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melaniereadsbooks's review
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Thank you to Netgalley and Ecco for an arc of this book.
This is a collection of stories about what it means to be Cambodian-American. It combines stories from the older generation that immigrated to America during the Cambodian Genocides, to the younger generation and what it is like to live in that shadow.
This is such a powerful collection of stories. The writing is really strong and intense. I loved the stories that included queer characters. I also really loved the way all the stories began to come together the farther you got into the book. I really enjoyed how they were connected to form this community. Great book.
Pub Date: August 3, 2021
This is a collection of stories about what it means to be Cambodian-American. It combines stories from the older generation that immigrated to America during the Cambodian Genocides, to the younger generation and what it is like to live in that shadow.
This is such a powerful collection of stories. The writing is really strong and intense. I loved the stories that included queer characters. I also really loved the way all the stories began to come together the farther you got into the book. I really enjoyed how they were connected to form this community. Great book.
Pub Date: August 3, 2021
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Genocide, Racism, Drug use, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Gun violence and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Homophobia
notabookseller's review
emotional
funny
sad
slow-paced
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Afterparties is scheduled for release on August 3rd, 2021.
As I read this book I felt like by the time I finished a story I’d missed something. Most of the book read as slice of life stories, which I love, but after a while some of them began to feel like the same premise with slight variations on the same broad strokes (family, sexuality, and sense of belonging). I find that “Human Development” tackles these topics in the most engaging manner and in a way that feels most connected to present-day America.
Overall, my favorite stories were “Three Women of Chuck’s Donuts,” and “Somaly Serey, Serey Somaly.”
“Three Women...” is a great leading story as it immediately grabs the reader’s attention with the introduction of this mysterious man who comes into the shop every night to sit at a table with a donut he does not touch; however, it feels out of place with most, if not all, of the other stories as it has the most obvious plot driving it and it is heavily influenced by a specific and immediate familial trauma rather than a cultural one (the genocide that is referenced frequently throughout the book).
“Somaly Serey, Serey Somaly” calls back to an earlier story, “Maly, Maly, Maly,” 23 years later, after the birth of baby Serey who is believed to be the reincarnation of Somaly, who is Maly’s mother. This story is about Serey’s journey to relieve herself of trauma that she did not experience while also being the sole caregiver for her great-aunt who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. As a child of immigrants I find Serey to be a very relatable narrator who I was able to connect with on a personal level.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Stalking, and Suicide
og_tomatogirl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Genocide and Gun violence
Minor: Medical content and Mass/school shootings
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