What do you think?
Rate this book
Nice Places
Philosophical, tender, and hilariously observed, Nice Places subverts the “go find yourself” travel story, unpacking our shared desire for meaning, connection, and a true place in the world.
When Georgie quits his job at Oats Technologies to travel the world for one year, he hopes to escape the daily existential discomfort of corporate life. But after a meditation guru robs him on his way to the airport, he awakens in a guest house in the rundown yet vibrant Panhandle neighborhood of his own city.
Alone with his phone and a desperate urge to assure his friends and family all is well, Georgie shares a photo of “authentic” boat noodles. To his surprise, everyone loves the post and believes he is overseas. Ant, a mixed media artist from Berlin, proposes a collaboration. With her vision and the help of a charming cast of guests and locals, Georgie’s unlikely adventures unravel in ways he never imagined.
When Georgie quits his job at Oats Technologies to travel the world for one year, he hopes to escape the daily existential discomfort of corporate life. But after a meditation guru robs him on his way to the airport, he awakens in a guest house in the rundown yet vibrant Panhandle neighborhood of his own city.
Alone with his phone and a desperate urge to assure his friends and family all is well, Georgie shares a photo of “authentic” boat noodles. To his surprise, everyone loves the post and believes he is overseas. Ant, a mixed media artist from Berlin, proposes a collaboration. With her vision and the help of a charming cast of guests and locals, Georgie’s unlikely adventures unravel in ways he never imagined.
296 pages, Paperback
Published June 2, 2026
About the author
Vincent Chu
2 books56 followersVincent Chu is a Bay Area writer and author of the novel NICE PLACES (Forest Avenue Press, 2026) and story collection LIKE A CHAMPION (7.13 Books, 2018). His fiction has appeared in Muumuu House, STILL Magazine, Pithead Chapel, PANK Magazine, and elsewhere. He is a Headlands Center for the Arts Affiliate Artist, Hambidge Center Fellow, and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from UCLA. Vincent lives in Oakland, California.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
June 2, 2026
My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:
The Book Review Crew Blog
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Nice Places
Vincent Chu
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Forest Avenue Press
296 Pages
Amazon | Bookshop.org
Genre: General Fiction | Literary Fiction | OwnVoices
This story is about Georgie, who quits his job at a technology company and plans to travel the world for a year. He just needs an escape and time to find himself, and he wants to do it in faraway lands. BUT (there's always a but), his plans hit a snag before they even get started. He gets robbed on the way to the airport and wakes up in a different part of his own city. Instead of coming clean, Georgie lies. He posts a photo of boat noodles, and when his friends and family think he's away, he decides to keep up the lie. He then begins to "travel" through his own backyard. A staycation, you may say, but he doesn't tell anyone that! Then, an artist named Ant wants to collaborate with Georgie on his fake journey.
I loved what the author is saying here. What Georgie does on social media is far from reality, and it shows you can never trust what you see online. I have watched so many "expectations vs. reality" videos (like "what I ordered vs. what I got"), and it blows my mind. The story also makes a bit of fun at the "go and find yourself" cliché... you don't have to go to any extremes to do that. Georgie feels small and adrift, and I think he was really just looking for a connection of some sort.
I also loved how Georgie started to find something good in the most mundane things, like a good bowl of boat noodles. For all the problems Georgie is feeling, this book didn't feel overly cynical. It's just a book about a man learning about himself and the human condition, and how complex both really are. It was filled with humour, empathy, and wit, and I enjoyed it very much.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
The Book Review Crew Blog
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Nice Places
Vincent Chu
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Forest Avenue Press
296 Pages
Amazon | Bookshop.org
Genre: General Fiction | Literary Fiction | OwnVoices
This story is about Georgie, who quits his job at a technology company and plans to travel the world for a year. He just needs an escape and time to find himself, and he wants to do it in faraway lands. BUT (there's always a but), his plans hit a snag before they even get started. He gets robbed on the way to the airport and wakes up in a different part of his own city. Instead of coming clean, Georgie lies. He posts a photo of boat noodles, and when his friends and family think he's away, he decides to keep up the lie. He then begins to "travel" through his own backyard. A staycation, you may say, but he doesn't tell anyone that! Then, an artist named Ant wants to collaborate with Georgie on his fake journey.
I loved what the author is saying here. What Georgie does on social media is far from reality, and it shows you can never trust what you see online. I have watched so many "expectations vs. reality" videos (like "what I ordered vs. what I got"), and it blows my mind. The story also makes a bit of fun at the "go and find yourself" cliché... you don't have to go to any extremes to do that. Georgie feels small and adrift, and I think he was really just looking for a connection of some sort.
I also loved how Georgie started to find something good in the most mundane things, like a good bowl of boat noodles. For all the problems Georgie is feeling, this book didn't feel overly cynical. It's just a book about a man learning about himself and the human condition, and how complex both really are. It was filled with humour, empathy, and wit, and I enjoyed it very much.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
February 4, 2026
I received an ARC of Nice Places by Vincent Chu, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. While it took me a little while to get into because I found Georgie to be a little frustrating, I was hooked as soon as the art project was coming together. The relationships between the characters were refreshing. The concept was very unique. I just wanted Georgie to learn a little more from this experience at the end.
November 19, 2025
5/5 ⭐ Read. Come for the humor, stay for the prose, Vincent Chu’s forthcoming novel, Nice Places, breathes life into familiar travel literature with a quirky, warm cast of characters who will leave you yearning for the next chapter. || "In Nice Places, Vincent Chu manages to recover the art of the travel narrative, dusting off the ashes of our expectations and capturing, with humorous, cutting prose, a picture of the places and people who revive us.
When Georgie quits his nearly tenured post at Oats Technology in pursuit of travel, his excited rush is cut off at the knees as he is robbed by a monk and brains himself off the steps of Little Constantinople in an attempted chase. He wakes instead in the vibrant, unexplored Panhandle of his own city; yet, Georgie might yet still assure the outside world that his exploration with skillful frames of towering landscapes, a touch of research, and aid from Chu’s delightful cast of quirky characters. Georgie recreates posts from his journey around the world, with perfectly positioned puddles cast as flooding oceans and dinners shared, cabside across candle light, only to find that the truth of his photographs speak to spirits coveted and long forgotten.
