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readingwithcoffee's review against another edition
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
I really enjoyed the first story with the daughters and mother owning the donut shops and theme everything else basically went down hill dramatically. I took a break from the book to see if maybe I wasn’t in the right head spaces and hated it when I picked it back up.
Despite multiple different characters of different genders and occupations, they all bleed together after a few and have nothing new to really saw and while some talent in prose it was also incredibly stiff awkward and self righteous while having very little to say especially that wasn’t repetitive from the previous and frankly pretentious. Many stories read like thinly veiled short essays that would probably have been better then what’s supposedly a fiction story that’s largely just a rant about how Buddhist temples fleece grieving people for money and are hypocrites to having an elderly refugee talk about being afraid of boys in red and blue that’s very clearly trying to dodge that the woman is referring to black boys she just assumes are gang members and reads so poorly you are not surprised that despite the Themes of poverty that the author literally grew up in a gated community upper middle class. I also thought the way the book talked about woman was flat and one dimensional at best after the first story. It just was very disappointing to have a boring book that insisted upon itself while having nothing to say, a book that had so many characters but came off to me as uninterested in people or their lives and as if it didn’t like them and increasing bitter not even over the actual tragedy or trauma in the book but anything. The book confuses pretension and pessimism with depth having teacher character talk about not knowing how to talk to their coworker who wears floral blouses or skirts and likes her job??? There’s literally jokes how common floral clothing is especially for spring before even the point about working a job and not knowing how to talk to your coworkers who don’t hate their job, it just made me out the book done and wonder if the author even talked to people ever.
So has enough spark of talent though I will be putting his actual essays and other posthumous work in my tbr.
Despite multiple different characters of different genders and occupations, they all bleed together after a few and have nothing new to really saw and while some talent in prose it was also incredibly stiff awkward and self righteous while having very little to say especially that wasn’t repetitive from the previous and frankly pretentious. Many stories read like thinly veiled short essays that would probably have been better then what’s supposedly a fiction story that’s largely just a rant about how Buddhist temples fleece grieving people for money and are hypocrites to having an elderly refugee talk about being afraid of boys in red and blue that’s very clearly trying to dodge that the woman is referring to black boys she just assumes are gang members and reads so poorly you are not surprised that despite the Themes of poverty that the author literally grew up in a gated community upper middle class. I also thought the way the book talked about woman was flat and one dimensional at best after the first story. It just was very disappointing to have a boring book that insisted upon itself while having nothing to say, a book that had so many characters but came off to me as uninterested in people or their lives and as if it didn’t like them and increasing bitter not even over the actual tragedy or trauma in the book but anything. The book confuses pretension and pessimism with depth having teacher character talk about not knowing how to talk to their coworker who wears floral blouses or skirts and likes her job??? There’s literally jokes how common floral clothing is especially for spring before even the point about working a job and not knowing how to talk to your coworkers who don’t hate their job, it just made me out the book done and wonder if the author even talked to people ever.
So has enough spark of talent though I will be putting his actual essays and other posthumous work in my tbr.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, Infidelity, War, and Terminal illness
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
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
kayladaila's review
challenging
dark
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Grief, Mental illness, Sexual content, Excrement, Terminal illness, Homophobia, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Genocide, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Murder, War, Abandonment, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Alcohol
readingthroughinfinity's review
adventurous
hopeful
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
4.0
This is a raw, honest, and moving collection of short stories about Cambodian-Americans finding meaning in their lives and interpersonal bonds in the US. Some of the stand out stories for me were Three women of Chuck's donuts, Maly, Maly, Maly, Human Development, and Generational differences, which were all about family ties and emotional connections with other people.
Anthony Veasna So has a really intimate way of describing human interactions that suggests he really understands the psyche of his characters. I could be wrong, but I got the sense that several of these stories were semi-autobiographical because some of the characters referred to the protagonist as Anthony (and the character's background matched what I know about the author).
This was a bittersweet read because the writing was excellent and really thought-provoking, but the author died before the collection was published, so I know I'll only get to read one more of his books (Songs on Endless Repeat, set to be published in 2023).
Anthony Veasna So has a really intimate way of describing human interactions that suggests he really understands the psyche of his characters. I could be wrong, but I got the sense that several of these stories were semi-autobiographical because some of the characters referred to the protagonist as Anthony (and the character's background matched what I know about the author).
This was a bittersweet read because the writing was excellent and really thought-provoking, but the author died before the collection was published, so I know I'll only get to read one more of his books (Songs on Endless Repeat, set to be published in 2023).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Sexual content
Moderate: Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, and Death
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Mass/school shootings, and Violence
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
afterparties is an interesting book that refreshingly features cambodians and cambodian americans - a rarely spotlighted group - and the byproduct is a semi-interconnecting set of original, unpredictable, sometimes startlingly provocative yet darkly humorous short stories, though i feel like some of them could've been more impactful.
every ethnic group always has a set of commonalities that binds them, yet as so adeptly illustrates here, they are multifaceted and far from being a monolith. i learn a lot abt cambodian culture and the u.s. cambodian community - despite them being a lil similar to my own - but i also enjoy this for its purely fictional aspect, w/ a particular favorite being "human development."
the different immigrant struggles, family conflicts, legacy of intergenerational trauma are examined through various characters and storylines. although they're effective in varying degrees, i often find myself smirking and snorting bc of the dark humor that only the marginalized and survivors know to espouse, while also startled by the off-handed mentions of trauma and violence, a firm reminder that the genocide that sent this group of ppl to where they reside happened not long ago, yet it's also not talked abt enough in the mainstream.
