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nezzaaa's review
3.0
3.5 stars, not life-changing or genre-defining, but a nice read-- pleasantly enjoyable.
textpublishing's review
5.0
‘Her [Cheng’s] effortless, unpretentious realism balances and insider’s sensitivity and understanding with an outsider’s clear-eyed objectivity, showing us a version of ourselves richer and more multifaceted than anything we’ve seen before.’
Book Muse
'[Cheng’s] individual characters suggest the ways in which we might move forward...Australia Day imagines a tomorrow where we can love our communities, our celebrations and our food, without leaving behind critical good taste.’
Sydney Review of Books
‘Offering a fresh viewpoint on modern Australia, debut author Cheng is a significant new voice on the literary scene.’
PS News
‘The stories are unpretentious, diverse, and a lot of the time, disconcertingly real. Cheng’s characters are just as well realised; they live on in your head long after you’ve put her book down.’
Lifted Brow, Favourite Books of 2017
‘This smart, engaging short story collection offers fresh perspectives on what it means to be Australian today. The stories also explore identity and belonging in a variety of other ways, delving into family, love, class and education. Big themes aside, every story is beautifully written and a total pleasure to read.’
Emily Maguire, Australian Women’s Weekly
‘This is a theme that Cheng’s stories revisit again and again. All of her characters—a diverse cast of difference races and faiths—are searching for connection or a sense of belonging, and coming up short. Despite its title the focus of this collection is not explicitly on that increasingly controversial public holiday. Rather, it is on the struggles, internal and external, that occur when people from different backgrounds meet by chance or are brought together…Australia Day is a bittersweet, beautifully crafted collection that will be much admired by fans of Cate Kennedy and Tony Birch.’
Books+Publishing
‘Melanie Cheng is an astonishingly deft and incisive writer. With economy and elegance, she creates a dazzling mosaic of contemporary life, of how we live now. Hers is a compelling new voice in Australian literature.’
Christos Tsiolkas
‘What a wonderful book, a book with bite. These stories have a real edge to them. They are complex without being contrived, humanising, but never sentimental or cloying—and, ultimately, very moving.’
Alice Pung
‘In each story, Melanie Cheng creates an entire microcosm, peeling back the superficial to expose the raw nerves of contemporary Australian society. Her eye is sharp and sympathetic, her characters flawed and funny and utterly believable.’
Jennifer Down
‘Melanie Cheng’s stories are a deep dive into the diversity of humanity. They lead you into lives, into hearts, into unexplored places, and bring you back transformed.’
Michelle Wright
‘The characters stay in the mind, their lives and experiences mirroring many of our own, challenging us to think how we might respond in their place. An insightful, sometimes uncomfortable portrayal of multicultural Australia from an observant and talented writer.’
Ranjana Srivastava
‘A bittersweet, beautifully crafted collection.’
Books + Publishing
‘Australia Day is an absorbing panorama of contemporary Australia…These are 14 powerfully perceptive stories, written with love, humour, realism, and a distinct edginess. While the terrain covered might be familiar, Cheng’s take on our treasured multiculturalism feels fresh… It’s necessary reading, not only because it’s a microcosm of who we are, but because each story is a gem, and a joy to behold.’
Simon McDonald
‘If only the PM might pick up a copy, even by mistake.’
Saturday Paper
‘A wonderful feat of storytelling…Melanie Cheng is an exciting new writer.’
Readings
‘A sumptuous collection of fourteen short stories, which are disparate but with modern Australia or Australians at their heart, exploring issues of racism, infidelity, grief, parenthood, children and ageing. Despite the brevity of some of these stories (one is just eight pages), they are heartfelt and Melbourne-based Cheng paints the characters beautifully.’
Herald Sun
‘A panorama of contemporary multicultural Australia that explores each and everyone’s desire to belong.’
Book Bonding
‘A diverse, captivating collection of short stories.’
Better Read Than Dead
‘The happy surprise of Cheng’s work as a collection lies in her resolute grasp of the absolute normalcy of a culture that not so many years ago was divided and dually suspicious. The census gives us the facts but it takes fiction to make reality three-dimensional.’
Sydney Morning Herald
‘The author’s empathetic eye and easy facility with dialogue make the anthology a strong debut, with the longer stories in particular offering breadth and depth…It feels like Cheng has taken a wide sample from the census to craft this inclusive portrait of contemporary Australia.’
Big Issue
‘A stunning debut that takes its place among Australian short story greats.’
AU Review
‘Cheng’s work is polished and affecting. Australia Day is that thing we all chase: a complex, engaging and timely read.’
Lifted Brow
‘Cheng paints a holistic snapshot of Australian life, with the result being a collection of stories that are simultaneously cynical and hopeful…The ambiguity inherent in labelling something “Australian" is also manifest in Cheng’s characters, prompting the reader to interrogate their own definition of what it means to be Australian.’