And those of us who mirror the trappings of Georgie’s 9 to 5? We want that change, especially when what we have makes us unhappy. He is our escape and with him we run fast and far from our own, but Chu’s story asks what does it matter if what we escape from arrives with us, no matter how far the shore? It is the tone that shone throughout the novel. For, while it is no more difficult to cheer for Georgie (a victorious voice against the burnout), than it is to be swept up in the beauty of Chu’s descriptions—to feel as if we were, too, waking under “salmon” skies—one cannot escape the feel of some aching worry throbbing beneath each line (144).”
Read the full piece here!: https://www.tupeloquarterly.com/uncat...
When Georgie quits his nearly tenured post at Oats Technology in pursuit of travel, his excited rush is cut off at the knees as he is robbed by a monk and brains himself off the steps of Little Constantinople in an attempted chase. He wakes instead in the vibrant, unexplored Panhandle of his own city; yet, Georgie might yet still assure the outside world that his exploration with skillful frames of towering landscapes, a touch of research, and aid from Chu’s delightful cast of quirky characters. Georgie recreates posts from his journey around the world, with perfectly positioned puddles cast as flooding oceans and dinners shared, cabside across candle light, only to find that the truth of his photographs speak to spirits coveted and long forgotten.
And those of us who mirror the trappings of Georgie’s 9 to 5? We want that change, especially when what we have makes us unhappy. He is our escape and with him we run fast and far from our own, but Chu’s story asks what does it matter if what we escape from arrives with us, no matter how far the shore? It is the tone that shone throughout the novel. For, while it is no more difficult to cheer for Georgie (a victorious voice against the burnout), than it is to be swept up in the beauty of Chu’s descriptions—to feel as if we were, too, waking under “salmon” skies—one cannot escape the feel of some aching worry throbbing beneath each line (144).”
Read the full piece here!: https://www.tupeloquarterly.com/uncat...
April 21, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Forest Avenue Press for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
I really liked both the premise and the ambition of this book. Ultimately, I felt that it fell short in the quality of the writing and in the depth of the philosophical reflections. The main character remains a strange enigma to the reader, he simply floats through the narrative untethered to any personal characteristics or motives. The musings on the purpose of life, the role of technology, and the “rat race” of life felt rather contrived at moments and the dialogue that explored some of these topics came across as stilted and unnatural. There were some bright moments of humour and astute observations, but it was not a standout read for me.
I really liked both the premise and the ambition of this book. Ultimately, I felt that it fell short in the quality of the writing and in the depth of the philosophical reflections. The main character remains a strange enigma to the reader, he simply floats through the narrative untethered to any personal characteristics or motives. The musings on the purpose of life, the role of technology, and the “rat race” of life felt rather contrived at moments and the dialogue that explored some of these topics came across as stilted and unnatural. There were some bright moments of humour and astute observations, but it was not a standout read for me.
May 30, 2026
We have “People We Meet on Vacation.” We have “Eat, Pray, Love.” We have “Around the World in 80 Days.” And yet, not a single one of these compares to the travels of Georgie in “Nice Places.” A story of finding yourself, of finding connection, of running toward- Chu has written a story with so much heart and passion for the world, all while maintaining a sense of home.
Georgie quits his job (depending on who you ask) with the goal of traveling the world during a year-long “sabbatical.” In a charmingly hilarious and ill-fated twist, his plans go bottom up and his travels become far more eccentric. From Thailand to Paris and everywhere in between, Georgie and his new friend, Ant, take on a monumental task that will have you wondering exactly what it means to explore the world we live in, who our egos are actually serving, and what it means to be at peace with your life.
Chu’s debut novel manages to tackle the philosophy of travel and finding yourself in a humorous and deeply relatable way. This is one of those books that you simply cannot put down. It grabs your hand and pulls you through the alleys of storytelling in a way where you are filled with wonder and never want the adventure to end.
Thank you to Vincent Chu for reaching out and sending me an ARC of this outstanding novel. “Nice Places” comes out June 2nd! Pre-order now or request it for your local bookstore or library. You’ll be so glad you did.
Georgie quits his job (depending on who you ask) with the goal of traveling the world during a year-long “sabbatical.” In a charmingly hilarious and ill-fated twist, his plans go bottom up and his travels become far more eccentric. From Thailand to Paris and everywhere in between, Georgie and his new friend, Ant, take on a monumental task that will have you wondering exactly what it means to explore the world we live in, who our egos are actually serving, and what it means to be at peace with your life.
Chu’s debut novel manages to tackle the philosophy of travel and finding yourself in a humorous and deeply relatable way. This is one of those books that you simply cannot put down. It grabs your hand and pulls you through the alleys of storytelling in a way where you are filled with wonder and never want the adventure to end.
Thank you to Vincent Chu for reaching out and sending me an ARC of this outstanding novel. “Nice Places” comes out June 2nd! Pre-order now or request it for your local bookstore or library. You’ll be so glad you did.
June 4, 2026
★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader. If you like this post, you might like others on that site. Consider checking it out!
---
WHAT'S NICE PLACES ABOUT?
When we meet Georgie, he's about to quit his job—but his boss fires him first. It was a mutual thing, really.
Georgie has a plan—he's going to take a year and travel the world. He got a job right out of high school and has spent more than a decade at the company—he wants to grab some of that life experience so many people grab in their late teens/early twenties. He's knocked off course from that attempt before he makes his first flight—and stumbles into something stranger.
He meets a mixed media artist named Ant. She's working on her M.A. and is in search of a thesis project. Some silly thing that Georgie tries inspires her—and the two concoct a crazy plan that will suit Georgie's quest for an experience and her thesis.
Odd times ensue. And a friendship develops between the two of them that will alter the courses of their lives.
WHY DID I PICK THIS UP? WHY DID I KEEP READING?
