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stalxwj's review against another edition
4.0
Loved the singaporean references and other really lame references that made me lol. didnt get all the jokes and a few parts were a little boring, but overall a great and funny read!
julesbookjourney's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
rujein's review against another edition
4.0
Thought this book was pretty witty and did well at poking fun at the original book (although the references and language are very early 2010s) while (very) lightly touching on some social issues in Singapore.
The book got me laughing from the outset with its use of language and exaggeration. A common sense perspective is often juxtaposed with the 'ridiculous' one to create comic effect (with Harris often being the one to supply a common sense perspective, not the adults). He also often uses metahumour, of which I am personally a fan.
Thought Hakim did a good job at the ‘parody’ part – localising the original and poking fun at it.. He replaces several items/concepts with funnier local references e.g. parseltongue = parcel tongue (calling them ‘boxes’ is politically incorrect) and wands = satay sticks. He also points out the illogical parts of the original book, sometimes overtly (e.g. saying that just leaving an infant at the door without an explanation is not responsible) and sometimes not (e.g. Dumbledore is much more flamboyant in this version, though still not overtly labelled as gay).
The brief references to issues faced by the Malay community in the book were also interesting to me, just as a sense of what issues are relevant to the Malay community in Singapore. The Voldemort-equivalent in this universe (Lord Oldermat) is Malay but wants to destroy Malay culture, thinking it backward (epitomised by the Malay folk song Chan Mali Chan - ironic since Chan Mali Chan is, to me, the only thing that ignorant folk who are unfamiliar with Malay culture would know about it). And his signature spell would cause bystanders (victims would die if they knew the song) to slowly die should they speak in a Malay accent.
I wonder if there is any significance in the use of a good versus evil story as a vehicle for the issues faced by the Malay community? Is the situation perceived to be so bad that it is comparable to a world-threatening evil? Is there a real fear in the community that Malay culture is being intentionally destroyed, even from within?
Read some reviews which mentioned that the humour was too in-your-face or too crass, and other reviewers might be disappointed by the rather light treatment of social issues, but in my mind these are Hakim's stylistic choices which befit a parody better. (And perhaps as an outsider to the Malay community, I appreciated this 'introduction' which helped me to get a glimpse of the issues without needing me to understand complexities.)
The book got me laughing from the outset with its use of language and exaggeration. A common sense perspective is often juxtaposed with the 'ridiculous' one to create comic effect (with Harris often being the one to supply a common sense perspective, not the adults). He also often uses metahumour, of which I am personally a fan.
Thought Hakim did a good job at the ‘parody’ part – localising the original and poking fun at it.. He replaces several items/concepts with funnier local references e.g. parseltongue = parcel tongue (calling them ‘boxes’ is politically incorrect) and wands = satay sticks. He also points out the illogical parts of the original book, sometimes overtly (e.g. saying that just leaving an infant at the door without an explanation is not responsible) and sometimes not (e.g. Dumbledore is much more flamboyant in this version, though still not overtly labelled as gay).
The brief references to issues faced by the Malay community in the book were also interesting to me, just as a sense of what issues are relevant to the Malay community in Singapore. The Voldemort-equivalent in this universe (Lord Oldermat) is Malay but wants to destroy Malay culture, thinking it backward (epitomised by the Malay folk song Chan Mali Chan - ironic since Chan Mali Chan is, to me, the only thing that ignorant folk who are unfamiliar with Malay culture would know about it). And his signature spell would cause bystanders (victims would die if they knew the song) to slowly die should they speak in a Malay accent.
I wonder if there is any significance in the use of a good versus evil story as a vehicle for the issues faced by the Malay community? Is the situation perceived to be so bad that it is comparable to a world-threatening evil? Is there a real fear in the community that Malay culture is being intentionally destroyed, even from within?
Read some reviews which mentioned that the humour was too in-your-face or too crass, and other reviewers might be disappointed by the rather light treatment of social issues, but in my mind these are Hakim's stylistic choices which befit a parody better. (And perhaps as an outsider to the Malay community, I appreciated this 'introduction' which helped me to get a glimpse of the issues without needing me to understand complexities.)
iwearglasses's review against another edition
3.0
solid parody of harry potter, enjoyed the humour and pop culture references immensely. had a blast reading it but the ending could be stretched out more, felt like the book was losing steam towards the end
rachyrexaphous's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
bluemaxis's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0