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pamshenanigans's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
After the Inquiry is an exploration of what it means to seek justice and how being part of a bureaucratic system that has its own world of work politics and corruption where people mostly care about climbing the ranks and making a name for themselves.
I think that’s the beauty of After the Inquiry. You’re thrown, as a reader, into a perspective of a Ministry employee, Teck, investigating what happened between two Sergeants after what seemed to be a closed book for Internal Affairs. The way it was written was a draft of a Ministry report after interviewing parties involved and Teck, from the very start, was proving to be such an airy and dispassionate employee. So you try to read the “report” a.k.a the novel in as much precision and technicality as the two investigators did.
I truly empathized with Nithya because I felt just how disappointed and heartbroken she was when she thought she was working towards justice and unknowingly played a role in the shameful investigation that went against her morals and vision of what it means to be part of the force.
The writing took some time for me to get used to and the plot picks up around the halfway mark but this is a book I’ll certainly always remember when I see news about bureaucratic corruption and injustice.
Trigger/Content Warnings: gun violence, police intimidation, injustice
I think that’s the beauty of After the Inquiry. You’re thrown, as a reader, into a perspective of a Ministry employee, Teck, investigating what happened between two Sergeants after what seemed to be a closed book for Internal Affairs. The way it was written was a draft of a Ministry report after interviewing parties involved and Teck, from the very start, was proving to be such an airy and dispassionate employee. So you try to read the “report” a.k.a the novel in as much precision and technicality as the two investigators did.
I truly empathized with Nithya because I felt just how disappointed and heartbroken she was when she thought she was working towards justice and unknowingly played a role in the shameful investigation that went against her morals and vision of what it means to be part of the force.
The writing took some time for me to get used to and the plot picks up around the halfway mark but this is a book I’ll certainly always remember when I see news about bureaucratic corruption and injustice.
Trigger/Content Warnings: gun violence, police intimidation, injustice
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality
Moderate: Gun violence
pandancake's review
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A ridiculously good book. Vocabulary was hard but extremely worth it.
kixes's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
apollosmichioreads's review
4.0
I am as impressed by After the Inquiry as I was at local author Jolene Tan’s previous debut novel, A Certain Exposure (2014).
In After the Inquiry, however, Tan embraces more humour in a story that details further investigation into the death of a police sergeant. Notwithstanding the closed status of the case (an unfortunate incident of Russian roulette gone wrong), civil servant Boon Teck and his young colleague Nithya are dispatched to relook the Internal Affairs investigation of the case.
Written as an extended confidential report, this is a surprisingly funny novel that pokes fun, but not senselessly, at Singapore’s bureaucracy. I really enjoyed the intellectual writing, which effectively balances comedy and tragedy without sidestepping the pivotal issues and themes discussed, according it the feels of an important and necessary piece of work especially in Singaporean literature.
Highly recommended!
4.5/5
Thank you Ethos Books for the advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review! :)
In After the Inquiry, however, Tan embraces more humour in a story that details further investigation into the death of a police sergeant. Notwithstanding the closed status of the case (an unfortunate incident of Russian roulette gone wrong), civil servant Boon Teck and his young colleague Nithya are dispatched to relook the Internal Affairs investigation of the case.
Written as an extended confidential report, this is a surprisingly funny novel that pokes fun, but not senselessly, at Singapore’s bureaucracy. I really enjoyed the intellectual writing, which effectively balances comedy and tragedy without sidestepping the pivotal issues and themes discussed, according it the feels of an important and necessary piece of work especially in Singaporean literature.
Highly recommended!
4.5/5
Thank you Ethos Books for the advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review! :)
tryingmilo's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
falcondiaries's review
5.0
I need a Part II for this book. Nithya point of view and what she will do.
meggychiaaaa's review
3.0
This piece of Sing lit starts slow like an engine warming, then revs into full, unstoppable speed in the last quarter. It takes the structure of a ministry report written by Boon Teck, in the wake of a Russian Roulette game gone wrong within the police force.
The strength of this book lies in the way race, privilege, and inequality are put in the spotlight — they simply cannot be ignored or brushed aside. As a political science & sociology student myself, it was interesting to see these topics finally enter the sphere of Singapore fiction. I definitely recommend this to those of you who want to start thinking about the socio-economic landscape in Singapore, but find news and academia too intimidating.
While the text is structured as a government report, it comes loaded with footnotes and writing that sometimes feels disruptive and unnatural. It is nonetheless a bold attempt to fit big and important ideas into the span of 200 pages. I look forward to more works from Jolene Tan, and cannot wait to see how she brings big conversations to a world of fiction.
The strength of this book lies in the way race, privilege, and inequality are put in the spotlight — they simply cannot be ignored or brushed aside. As a political science & sociology student myself, it was interesting to see these topics finally enter the sphere of Singapore fiction. I definitely recommend this to those of you who want to start thinking about the socio-economic landscape in Singapore, but find news and academia too intimidating.
While the text is structured as a government report, it comes loaded with footnotes and writing that sometimes feels disruptive and unnatural. It is nonetheless a bold attempt to fit big and important ideas into the span of 200 pages. I look forward to more works from Jolene Tan, and cannot wait to see how she brings big conversations to a world of fiction.
xandtha's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
wordrevel's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Gun violence
naaytaashreads's review
3.0
Thank you Ethos Books for the advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review!
This was such a interesting read.
I am surprise it has more humour than I thought it would.
I love the way this was being written.
Its kind of a drama, report and a lot of dialogue.
Of course because I'm Singaporean, the places, humour and language is so close to home and relatable.
This was such a interesting read.
I am surprise it has more humour than I thought it would.
I love the way this was being written.
Its kind of a drama, report and a lot of dialogue.
Of course because I'm Singaporean, the places, humour and language is so close to home and relatable.