I picked it up because Chu asked me nicely, and because I had fond (and vague) memories of a short story collection.
I stuck with it for two reasons—once you get into Chu’s writing, you don’t want to leave until it’s done. Chu doesn’t have a flashy style, or snappy dialogue, or a tight pace (this book would be ruined by any of those, these are not critiques)—but his writing is solid, appealing, and will carry you along without drawing attention to itself.
The other is the character and his little project; I just needed to see where it went. The relationship between Georgie and Ant—and the difficult way to characterize it—is probably more of a driving force for me.
WHAT DOES THIS BOOK TELL US ABOUT HUMANITY?
It’s tricky to tackle this question because that’s one of the points of the book, and to really answer it would involve ruining the book.
But I can talk about some of the things it focuses on thematically. Chu explores the idea of experiences and how we need them. Particularly shared vs. solitary experiences. The “shared” aspect comes out a lot—sometimes it’s just two or three people, sometimes it’s a family, or a group of acquaintances. Sometimes it’s something as large and vague as “the Internet reacted to X.”
You may not find yourself resonating or agreeing with everything that Georgie and Ant conclude—or any of the other points of view they encounter along the way—but you'll enjoy the experience of thinking about them.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT NICE PLACES?
I’m not wholly pleased by the way this book ends up—but outside of a Wayne’s World-esque "mega Happy Ending," I’m not sure I would be. But I get what Chu did, and it’s both more fitting and narratively satisfying than what I think I wanted. Note, you should not read into my comment that this has a nasty or unhappy ending—just not a "mega Happy" one.
In the beginning of the novel, I didn’t get Georgie at all, and progressed only because I trusted Chu—I was mildly amused by some of what happened to him, and then around the time his whole plan was derailed, I got hooked. By the time his ridiculous plan was hatched, I was fully invested. And that stuck with me for most of the book. What Georgie and Ant went through together was just great, and I'd have happily read another 50-70 pages of it. I admit that there was a period toward the end where Georgie seemed to wallow in ennui and depression, and I had a hard time caring at that point—his ennui was contagious. But once he re-engaged, so did I.
I’m going to avoid saying much about Ant. But almost everything the book has to say comes from her (or in reaction to her), and as a character, she’s drawn in such a way that you’re primed and eager to hear her. So well done.
The other characters are drawn just as deeply as they’re required to be—and not one bit more. But they come in and out of the story so well that you see them as deeply constructed. I wouldn’t have minded more time with some of them, but I was satisfied.
I think I got so hung up on the bigger themes and ideas (at least in my head) that I haven't done a great job of describing just how fun the book was (with the exception of the whole ennui bit I mentioned above). It was a very enjoyable read, it just got me thinking so much that I haven't been able to focus on Georgie's goofy plot (and I was rooting for it the whole time).
This whole novel was so unexpected, so creative—it’s one of those books that you just can’t guess what provoked Chu to write it, what might have inspired him. I really don’t care, I’m just glad he did.
Disclaimer: I received this eARC from the author in exchange for this post, which contains my honest opinion.
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader. If you like this post, you might like others on that site. Consider checking it out!
---
WHAT'S NICE PLACES ABOUT?
When we meet Georgie, he's about to quit his job—but his boss fires him first. It was a mutual thing, really.
Georgie has a plan—he's going to take a year and travel the world. He got a job right out of high school and has spent more than a decade at the company—he wants to grab some of that life experience so many people grab in their late teens/early twenties. He's knocked off course from that attempt before he makes his first flight—and stumbles into something stranger.
He meets a mixed media artist named Ant. She's working on her M.A. and is in search of a thesis project. Some silly thing that Georgie tries inspires her—and the two concoct a crazy plan that will suit Georgie's quest for an experience and her thesis.
Odd times ensue. And a friendship develops between the two of them that will alter the courses of their lives.
WHY DID I PICK THIS UP? WHY DID I KEEP READING?
I picked it up because Chu asked me nicely, and because I had fond (and vague) memories of a short story collection.
I stuck with it for two reasons—once you get into Chu’s writing, you don’t want to leave until it’s done. Chu doesn’t have a flashy style, or snappy dialogue, or a tight pace (this book would be ruined by any of those, these are not critiques)—but his writing is solid, appealing, and will carry you along without drawing attention to itself.
The other is the character and his little project; I just needed to see where it went. The relationship between Georgie and Ant—and the difficult way to characterize it—is probably more of a driving force for me.
WHAT DOES THIS BOOK TELL US ABOUT HUMANITY?
It’s tricky to tackle this question because that’s one of the points of the book, and to really answer it would involve ruining the book.
But I can talk about some of the things it focuses on thematically. Chu explores the idea of experiences and how we need them. Particularly shared vs. solitary experiences. The “shared” aspect comes out a lot—sometimes it’s just two or three people, sometimes it’s a family, or a group of acquaintances. Sometimes it’s something as large and vague as “the Internet reacted to X.”
You may not find yourself resonating or agreeing with everything that Georgie and Ant conclude—or any of the other points of view they encounter along the way—but you'll enjoy the experience of thinking about them.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT NICE PLACES?
I’m not wholly pleased by the way this book ends up—but outside of a Wayne’s World-esque "mega Happy Ending," I’m not sure I would be. But I get what Chu did, and it’s both more fitting and narratively satisfying than what I think I wanted. Note, you should not read into my comment that this has a nasty or unhappy ending—just not a "mega Happy" one.
In the beginning of the novel, I didn’t get Georgie at all, and progressed only because I trusted Chu—I was mildly amused by some of what happened to him, and then around the time his whole plan was derailed, I got hooked. By the time his ridiculous plan was hatched, I was fully invested. And that stuck with me for most of the book. What Georgie and Ant went through together was just great, and I'd have happily read another 50-70 pages of it. I admit that there was a period toward the end where Georgie seemed to wallow in ennui and depression, and I had a hard time caring at that point—his ennui was contagious. But once he re-engaged, so did I.
