Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So

9 reviews

iszys's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Genocide

Minor: Gun violence, Hate crime, Death of parent, Drug use, and Mass/school shootings

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 them. What a beautiful testament to Cambodian-American life and queerness.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Dementia, Genocide, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Mass/school shootings, Sexual content, War, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Homophobia, Child death, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Excrement, Drug use, Medical content, and Racism

Minor: Vomit, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

maddie7217's review against another edition

emotional 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Alcohol, Sexual content, Medical content, Excrement, Death of parent, Dementia, and Death

Moderate: Gun violence, Genocide, and Mass/school shootings

martinatan's review against another edition

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

jazhandz's review

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia and Sexual content

Moderate: Genocide, Death, Alcohol, and Drug use

Minor: Death of parent and Excrement

The story “We Would’ve Been Princes!” includes an addict getting cross-faded, to anyone who is sensitive to stories about addiction.

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

kayladaila's review against another edition

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

maregred's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide

Moderate: Alcoholism, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Dementia, Drug use, War, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Cultural appropriation, Suicide, Racism, Alcohol, Classism, and Sexual content

ladymirtazapine's review against another edition

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

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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