Kill Your Darlings
‘Melanie Cheng writes prose that gets straight to the heart of the matter and tells it how it is…The more I sit here and reflect on each story in this collection, the stronger and more powerful they become.’
Sam Still Reading
‘Melanie Cheng’s voice is strong, compassionate and embracing in these 14 stories that reflect the diversity of Australians and the starkness of human frailty. The recurring theme in all these stories is the ability to re-form lives that, at first, might seem to be shattered beyond repair.’
Good Reading, four stars
‘The different cultures, the intriguing characters all left me wanting more. I’d love to see some longer fiction from Melanie Cheng in the future but I’ll happily accept anything and everything she writes. A fantastic talent who has nailed the art of the short story.’
Sam Still Reading
‘Wonderful.’
Christos Tsiolkas, Sydney Morning Herald’s Year in Reading
Book Muse
'[Cheng’s] individual characters suggest the ways in which we might move forward...Australia Day imagines a tomorrow where we can love our communities, our celebrations and our food, without leaving behind critical good taste.’
Sydney Review of Books
‘Offering a fresh viewpoint on modern Australia, debut author Cheng is a significant new voice on the literary scene.’
PS News
‘The stories are unpretentious, diverse, and a lot of the time, disconcertingly real. Cheng’s characters are just as well realised; they live on in your head long after you’ve put her book down.’
Lifted Brow, Favourite Books of 2017
‘This smart, engaging short story collection offers fresh perspectives on what it means to be Australian today. The stories also explore identity and belonging in a variety of other ways, delving into family, love, class and education. Big themes aside, every story is beautifully written and a total pleasure to read.’
Emily Maguire, Australian Women’s Weekly
‘This is a theme that Cheng’s stories revisit again and again. All of her characters—a diverse cast of difference races and faiths—are searching for connection or a sense of belonging, and coming up short. Despite its title the focus of this collection is not explicitly on that increasingly controversial public holiday. Rather, it is on the struggles, internal and external, that occur when people from different backgrounds meet by chance or are brought together…Australia Day is a bittersweet, beautifully crafted collection that will be much admired by fans of Cate Kennedy and Tony Birch.’
Books+Publishing
‘Melanie Cheng is an astonishingly deft and incisive writer. With economy and elegance, she creates a dazzling mosaic of contemporary life, of how we live now. Hers is a compelling new voice in Australian literature.’
Christos Tsiolkas
‘What a wonderful book, a book with bite. These stories have a real edge to them. They are complex without being contrived, humanising, but never sentimental or cloying—and, ultimately, very moving.’
Alice Pung
‘In each story, Melanie Cheng creates an entire microcosm, peeling back the superficial to expose the raw nerves of contemporary Australian society. Her eye is sharp and sympathetic, her characters flawed and funny and utterly believable.’
Jennifer Down
‘Melanie Cheng’s stories are a deep dive into the diversity of humanity. They lead you into lives, into hearts, into unexplored places, and bring you back transformed.’
Michelle Wright
‘The characters stay in the mind, their lives and experiences mirroring many of our own, challenging us to think how we might respond in their place. An insightful, sometimes uncomfortable portrayal of multicultural Australia from an observant and talented writer.’
Ranjana Srivastava
‘A bittersweet, beautifully crafted collection.’
Books + Publishing
‘Australia Day is an absorbing panorama of contemporary Australia…These are 14 powerfully perceptive stories, written with love, humour, realism, and a distinct edginess. While the terrain covered might be familiar, Cheng’s take on our treasured multiculturalism feels fresh… It’s necessary reading, not only because it’s a microcosm of who we are, but because each story is a gem, and a joy to behold.’
Simon McDonald
‘If only the PM might pick up a copy, even by mistake.’
Saturday Paper
‘A wonderful feat of storytelling…Melanie Cheng is an exciting new writer.’
Readings
‘A sumptuous collection of fourteen short stories, which are disparate but with modern Australia or Australians at their heart, exploring issues of racism, infidelity, grief, parenthood, children and ageing. Despite the brevity of some of these stories (one is just eight pages), they are heartfelt and Melbourne-based Cheng paints the characters beautifully.’
Herald Sun
‘A panorama of contemporary multicultural Australia that explores each and everyone’s desire to belong.’
Book Bonding
‘A diverse, captivating collection of short stories.’
Better Read Than Dead
‘The happy surprise of Cheng’s work as a collection lies in her resolute grasp of the absolute normalcy of a culture that not so many years ago was divided and dually suspicious. The census gives us the facts but it takes fiction to make reality three-dimensional.’