I’m going to avoid saying much about Ant. But almost everything the book has to say comes from her (or in reaction to her), and as a character, she’s drawn in such a way that you’re primed and eager to hear her. So well done.
The other characters are drawn just as deeply as they’re required to be—and not one bit more. But they come in and out of the story so well that you see them as deeply constructed. I wouldn’t have minded more time with some of them, but I was satisfied.
I think I got so hung up on the bigger themes and ideas (at least in my head) that I haven't done a great job of describing just how fun the book was (with the exception of the whole ennui bit I mentioned above). It was a very enjoyable read, it just got me thinking so much that I haven't been able to focus on Georgie's goofy plot (and I was rooting for it the whole time).
This whole novel was so unexpected, so creative—it’s one of those books that you just can’t guess what provoked Chu to write it, what might have inspired him. I really don’t care, I’m just glad he did.
Disclaimer: I received this eARC from the author in exchange for this post, which contains my honest opinion.
May 29, 2026
A solid mix of charming humor & philosophical narrative on coming of age in the corporate adult world. The travel aspect was fun & I wanted more. The light humor was really enjoyable & I wish the author would have leaned a little harder in that direction & a bit less deep & introspective. Overall this was a fun, thoughtful, fast paced read.
Big thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for allowing me to enjoy this.
Big thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for allowing me to enjoy this.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book did take me on a mental journey, and it wasn’t anything expected.
The book is written in a third person point of view, current day in the U.S.
We follow Georgie on his quest for meaning, as he quits his corporate job and decides to go travel.
Yet, life’s unpredictability hits him right on the day of his planned departure.
He wakes up at a guest hostel in a part of town that few locals frequent.
As he’s forced to reassess what he’s going to do now, he makes a fortuitous encounter with Ant.
They become close and she’ll take him on a journey, but not the one he was imagining at first.
As I read this story I could hear Ewan McGregor’s voice speaking the author’s words, as he did in Trainspotting.
Fast-paced thoughts as they went through Georgie’s head. Yet in another part of this book I pictured Tom Hanks
in his role as Forrest Gump, the part when he decided to start running and after time just decided he was done with running.
That’s how Georgie’s journey came across to me towards the end of this story.
I had an existential crisis when I was thirty-five, and I could relate to many of the questions Georgie asked himself.
It makes sense to me that we all go through it, one way or another, at some point in our lives. And I too have found
the power to change my life and I’ve learned to be content with what I have. There’s accomplishment in that.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for granting me this opportunity.
I recommend reading this book.
The book is written in a third person point of view, current day in the U.S.
We follow Georgie on his quest for meaning, as he quits his corporate job and decides to go travel.
Yet, life’s unpredictability hits him right on the day of his planned departure.
He wakes up at a guest hostel in a part of town that few locals frequent.
As he’s forced to reassess what he’s going to do now, he makes a fortuitous encounter with Ant.
They become close and she’ll take him on a journey, but not the one he was imagining at first.
As I read this story I could hear Ewan McGregor’s voice speaking the author’s words, as he did in Trainspotting.
Fast-paced thoughts as they went through Georgie’s head. Yet in another part of this book I pictured Tom Hanks
in his role as Forrest Gump, the part when he decided to start running and after time just decided he was done with running.
That’s how Georgie’s journey came across to me towards the end of this story.
I had an existential crisis when I was thirty-five, and I could relate to many of the questions Georgie asked himself.
It makes sense to me that we all go through it, one way or another, at some point in our lives. And I too have found
the power to change my life and I’ve learned to be content with what I have. There’s accomplishment in that.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for granting me this opportunity.
I recommend reading this book.
May 3, 2026
Within the first two chapters I said to myself, “This book is going to make me want to quit my job” - and I largely held onto that feeling until about 83% through. At that point, the book felt less about travel/wanderlust, and more about philosophy. While I’m willing to concede that travel can be philosophical, the tone shift was an unexpected one, or maybe one that I wasn’t mentally ready to explore.
If you’re in the mood for an adult coming-of-age, slightly absurdist, I think that this is a great book for a wanderlust or philosophical soul, who also ponders ethical travel or existentialism. But if you just want a travel story, maybe skip this one for now.
Thank you to Forest Avenue Press and NetGalley for my advance copy - all thoughts are my own.
If you’re in the mood for an adult coming-of-age, slightly absurdist, I think that this is a great book for a wanderlust or philosophical soul, who also ponders ethical travel or existentialism. But if you just want a travel story, maybe skip this one for now.
Thank you to Forest Avenue Press and NetGalley for my advance copy - all thoughts are my own.
July 6, 2026
thought the concept was super interesting. a lot of the book almost reminded me of Theo of Golden in a similar but different way. wasn’t a huge fan of the dialogue (idk it always felt unnatural) and the last 40 or so pages were…. interesting
June 5, 2026
Nice Places immediately drew me in with its contemporary setting and all the relatable details and descriptions. The writing was clever and made me think about corporate life, social media, and my own desire for purpose and approval.
I sympathized with Georgie. His internal thoughts and reflections were deeply insightful. I had fun “traveling” with him and Ant around the world. As I read the book, I couldn’t help but think of a movie I really enjoyed, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. The story had a similar sense of adventure, self-discovery, and exploration.
Vincent Chu has a gift for blending humor and reflection . His writing kept me engaged from beginning to end. Highly recommend this book to everyone.
I sympathized with Georgie. His internal thoughts and reflections were deeply insightful. I had fun “traveling” with him and Ant around the world. As I read the book, I couldn’t help but think of a movie I really enjoyed, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. The story had a similar sense of adventure, self-discovery, and exploration.
Vincent Chu has a gift for blending humor and reflection . His writing kept me engaged from beginning to end. Highly recommend this book to everyone.
June 24, 2026
A gift from a favorite student, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I didn’t even read the back cover so had no idea what it was about. It turns out this was what I needed to get out of my reading slump.
In a time when everything is curated, what is real? Does it even matter? There were a lot of big questions asked in the journey of a 30-year-old who is adrift. I felt like some of it didn’t quite hit (especially the last chunk), but in general it was a great read. I loved the transient nature of many of the relationships (I’ve experienced this at length when traveling) and how this was both modern and timeless.
