Reviews tagging 'Mass/school shootings'

Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So

37 reviews

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.

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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

poisonivy's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

this was such a charming collection, and i really loved some of the stories

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Dementia, War, Drug use, Mass/school shootings, and Genocide

wenwanzhao's review

emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Great collection of short stories about a Cambodian community in California. Real and messy in a way that requires subtlety to convey. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Mass/school shootings, Alcohol, Drug use, Genocide, Sexual content, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse

sisforsony's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, War, Sexual content, Genocide, and Grief

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

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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

delz's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-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? N/A

5.0

This collection of stories is written by Anthony Veasna So, a descendant of Cambodian/Khmer immigrants who “survived” the Cambodian genocide. The stories have heart, wisdom and wit. They coalesce into the landscape of generational trauma suffered long after escape. Their suicides, poverty, drug addiction while trying to live the American dream. While trying to provide their children with better lives, with determination, and eventually successes. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Xenophobia, Alcohol, and Drug use

Minor: Mass/school shootings and Genocide

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 .

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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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide

Moderate: Mass/school shootings and Gun violence

Minor: Addiction and Suicide

geraldinerowe's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I didn't really get hooked until the second half. Without giving too much away that's where both the really endearing and utterly gut wrenching stories lie. After I'd finished the book and was skimming through the acknowledgements my emotions caught up with me and I started to cry, something very few books have made me do. Well worth a read alone for learning about the Cambodian atrocities. I was young when they were on the news so was aware of the situation but not of the detail. They don't feature heavily as a plot line, but influence every aspect of these stories.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War, Murder, and Mass/school shootings

Minor: Racism, Suicide, and Sexual content

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Genocide

Moderate: Mass/school shootings and Death

Minor: Addiction and Homophobia