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meaghanelizabook's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Racism, Violence, and War
astarlia's review against another edition
Really appreciated the ocd rep in this, but couldn't manage the politics
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, War, and Xenophobia
Themes are managed welli_am_selinam's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Sexual assault
jenns_library's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Mental illness, Murder, and Violence
joceraptor's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Child death and Death
n_asyikin_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
tense
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
TW: graphic depictions of violence & death; racism; ableism; mental illnesses relating to OCD
A powerful story that was emotionally heavy, but absolutely critical especially for a Malaysian like me. It explored the cultural dynamics that not only shaped our multi-ethnics interactions (& subsequently, prejudices & racism that contributed to the '69 riot), but also depicted how they could also influenced one's views & approaches to their health, especially relating to mental illnesses.
The 1st person view was encapsulating. Hanna structured Melati's account with full convinction; you'd feel her fear & horror: you were roped into the maelstrom of the riot & her attempts to survive. Also, you were given a glimpse into how she navigated the event while living with OCD. Amidst the fears & attrocities though, there were also beams of kindness & resilience, seen not only in our MC Melati, but also in the likes of Auntie Bee & Vince. Notably though, Hanna never attempted to paint the whole situations in rainbows; the story could get gruesome; even with the "kind" characters, there was prejudicial views, implicating normalization of racism. <\spoiler>
That being said, as a Malaysian, what was frightening to me was the fact that the "logic" shared by the bigots in this story had similarities to those bigots in the current day-and-age. As Hanna stipulated in the author's note, this part of our history was glanced over in our school; our government also likely had "revised" (i.e., a systemic disinformation) the event. I believed this story would allowed Malaysians in particular to contemplate the danger & failure to address racism in our country, one that is commonly weaponised by our politicians to turn us against each other while they maintained a kleptocracy; I hope we can all be like Melati, Auntie Bee, Uncle Chong, Vincent, Jay, & all the people who held the value of humanity highest.
The pacing of this story started out really fast as you were thrown into the chaos from the get-go. It did tapered off a bit in the middle; and at times, it got too emotionally heavy where I personally had to take a step away from it for awhile.
Regardless, I've shed tears of angers & disbeliefs at the displays of cruelty, and I was at the edge of my seats, willing for Melati to survive. Despite the adrenaline, kindness imbedded across the story lingered like the echoes from a gong. The story can be heavy & brutal, but I think that was also necessary, because it acted as a reminder of what dehumanizing others that came from racism can cause.
For this reason, I want to learn more, read-up more on the historical facts of what had happened so I, as a Malaysian, could be better; to contribute to building an antiracist society.
A powerful story that was emotionally heavy, but absolutely critical especially for a Malaysian like me. It explored the cultural dynamics that not only shaped our multi-ethnics interactions (& subsequently, prejudices & racism that contributed to the '69 riot), but also depicted how they could also influenced one's views & approaches to their health, especially relating to mental illnesses.
The 1st person view was encapsulating. Hanna structured Melati's account with full convinction; you'd feel her fear & horror: you were roped into the maelstrom of the riot & her attempts to survive. Also, you were given a glimpse into how she navigated the event while living with OCD. Amidst the fears & attrocities though, there were also beams of kindness & resilience, seen not only in our MC Melati, but also in the likes of Auntie Bee & Vince. Notably though,
That being said, as a Malaysian, what was frightening to me was the fact that the "logic" shared by the bigots in this story had similarities to those bigots in the current day-and-age. As Hanna stipulated in the author's note, this part of our history was glanced over in our school; our government also likely had "revised" (i.e., a systemic disinformation) the event. I believed this story would allowed Malaysians in particular to contemplate the danger & failure to address racism in our country, one that is commonly weaponised by our politicians to turn us against each other while they maintained a kleptocracy; I hope we can all be like Melati, Auntie Bee, Uncle Chong, Vincent, Jay, & all the people who held the value of humanity highest.
The pacing of this story started out really fast as you were thrown into the chaos from the get-go. It did tapered off a bit in the middle; and at times, it got too emotionally heavy where I personally had to take a step away from it for awhile.
Regardless, I've shed tears of angers & disbeliefs at the displays of cruelty, and I was at the edge of my seats, willing for Melati to survive. Despite the adrenaline, kindness imbedded across the story lingered like the echoes from a gong. The story can be heavy & brutal, but I think that was also necessary, because it acted as a reminder of what dehumanizing others that came from racism can cause.
For this reason, I want to learn more, read-up more on the historical facts of what had happened so I, as a Malaysian, could be better; to contribute to building an antiracist society.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, Death, Ableism, Racism, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual assault, and Vomit
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