In a time when everything is curated, what is real? Does it even matter? There were a lot of big questions asked in the journey of a 30-year-old who is adrift. I felt like some of it didn’t quite hit (especially the last chunk), but in general it was a great read. I loved the transient nature of many of the relationships (I’ve experienced this at length when traveling) and how this was both modern and timeless.
June 19, 2026
I received this book through a Goodreads Giveaway. I can't be this conflicted about what to rate a book without it being meaningful. So I decided it deserves a 5 star rating because it challenged me to think about the choices of life. Every person has different circumstances in their life that help them determine their ultimate existence. Some people end up FAR off track. I believe Georgie is a character that starts on the path to finding true purpose and then derails. Yes, there are hamster wheels of misery for some people. But my belief is that everyone has a purpose in this life. It's up to us to follow the arrows that point us in the right direction.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2026
Vincent Chu's “Nice Places” is an unconventional coming-of-age novel that asks whether authentic experience still matters in a world increasingly shaped by carefully curated online identities. Funny, thoughtful, and often sharply satirical, it combines an engaging plot with an exploration of travel, social media, art, and the many ways people deceive both others and themselves.
Georgie is an immensely likable protagonist, though he is also directionless and easily influenced. Convinced that his unfulfilling job is the source of his unhappiness, he impulsively quits in hopes of finding himself through world travel, inspired by a cousin who appears to have done exactly that. His plans collapse almost immediately when his luggage, passport, and plane ticket are stolen by Mindy, a Buddhist monk with a troubled past. Mindy vanishes for much of the novel before returning in its closing chapters to reveal a truth that is both surprising and disappointing.
The other dominant force in Georgie's life is Ant, an art graduate student whose cosmopolitan outlook and boundless creativity propel the novel in an entirely different direction. She persuades Georgie that he can fabricate the appearance of international travel through carefully staged photographs and social media posts. Their increasingly elaborate deception forms the heart of the novel and provides many of its funniest moments. Watching them scout locations, stage convincing images, and recover from occasional blunders gives the story much of its charm. The ultimate outcome of their scheme is both unexpected and deeply satisfying.
Chu populates the novel with memorable characters. Although all three principal figures are, in one way or another, involved in acts of deception. Yet they remain surprisingly sympathetic. Georgie, in particular, is someone readers will enjoy spending time with even when his poor judgment repeatedly leads nowhere or lands him in trouble.
The setting also deserves praise. Chu vividly evokes the neglected neighborhoods of an unnamed American city, transforming ordinary streets into convincing stand-ins for exotic destinations. The contrast between drab reality and glamorous online illusion reinforces the novel's central themes about authenticity and performance.
If “Nice Places” has a weakness, it lies in its relentless philosophizing. Chu offers an insightful critique of modern life, exposing the fraudulent impulses that permeate business, contemporary art, social media, influencer culture, and even tourism itself. Yet the novel spends considerably more time diagnosing what is wrong with the world than suggesting what might replace it. Georgie's personal journey mirrors this uncertainty. His search for meaning progresses from naive self-absorption through Buddhist ideas about consciousness before flirting with outright nihilism. Although the novel concludes on an optimistic note, Chu deliberately leaves Georgie's ultimate transformation ambiguous.
That ambiguity will likely divide readers. Some will appreciate Chu's refusal to provide easy answers, while others may wish for a clearer sense of what Georgie has ultimately learned. Even so, “Nice Places” succeeds as both an entertaining satire and an intelligent meditation on authenticity in an age when appearances are increasingly mistaken for reality.
Georgie is an immensely likable protagonist, though he is also directionless and easily influenced. Convinced that his unfulfilling job is the source of his unhappiness, he impulsively quits in hopes of finding himself through world travel, inspired by a cousin who appears to have done exactly that. His plans collapse almost immediately when his luggage, passport, and plane ticket are stolen by Mindy, a Buddhist monk with a troubled past. Mindy vanishes for much of the novel before returning in its closing chapters to reveal a truth that is both surprising and disappointing.
The other dominant force in Georgie's life is Ant, an art graduate student whose cosmopolitan outlook and boundless creativity propel the novel in an entirely different direction. She persuades Georgie that he can fabricate the appearance of international travel through carefully staged photographs and social media posts. Their increasingly elaborate deception forms the heart of the novel and provides many of its funniest moments. Watching them scout locations, stage convincing images, and recover from occasional blunders gives the story much of its charm. The ultimate outcome of their scheme is both unexpected and deeply satisfying.
Chu populates the novel with memorable characters. Although all three principal figures are, in one way or another, involved in acts of deception. Yet they remain surprisingly sympathetic. Georgie, in particular, is someone readers will enjoy spending time with even when his poor judgment repeatedly leads nowhere or lands him in trouble.
The setting also deserves praise. Chu vividly evokes the neglected neighborhoods of an unnamed American city, transforming ordinary streets into convincing stand-ins for exotic destinations. The contrast between drab reality and glamorous online illusion reinforces the novel's central themes about authenticity and performance.
If “Nice Places” has a weakness, it lies in its relentless philosophizing. Chu offers an insightful critique of modern life, exposing the fraudulent impulses that permeate business, contemporary art, social media, influencer culture, and even tourism itself. Yet the novel spends considerably more time diagnosing what is wrong with the world than suggesting what might replace it. Georgie's personal journey mirrors this uncertainty. His search for meaning progresses from naive self-absorption through Buddhist ideas about consciousness before flirting with outright nihilism. Although the novel concludes on an optimistic note, Chu deliberately leaves Georgie's ultimate transformation ambiguous.
That ambiguity will likely divide readers. Some will appreciate Chu's refusal to provide easy answers, while others may wish for a clearer sense of what Georgie has ultimately learned. Even so, “Nice Places” succeeds as both an entertaining satire and an intelligent meditation on authenticity in an age when appearances are increasingly mistaken for reality.
