Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So

17 reviews

robinks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This collection of short stories was so engaging and devastating. So seamlessly integrates fact and fiction, and I love how the characters jump off the page, some recurring in multiple stories to get another perspective on a them. What a beautiful testament to Cambodian-American life and queerness.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Violence, Death of parent, Classism, Death, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Blood, Genocide, War, Suicide, Alcohol, and Sexual content

Moderate: Medical content, Addiction, Child death, Infidelity, Drug use, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, and Racism

Minor: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Vomit

samantha1960's review

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

One of the best short story collections I’ve ever read. Each one is unique yet perfectly aligns with the books overall theme. This book will make you laugh with absurdly weird moments and cry from true tragedies. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Racism, War, Addiction, Death, Dementia, Colonisation, Violence, Grief, Mass/school shootings, and Mental illness

apeachy's review against another edition

emotional funny informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I listened to this via audiobook, and I loved the experience! The narrator’s tone matched the irreverent, nonchalant humor, yet didn’t undermine the seriousness of the subject matter.

Perfect read for: Someone looking for a fresh voice in 1st/2nd generation immigrant narratives without the pity of Oprah’s book club. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Genocide, and Mass/school shootings

goodolnicole's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Mass/school shootings, and Sexual content

Minor: Colonisation, Addiction, Genocide, and War

martinatan's review

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Enjoyable and incredibly reflective. At the center of all of these stories is the protagonists’ emotional development, set against a vibrant exploration of many corners of the Cambodian American experience. It is obvious that the author found a lot of catharsis in writing about friends, relatives, and other figures of his personal community. He treats all of these people with empathy and nuance. I was a little lost at times when beginning a new story as it would introduce a new point of view, and it took me a little effort to come to terms with the fine line that So treads between autobiography and autofiction. However, it didn’t take me long to grow fond of each character’s personality and care about their challenges and victories. I felt some kinship as a fellow Asian American, but learned much more about the specific histories that Cambodian immigrants in California have to reckon with. Hard for me to pick a favorite story, but Generational Differences was an extremely interesting and uniquely written story to end the collection on. I wish Anthony Veasna So were still here to see his work move through the world, but regardless he leaves behind a body of work that I and many others will cherish.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Genocide, Drug use, Mass/school shootings, Alcohol, Death, Dementia, Medical content, Death of parent, Alcoholism, and Addiction

Minor: Gun violence, Classism, Violence, Hate crime, Cancer, Drug abuse, War, Cursing, Colonisation, Excrement, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, and Racism

emmehooks's review

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

This is the kind of short story collection I would have loved to read with a book club. Every story creates a universe full of nuance and life and left me with more questions and thoughts at the close than the start. 

beautiful prose sharing glimpses into American Khmer existences, generational trauma, and queerness .

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Violence, Addiction, War, and Mass/school shootings

Moderate: Suicide and Drug use

Minor: Miscarriage and Vomit

onewoman_bookclub's review

dark emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide

Moderate: Mass/school shootings and Gun violence

Minor: Addiction and Suicide

kirstym25's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Genocide

Moderate: Mass/school shootings and Death

Minor: Addiction and Homophobia

jayisreading's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

4.75

This was such a good collection of short stories, and it’s unbelievably heartbreaking to know that So’s career was cut short. Something I really appreciated about each short story was this striking balance of wry humor and quiet grief. So explored the distinct experience of being Cambodian American, queer, a child of refugees, and more. His stories almost seemed to exist outside of time in the way they simultaneously touch on past, present, and future. It’s not to say these stories existed in their own bubbles but, rather, So poignantly took into consideration (generational) trauma and memory and their impact across time. These stories were twinged with care and love, weaving in the Khmer language and culture into the blanket of the United States to create a space for Cambodian Americans.

I honestly enjoyed all of these stories for very different reasons, which I think demonstrates So’s talent. (Though, like any book, it’s not going to be for everyone.)

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Sexual content

Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Genocide, and Death

Minor: Homophobia, Addiction, and Suicide

karenreader's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Short story collection about the children and grandchildren of Cambodian refugees living in the same area. Stories are well written and cover a lot of big topics. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Genocide

Minor: Addiction and Suicide