author was too scared to stray too far from the orginal and conversations around sexuality were very heavy handed (e.g when Jordan asks Gatsby whose cock he'd sucked...not only was that very out of character, there was also 0 nuance). 

Overall, I thought the literal representation
 of Fitzgerald's figures of speech/ the fantasy elements where perhaps the best parts of this novella. As a whole it was unfortunately a dissapointing read. While I wasn't in love with the original, I expected to enjoy this retelling more due to the influence of modern viewpoints. Admittedly, I liked this even less than Fitzgerald's. However, I still want to continue with Nghi Vo's past works as I did enjoy The Empress of Salt and Fortune.