August 4, 2026
Georgie has done the thing a lot of us fantasize about. He leaves a decade-long job at a tech company with enough savings for a year abroad, and then gets robbed on the way to the airport and loses everything but his phone and his journal. Too embarrassed to admit it, he holes up in a guest house across town and lets one accidentally misread photo of boat noodles convince everyone he's already in Bangkok. When an artist named Ant catches him at it and offers to turn the whole lie into a staged, round-the-world photo project, the book becomes something much stranger and better than a "quit your job and find yourself" story.
I came to this as someone who travels constantly and never fully resolves the tension in it. I love the exploration and I feel genuinely awful about the extractive side of it, which is a big part of why I keep choosing places that aren't on anyone's list, specifically to avoid the crowd of people doing exactly what I'm doing. Chu sits right in that discomfort without lecturing anyone. Watching Georgie assemble a convincing itinerary out of props, a Denny's booth, and other people's social feeds is very funny, and it also quietly asks what the photographed version of a trip was ever really for. The novel is skeptical of the performance without being cynical about the wanting.
The real pleasure here is the dialogue. Chu keeps dropping observations about work, ego, connection, and the difference between having an experience and documenting one, and he delivers them as throwaway lines between characters rather than as authorial pronouncements. Several of them stopped me cold. Georgie's mother alone is worth the price of admission. If you want a straightforward travel novel this may not be the one, because it turns philosophical in its back half, but if you have ever stood somewhere beautiful and felt slightly complicit, this will land. Warm, funny, and much sharper than its premise suggests.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forest Avenue Press for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.
I came to this as someone who travels constantly and never fully resolves the tension in it. I love the exploration and I feel genuinely awful about the extractive side of it, which is a big part of why I keep choosing places that aren't on anyone's list, specifically to avoid the crowd of people doing exactly what I'm doing. Chu sits right in that discomfort without lecturing anyone. Watching Georgie assemble a convincing itinerary out of props, a Denny's booth, and other people's social feeds is very funny, and it also quietly asks what the photographed version of a trip was ever really for. The novel is skeptical of the performance without being cynical about the wanting.
The real pleasure here is the dialogue. Chu keeps dropping observations about work, ego, connection, and the difference between having an experience and documenting one, and he delivers them as throwaway lines between characters rather than as authorial pronouncements. Several of them stopped me cold. Georgie's mother alone is worth the price of admission. If you want a straightforward travel novel this may not be the one, because it turns philosophical in its back half, but if you have ever stood somewhere beautiful and felt slightly complicit, this will land. Warm, funny, and much sharper than its premise suggests.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forest Avenue Press for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.
October 16, 2026
Subtle, hilarious, and more than a little subversive. Highly recommended!
September 15, 2026
There is something quietly compelling about Nice Places that makes the work of this author difficult to put down. His characters are rendered with such depth and authenticity that they seem to step beyond the page and take on lives of their own. Their presence lingers long after the final page, a testament to the subtle power of his storytelling. Highly recommend this book.
Mary L @books_massachusetts
Mary L @books_massachusetts
September 6, 2026
Plot jumped the shark at 80% completion mark
August 17, 2026
Like others, the dialogue really bothered me. None of the characters talked like normal people. Here's an example of how the dialogue sounded to me:
Georgie : "I'll have a sandwich".
Waiter he has never met before: "Ah, a sandwich. Invented by Lord Sandwich in the 1600s. People lived more simply back then. Though they also had the plague. I've never been sick, but I'm taking care of my cousin who is a bubble baby."
Georgie: "True, and they didn't eat avocados. You are lucky to have a cousin. I never knew my dad, and now my cousin is driving off a cliff in Educador".
Then Georgie posts a close up shot of an avocado with a caption about our inter-connectedness.
Georgie : "I'll have a sandwich".
Waiter he has never met before: "Ah, a sandwich. Invented by Lord Sandwich in the 1600s. People lived more simply back then. Though they also had the plague. I've never been sick, but I'm taking care of my cousin who is a bubble baby."
Georgie: "True, and they didn't eat avocados. You are lucky to have a cousin. I never knew my dad, and now my cousin is driving off a cliff in Educador".
Then Georgie posts a close up shot of an avocado with a caption about our inter-connectedness.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Forest Avenue Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
I mostly enjoyed this book and tore through the first half of it. At about chapter 59 of 73, the tone abruptly changed and the book felt different. What had been an interesting story about a 30 year old man discovering other people and perspectives kind of went off the deep end.
The tone of the book took some getting used to. It is spare and detached. Conversations are stilted, not how people speak. The words are direct, without flourish. I found that this lack of handholding, not having the main character’s every internal thought explained, meant that I had to put myself more into the story, use more of myself as a reader. I’ve been reading a lot of densely overwritten books lately and this was a stark contrast. The main character meditates and at times, this book felt meditative.
I mostly enjoyed this book and tore through the first half of it. At about chapter 59 of 73, the tone abruptly changed and the book felt different. What had been an interesting story about a 30 year old man discovering other people and perspectives kind of went off the deep end.
The tone of the book took some getting used to. It is spare and detached. Conversations are stilted, not how people speak. The words are direct, without flourish. I found that this lack of handholding, not having the main character’s every internal thought explained, meant that I had to put myself more into the story, use more of myself as a reader. I’ve been reading a lot of densely overwritten books lately and this was a stark contrast. The main character meditates and at times, this book felt meditative.
June 28, 2026
Some nice moments, a lot of goofy moments, a lot of corny moments. I thought the first half of the book was a lot stronger - the 'vagabond' era was pretty lackluster and felt shallow. I especially thought the reunion between Georgie and his father was stilted, seemed like it was meant to be this big poignant moment but it fell flat for me. When Georgie said he finally felt admiration for his dad I couldn't have disagreed more. Oscillated for me between a 1.5 and a 2 but had some strong and funny moments.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2026
What a strange read, Georgie really crashed out
July 30, 2026
Nice Places is one of those rare books that manages to be laugh-out-loud funny and genuinely moving in the same breath, often in the same sentence. Vincent Chu takes a premise that sounds like it could be a gimmick — a man fakes traveling the world from inside his own city after getting robbed on the way to the airport — and turns it into something far richer: a sharp, tender interrogation of what we actually want when we say we want to "find ourselves."
