Reviews

Ponti by Sharlene Teo

purplefantail's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

2.0

pearlbambi's review

3.75

Growing up in Singapore in the 2000s, there were many parts in the book that I found relatable. However, I found it difficult to empathise with the characters especially Circe. 

elareads's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.0

ayeesharbrts's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

jenmulholland's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

4.0

wraithlike's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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

3.0

karinacheah17's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad slow-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

4.0

essjay1's review

3.0

I really enjoyed the sense of place, set in Singapore and very evocative of the heat and haze. The 2003 sections remind you of the painful and seemingly endless teenage years. Definitely a character driven novel, with no real plot to speak of so if that’s not your thing I would avoid it.

Ultimately disappointing, the narrative switches around, barely moving forward then making giant leaps. I wanted to love this, perhaps my expectations were too high. This is a debut though - I will be very interested to see how this writer develops.

freddie's review against another edition

1.0

Clichéd writing with strange and ineffective metaphors. Said metaphors are everywhere. The women in this book are remarkably mean to one another. Multiple POVs but they sound like the same angsty person. The main characters have "complicated" relationships with one another but the reasons why are not well explored (the only solid reason I could think of is "poor communication skills" - which is a cheap way to create drama).

macbeckyton's review

4.0

Compelling and - in places - claustrophobic, this evoked the sense of absolute bewilderment that can occur within families, and explored grief, anger and exactly how teenage friendship can feel. Reminded me of Zadie Smith's Swing Time.