Sydney Morning Herald
‘The author’s empathetic eye and easy facility with dialogue make the anthology a strong debut, with the longer stories in particular offering breadth and depth…It feels like Cheng has taken a wide sample from the census to craft this inclusive portrait of contemporary Australia.’
Big Issue
‘A stunning debut that takes its place among Australian short story greats.’
AU Review
‘Cheng’s work is polished and affecting. Australia Day is that thing we all chase: a complex, engaging and timely read.’
Lifted Brow
‘Cheng paints a holistic snapshot of Australian life, with the result being a collection of stories that are simultaneously cynical and hopeful…The ambiguity inherent in labelling something “Australian" is also manifest in Cheng’s characters, prompting the reader to interrogate their own definition of what it means to be Australian.’
Kill Your Darlings
‘Melanie Cheng writes prose that gets straight to the heart of the matter and tells it how it is…The more I sit here and reflect on each story in this collection, the stronger and more powerful they become.’
Sam Still Reading
‘Melanie Cheng’s voice is strong, compassionate and embracing in these 14 stories that reflect the diversity of Australians and the starkness of human frailty. The recurring theme in all these stories is the ability to re-form lives that, at first, might seem to be shattered beyond repair.’
Good Reading, four stars
‘The different cultures, the intriguing characters all left me wanting more. I’d love to see some longer fiction from Melanie Cheng in the future but I’ll happily accept anything and everything she writes. A fantastic talent who has nailed the art of the short story.’
Sam Still Reading
‘Wonderful.’
Christos Tsiolkas, Sydney Morning Herald’s Year in Reading
rhondy's review
4.0
Cheng' Australia Day was a delightful exploration of the concept of belonging within the present day Australia.
Throughout the collection of short stories, the wide variety of settings, characters and plots were engaging and entertaining.
I really enjoyed that it was easily to read, yet it broached some sensitive topics and touch points. As is the case with short story collections, some stories appealed more than others.
I found that it left me with a strong sense of empathy, and I appreciate the insight that Cheng has applied to her work.
I am a grateful recipient of an advance copy of this book, and will enjoy rereading over the years.
Throughout the collection of short stories, the wide variety of settings, characters and plots were engaging and entertaining.
I really enjoyed that it was easily to read, yet it broached some sensitive topics and touch points. As is the case with short story collections, some stories appealed more than others.
I found that it left me with a strong sense of empathy, and I appreciate the insight that Cheng has applied to her work.
I am a grateful recipient of an advance copy of this book, and will enjoy rereading over the years.
bibliobliss_au's review
4.0
This is a fantastic collection of short stories, providing diverse snapshots of multicultural and modern-day Australia.
Melanie Cheng has a beautiful writing style that conveys and emotes so much in simple, concise prose. I highly recommend her novel, Room for a Stranger, if you’re not inclined to read short stories but would like to experience her writing.
I’m looking forward to reading more from this talented author.
Melanie Cheng has a beautiful writing style that conveys and emotes so much in simple, concise prose. I highly recommend her novel, Room for a Stranger, if you’re not inclined to read short stories but would like to experience her writing.
I’m looking forward to reading more from this talented author.
spacerookie's review
4.0
Sparse writing style, powerful stories. I especially enjoyed the stories with themes of travel (the disjunction of 'culture' of Western travel and the realities of the country) and medicine.
milliemay's review
5.0
I loved this book. I have never read anything more Australian than this. I love the way it captured the quiet truths of Australia that no one ever hears. A must read for everyone wanting to learn about the real truth about living in Australia!!
keepingupwiththepenguins's review
3.0
My full review of Australia Day is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
All of Cheng’s characters are seeking something elusive, at times ineffable, and there are few happy endings. Some of the stories – ‘Ticket Holder Number 5’ in particular – offer the clang of revelation that I look for in short stories. Others fell a bit… well, short. Still others were perhaps ahead of their time; ‘Big Problems’ struck me as a precursor to novels like Kiley Reid’s Such A Fun Age. So, as with any short story collection, I’d say that this one is hit and miss. Some are great, some are okay, and each reader will probably have their own opinion as to which is which.
All of Cheng’s characters are seeking something elusive, at times ineffable, and there are few happy endings. Some of the stories – ‘Ticket Holder Number 5’ in particular – offer the clang of revelation that I look for in short stories. Others fell a bit… well, short. Still others were perhaps ahead of their time; ‘Big Problems’ struck me as a precursor to novels like Kiley Reid’s Such A Fun Age. So, as with any short story collection, I’d say that this one is hit and miss. Some are great, some are okay, and each reader will probably have their own opinion as to which is which.
lugalante's review
2.0
Mediocre writing and some of the stories felt a little short and undeveloped. Also questionable intentions at times.
ceedy's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Violence
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Drug abuse