Georgie is an instantly recognizable kind of protagonist: adrift after a decade in a job he never loved, convinced that escape will fix what's actually an internal problem. When his grand plan collapses before it even starts, his decision to fake the journey online — boosted by a wonderfully drawn collaborator in Ant, a mixed-media artist looking for her own kind of meaning — becomes the engine for the novel's best material. Watching the two of them stage "Ha Long Bay" out of a fountain and "Paris" out of a back alley is consistently delightful, and Chu never lets the joke get old because he's always using it to ask a sharper question underneath: what does it mean to actually experience something, when so much of experience now gets filtered through what we post about it?
What elevates this above a clever high-concept comedy is Chu's control of tone. He can pivot from a genuinely funny bit to an unexpectedly tender scene — particularly anything involving Georgie's family — without the shift ever feeling jarring. The prose doesn't call attention to itself, but it's doing real work, carrying you along so smoothly that you don't notice how much you've come to care about these characters until you're fully invested in where they land.
It's a book about corporate burnout, social media performance, and the "go find yourself" travel narrative, but it never feels like it's lecturing you about any of those things — it's too busy being warm, funny, and human. A confident, memorable debut, and Vincent Chu is a writer very much worth watching.
Georgie is an instantly recognizable kind of protagonist: adrift after a decade in a job he never loved, convinced that escape will fix what's actually an internal problem. When his grand plan collapses before it even starts, his decision to fake the journey online — boosted by a wonderfully drawn collaborator in Ant, a mixed-media artist looking for her own kind of meaning — becomes the engine for the novel's best material. Watching the two of them stage "Ha Long Bay" out of a fountain and "Paris" out of a back alley is consistently delightful, and Chu never lets the joke get old because he's always using it to ask a sharper question underneath: what does it mean to actually experience something, when so much of experience now gets filtered through what we post about it?
What elevates this above a clever high-concept comedy is Chu's control of tone. He can pivot from a genuinely funny bit to an unexpectedly tender scene — particularly anything involving Georgie's family — without the shift ever feeling jarring. The prose doesn't call attention to itself, but it's doing real work, carrying you along so smoothly that you don't notice how much you've come to care about these characters until you're fully invested in where they land.
It's a book about corporate burnout, social media performance, and the "go find yourself" travel narrative, but it never feels like it's lecturing you about any of those things — it's too busy being warm, funny, and human. A confident, memorable debut, and Vincent Chu is a writer very much worth watching.
May 30, 2026
Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC.
Georgie has lived his life doing exactly what he needed to. Suddenly, he finds himself out of a job and decides to do what we’ve all of dreamed of doing, traveling the world. He prepares to embark on a trip of a lifetime with promises to share all about his travels online. In an attempt to welcome a go-with-the-flow attitude on the way to the airport, he trusts the wrong person and is left with no passport, wallet or most of his other belongings. Too embarrassed to go home and admit that he failed before he even began, Georgie finds refuge in a hostel. There he meets Ant, a perpetual student getting her masters in art. They then begin a journey traveling the world on social media without ever leaving the city. Suddenly, specially placed rocks become the islands of Ha Long Bay and a new fountain becomes Kuang Si Falls. Online, Georgie is travel through Asia and Europe, but in real life he is beginning to question what he thought he knew.
Here are my thoughts: The premise alone was so unique that I was always reading to see how they could create several countries and cities in their own city. Through timing, research, and creative perspectives, their photographs sounded like they might actually work. There were also a lot of fun characters that came in and out of the story. My favorites were the other guests at the hostel. While they were never there for long, they added liveliness to the story.
There were a few things I struggled with while reading. Ant and Georgie have several ‘deep’ and ‘philosophical’ discussions that felt forced and inauthentic. As a result, I didn’t always enjoy their conversations or them as characters and found them to be a bit sanctimonious at times. Without spoiling too much, after the project is over, Georgie decides to do something that just doesn’t make any sense to me.
The premise will appeal to those who dream of travel (but who may not be able to at the moment). It also offers lots of opportunities to reflect on what it means to travel and the reality of what we share online.
Georgie has lived his life doing exactly what he needed to. Suddenly, he finds himself out of a job and decides to do what we’ve all of dreamed of doing, traveling the world. He prepares to embark on a trip of a lifetime with promises to share all about his travels online. In an attempt to welcome a go-with-the-flow attitude on the way to the airport, he trusts the wrong person and is left with no passport, wallet or most of his other belongings. Too embarrassed to go home and admit that he failed before he even began, Georgie finds refuge in a hostel. There he meets Ant, a perpetual student getting her masters in art. They then begin a journey traveling the world on social media without ever leaving the city. Suddenly, specially placed rocks become the islands of Ha Long Bay and a new fountain becomes Kuang Si Falls. Online, Georgie is travel through Asia and Europe, but in real life he is beginning to question what he thought he knew.
Here are my thoughts: The premise alone was so unique that I was always reading to see how they could create several countries and cities in their own city. Through timing, research, and creative perspectives, their photographs sounded like they might actually work. There were also a lot of fun characters that came in and out of the story. My favorites were the other guests at the hostel. While they were never there for long, they added liveliness to the story.
There were a few things I struggled with while reading. Ant and Georgie have several ‘deep’ and ‘philosophical’ discussions that felt forced and inauthentic. As a result, I didn’t always enjoy their conversations or them as characters and found them to be a bit sanctimonious at times. Without spoiling too much, after the project is over, Georgie decides to do something that just doesn’t make any sense to me.
The premise will appeal to those who dream of travel (but who may not be able to at the moment). It also offers lots of opportunities to reflect on what it means to travel and the reality of what we share online.
July 30, 2026
With Nice Places, Vincent Chu delivers a novel that lingers long after the final page. From the opening chapter, Chu demonstrates a rare gift for bringing characters to life — they don't simply populate the story, they breathe within it. Every gesture, hesitation, and offhand remark feels lived-in, as if Chu has known these people for years rather than invented them.