from this volume, it's clear that so was a literary force to be reckoned w/, someone whose future work i would've looked forward to. ig we'll all have to make do w/ afterparties, a nonetheless notable work.
every ethnic group always has a set of commonalities that binds them, yet as so adeptly illustrates here, they are multifaceted and far from being a monolith. i learn a lot abt cambodian culture and the u.s. cambodian community - despite them being a lil similar to my own - but i also enjoy this for its purely fictional aspect, w/ a particular favorite being "human development."
the different immigrant struggles, family conflicts, legacy of intergenerational trauma are examined through various characters and storylines. although they're effective in varying degrees, i often find myself smirking and snorting bc of the dark humor that only the marginalized and survivors know to espouse, while also startled by the off-handed mentions of trauma and violence, a firm reminder that the genocide that sent this group of ppl to where they reside happened not long ago, yet it's also not talked abt enough in the mainstream.
from this volume, it's clear that so was a literary force to be reckoned w/, someone whose future work i would've looked forward to. ig we'll all have to make do w/ afterparties, a nonetheless notable work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Sexual content, and Dementia
Moderate: Death, Genocide, Violence, Infidelity, Mass/school shootings, Racism, Excrement, and Gun violence
Minor: Addiction, War, Child death, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Homophobia, and Drug abuse
ladymirtazapine's review
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Excrement, Grief, Gun violence, Genocide, Homophobia, Addiction, Mass/school shootings, Infidelity, Medical content, Miscarriage, and Suicide
annuich's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, War, Violence, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Mental illness, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Infidelity, Genocide, Drug use, and Dementia
matthewsalibi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
Thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for an advance copy of this book. (I loved it so much I've ordered the hardcover to keep!)
So's voice is so fresh and so specific. It was enthralling to spend these pages with the children of Cambodian refugees in Stockton, CA. The whole collection crackles -- what can't So do?? A book of perfectly-executed short stories, a master class in the form. He winds these stories up so perfectly, it adds a whole meta level of enjoyment; it was fun to step back every few pages to admire how expertly the stories are constructed, how effortlessly he sets up meaning and consequences for his characters.
Also, several LGBTQ+ characters, (maybe all gay men, now that I think about it?), so much more interesting and nuanced than you often find. If you like short stories or stories about complex cultural identities, you should spend some time with this standout collection.
So's voice is so fresh and so specific. It was enthralling to spend these pages with the children of Cambodian refugees in Stockton, CA. The whole collection crackles -- what can't So do?? A book of perfectly-executed short stories, a master class in the form. He winds these stories up so perfectly, it adds a whole meta level of enjoyment; it was fun to step back every few pages to admire how expertly the stories are constructed, how effortlessly he sets up meaning and consequences for his characters.
Also, several LGBTQ+ characters, (maybe all gay men, now that I think about it?), so much more interesting and nuanced than you often find. If you like short stories or stories about complex cultural identities, you should spend some time with this standout collection.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Genocide, Infidelity, Drug use, Suicide, and Dementia
mezzano's review
inspiring
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
4.0
There reached a point reading Afterparties where I was convinced Anthony Veasna So was writing nonfiction. So's mastery of the written word created a world rich with compelling characters and deep surroundings. So's focus on Cambodians and Cambodian-Americans also provided a narrative highly underrepresented in literature, without tokenizing any character from its wide cast. Even more impressive is how many of the stories are woven and connected together, as the stories all take place in the same surrounding area of California.
So's strongest stories are those which focus intensely on a particular character. Each story displays how trauma has affected an entire community, even those who are an ocean away from memories of genocide, poverty, and war. Superking Son Scores Again is a great story as it blends the past generational traumas with the pressures and expectations of young students today, but using badminton as a driving force for the story. Human Development focuses on a teacher who is teaching Moby Dick to students, while surrounded by a sea of connections who are making plenty of money focusing on technological advancements and applications. This story was particularly memorable, as the main character is both envious and flawed, but still trying to find his own meaning after graduating from esteemed universities. There are plenty of stories which don't focus on students or education at all, such as Three Women of Chuck's Donuts and Generational Differences, which all bring something to think about and relish in their own right. While some of the middle stories blend together at times, this is mostly the result of certain stories shining more brightly than others than any story being particularly dim or boring.
Upon learning of Anthony Veasana So's untimely death, I found it saddening that there would be no second collection of stories. Still, So's debut feels like an instant classic--a must have for any bookshelf.
So's strongest stories are those which focus intensely on a particular character. Each story displays how trauma has affected an entire community, even those who are an ocean away from memories of genocide, poverty, and war. Superking Son Scores Again is a great story as it blends the past generational traumas with the pressures and expectations of young students today, but using badminton as a driving force for the story. Human Development focuses on a teacher who is teaching Moby Dick to students, while surrounded by a sea of connections who are making plenty of money focusing on technological advancements and applications. This story was particularly memorable, as the main character is both envious and flawed, but still trying to find his own meaning after graduating from esteemed universities. There are plenty of stories which don't focus on students or education at all, such as Three Women of Chuck's Donuts and Generational Differences, which all bring something to think about and relish in their own right. While some of the middle stories blend together at times, this is mostly the result of certain stories shining more brightly than others than any story being particularly dim or boring.
Upon learning of Anthony Veasana So's untimely death, I found it saddening that there would be no second collection of stories. Still, So's debut feels like an instant classic--a must have for any bookshelf.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity
Minor: Mass/school shootings
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