What sets this novel apart is Chu's masterful use of humor, not as comic relief but as a genuine vehicle for emotional truth. He finds the laughter tucked inside grief, the wit hiding in loneliness, and the tenderness beneath sarcasm. It's a delicate balancing act, and Chu pulls it off with remarkable control, using comedy to say things that straightforward drama often can't reach.
Underneath it all, Nice Places is animated by a quiet, persistent longing — for connection, for understanding, for growth. Chu's prose keeps this desire at the front of the reader's mind throughout, so that even the novel's smaller moments feel charged with meaning. You finish the book wanting to call an old friend, or ask a better question of someone you love.
It's especially exciting to see how far Chu has come since his debut, a collection of short stories that hinted at his talent but couldn't quite contain it. Here, given the room a novel provides, he stretches out and finds his true voice. The result feels genuinely fresh — a modern novel that resists cliché and offers instead something honest, funny, and deeply human.
Nice Places confirms Vincent Chu as a writer to watch, and this book deserves a wide and appreciative readership.
What sets this novel apart is Chu's masterful use of humor, not as comic relief but as a genuine vehicle for emotional truth. He finds the laughter tucked inside grief, the wit hiding in loneliness, and the tenderness beneath sarcasm. It's a delicate balancing act, and Chu pulls it off with remarkable control, using comedy to say things that straightforward drama often can't reach.
Underneath it all, Nice Places is animated by a quiet, persistent longing — for connection, for understanding, for growth. Chu's prose keeps this desire at the front of the reader's mind throughout, so that even the novel's smaller moments feel charged with meaning. You finish the book wanting to call an old friend, or ask a better question of someone you love.
It's especially exciting to see how far Chu has come since his debut, a collection of short stories that hinted at his talent but couldn't quite contain it. Here, given the room a novel provides, he stretches out and finds his true voice. The result feels genuinely fresh — a modern novel that resists cliché and offers instead something honest, funny, and deeply human.
Nice Places confirms Vincent Chu as a writer to watch, and this book deserves a wide and appreciative readership.
June 1, 2026
Georgie quits his job at a tech company to spend a year traveling, hoping to “find himself”. Georgie can’t shake the feeling of general discomfort with corporate life, but also has made minimal efforts to plan for this yearlong adventure. When a monk robs him of all of his belongings on the way to the airport, Georgie finds himself in a guest house in the Panhandle neighborhood of his hometown. Alongside fellow guest Ant, Georgie embarks on a global adventure, all from the Panhandle neighborhood.
Georgie’s whole demeanor surrounding global travel drove me nuts as a Type A planner. However, I found this depiction of Georgie as spot-on for illustrating the concept of using travel as a means of discovering oneself. Social media permeates every aspect of our lives and Georgie’s desire to share his travels online begs the question of whether he was truly seeking travel as a means of self-discovery or clout. Chasing views/likes/shares, Georgie is able to convince and inspire many individuals to travel despite all of his photos being staged. Given how much time we spend on social media, this was a reminder that life is meant to be lived, not shared online for likes.
Despite the extreme turn within the last 50 pages, I enjoyed following Georgie’s path to self-discovery. There’s something to be said about questioning whether working a corporate job that you never particularly wanted or enjoyed is truly the meaning of life.
Thank you to the author, Vincent Chu for reaching out and sending me this ARC! All opinions are my own.
Georgie’s whole demeanor surrounding global travel drove me nuts as a Type A planner. However, I found this depiction of Georgie as spot-on for illustrating the concept of using travel as a means of discovering oneself. Social media permeates every aspect of our lives and Georgie’s desire to share his travels online begs the question of whether he was truly seeking travel as a means of self-discovery or clout. Chasing views/likes/shares, Georgie is able to convince and inspire many individuals to travel despite all of his photos being staged. Given how much time we spend on social media, this was a reminder that life is meant to be lived, not shared online for likes.
Despite the extreme turn within the last 50 pages, I enjoyed following Georgie’s path to self-discovery. There’s something to be said about questioning whether working a corporate job that you never particularly wanted or enjoyed is truly the meaning of life.
Thank you to the author, Vincent Chu for reaching out and sending me this ARC! All opinions are my own.
Read
August 2, 2026Let's take moment to appreciate and celebrate how wonderful the new novel (and total page-turner) Nice Places by the Vincent Chu is. First off and full-disclosure, I’m a fan and a friend of Vincent Chu, and that doesn’t mean I can’t discern the wonderful from the not wonderful, though that said, as always I’m rarely objective—and don’t have to be, which is nice.
For my full thoughts on this yes, wonderful book, please check out my Substack post on Nice Places (and how annoying am I for even suggesting this, very annoying, I know): https://substack.com/@bentanzer/p-208....
For my full thoughts on this yes, wonderful book, please check out my Substack post on Nice Places (and how annoying am I for even suggesting this, very annoying, I know): https://substack.com/@bentanzer/p-208....
June 22, 2026
It’s both a fun read and a dark commentary on how we project ourselves online and what can go wrong.
April 12, 2026
I was gifted an advanced copy of this by the author, and it comes out on 6/2 of this year! It follows a man named Georgie, who quits his corporate job to travel the world. This plan is short-lived when he is duped at the airport and almost all of his belongings are stolen. Unwilling to go back home and explain his failure, he instead begins posting staged photos that appear to be different places around the world but are actually in his own town. This was quirky and different from the books I usually read. As someone who uses social media quite frequently, it made me think more critically about the content I’m viewing and the validation that we allow social media to give us over our real-life connections. While humorous, there were some dark moments too for Georgie, and I liked the balance!
August 28, 2026
Wow! This book is so refreshing and truly inspired me to consider quitting my job and going on an adventure. Find myself just enjoying discovering the world. I really enjoyed reading it and would happily recommend it to others. The story is absolutely captivating from start to finish.
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing a copy of this wonderful book.
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing a copy of this wonderful book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews