Scan barcode
apollosmichioreads's review
3.0
An original and unique debut novel that is wryly funny and unpredictable. Yet, even though Yeoh Jo-Ann writes well, the novel feels slight on the whole and fails to leave any huge impact on me. I would have liked it more if the meaning of the story was made more clear.
P.S. Read The Riot Act by Sebastian Sim recently which won the 2017 Epigram Books Fiction Prize (same as this book which won in 2018) and I feel that The Riot Act is a relatively better book because of its well-structured plot and funnier writing. Perhaps I expected more from the winner so I ended up a little disappointed by this book.
P.S. Read The Riot Act by Sebastian Sim recently which won the 2017 Epigram Books Fiction Prize (same as this book which won in 2018) and I feel that The Riot Act is a relatively better book because of its well-structured plot and funnier writing. Perhaps I expected more from the winner so I ended up a little disappointed by this book.
beebottoms's review
2.0
The use of a cardboard cake is perfect for this novel, because it has a whimsical feel and, to me, it tries to be more than it ultimately delivered. At least for me! I wanted to read this novel because it won the 2019 Epigrams Books Fiction Prize in Singapore, where I live, and I saw quite a number of favourable reviews. But I couldn't get into both the story and the characters. It tries to be and tackle a lot of things - there's (supposed) romance, a little spotlight on the Singapore homeless community, commentary about our education system and how it's like being a literature teacher, and then an abrupt bit about mental illness. I didn't know about the Singapore homeless community (those who voluntarily left their homes and sleep on the streets) so that was interesting, and I like that the author didn't make it sensationalised nor pity them. The teacher parts were interesting too, and real, from what I remember as a student. The romance and mental illness parts, though, the novel could have done without.
The premise sounds like a romance: Sukhin is an anti-social literature teacher in his mid-thirties who finds his job very unfulfilling and a huge chore. One day he stumbles upon Jinn, his ex-girlfriend from junior college living in a makeshift cardboard house, and they reconnect over cake. But I say it's "supposed" romance because there's zero romantic development between them after their chance reunion. And I couldn't imagine that there was ever anything romantic between them because they don't talk or behave like they're close; it's like Sukhin is just pining for Jinn and it's an unrequited love.
The story doesn't really have a plot; it's more character-driven and based. Yet one of its two main characters was not fully developed. I wanted to know so much more about Jinn than the story gave. The Jinn arc - why she's homeless, how she suddenly turned up again in Sukhin's life - is basically created in service of Sukhin. The story is from his perspective, but it's still a third-person narrative that could have given us more about Jinn beyond how she affects Sukhin's life and personality. In the end, she felt flat and even what makes her interesting - her independence, which helped her to fend for herself and lead the homeless community after running away from her affluent family - became what makes her ~quirky~. She felt disappointingly like a manic pixie dream girl. We don't even find out why she chose to run away from home until nearing the end of the novel!
On the other end, Sukhin was much more developed but I struggled to connect to him. Our main protagonist is an irritable, always grumpy, misanthropic and anti-social person. He's unlikable, but that's not a problem. He's real - there are definitely Singaporean men out there like him - and relatable. But the author gives us too little to help me understand why he's unhappy, why he finds his job unfulfilling... and it's confusing especially because he clearly loves books and literature, and he has the power as the Head of Department to improve the syllabus but choose not to! As with the manic pixie dream girl trope, Jinn re-entering his life makes him open up a bit more, but the change doesn't get developed further or endure, which makes it seem superficial. It's so strange, because he goes to great lengths to do things for her he'd never do for other people, just to please her, yet he still scolds her "Damn this woman" inside his head... ugh, what?
Sorry this review kinda turned into a rant! I think the novel is a solid debut effort, one that I'm not surprised to know is a debut novel, but I'd still be interested in reading future works by the author. The writing is good and vivid most of the time, with many lines and moments that made me stop and re-read them to savour them again. I enjoyed reading about the homeless community and the teaching. However I wish the characters were stronger, the narrative less one-sided between the two main characters, and the overall tone of the novel more consistent. The whole novel felt a little bit too whimsical and quirky for me, especially when it's dealing with some serious and complex topics.
Thank you to Epigram Books for sending me copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.
The premise sounds like a romance: Sukhin is an anti-social literature teacher in his mid-thirties who finds his job very unfulfilling and a huge chore. One day he stumbles upon Jinn, his ex-girlfriend from junior college living in a makeshift cardboard house, and they reconnect over cake. But I say it's "supposed" romance because there's zero romantic development between them after their chance reunion. And I couldn't imagine that there was ever anything romantic between them because they don't talk or behave like they're close; it's like Sukhin is just pining for Jinn and it's an unrequited love.
The story doesn't really have a plot; it's more character-driven and based. Yet one of its two main characters was not fully developed. I wanted to know so much more about Jinn than the story gave. The Jinn arc - why she's homeless, how she suddenly turned up again in Sukhin's life - is basically created in service of Sukhin. The story is from his perspective, but it's still a third-person narrative that could have given us more about Jinn beyond how she affects Sukhin's life and personality. In the end, she felt flat and even what makes her interesting - her independence, which helped her to fend for herself and lead the homeless community after running away from her affluent family - became what makes her ~quirky~. She felt disappointingly like a manic pixie dream girl. We don't even find out why she chose to run away from home until nearing the end of the novel!
Spoiler
And the revelation just dumps in something about mental illness that feels little-researched by the author and needed a LOT thoughtful more delving into. To me, Jinn's mental illness was pretty much treated like another of her quirks.On the other end, Sukhin was much more developed but I struggled to connect to him. Our main protagonist is an irritable, always grumpy, misanthropic and anti-social person. He's unlikable, but that's not a problem. He's real - there are definitely Singaporean men out there like him - and relatable. But the author gives us too little to help me understand why he's unhappy, why he finds his job unfulfilling... and it's confusing especially because he clearly loves books and literature, and he has the power as the Head of Department to improve the syllabus but choose not to! As with the manic pixie dream girl trope, Jinn re-entering his life makes him open up a bit more, but the change doesn't get developed further or endure, which makes it seem superficial. It's so strange, because he goes to great lengths to do things for her he'd never do for other people, just to please her, yet he still scolds her "Damn this woman" inside his head... ugh, what?
Sorry this review kinda turned into a rant! I think the novel is a solid debut effort, one that I'm not surprised to know is a debut novel, but I'd still be interested in reading future works by the author. The writing is good and vivid most of the time, with many lines and moments that made me stop and re-read them to savour them again. I enjoyed reading about the homeless community and the teaching. However I wish the characters were stronger, the narrative less one-sided between the two main characters, and the overall tone of the novel more consistent. The whole novel felt a little bit too whimsical and quirky for me, especially when it's dealing with some serious and complex topics.
Thank you to Epigram Books for sending me copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.
thesgtrekkiereads's review
3.0
2.5☆
I felt that jinn and sukhin deserved each other.
The fact that the author misrepresented SUGEE CAKE as everyone mixed race's go to cake drove me loco as well. Do your homework. Your publisher even has a book titled 'why do eurasians love sugee cake'.
Some parts made me want to keep reading... some... but not enough to sustain my attention because I took way too long with this one.
Ultimately, there were some aspects that were interesting like the soup kitchen, homelessness in singapore which I wished they discussed more..
Slight touch on mental health too..
Overall, I wish that if they were going to go and touch on all those topics, have a bit more depth. Not just touch and go.
I felt that jinn and sukhin deserved each other.
The fact that the author misrepresented SUGEE CAKE as everyone mixed race's go to cake drove me loco as well. Do your homework. Your publisher even has a book titled 'why do eurasians love sugee cake'.
Some parts made me want to keep reading... some... but not enough to sustain my attention because I took way too long with this one.
Ultimately, there were some aspects that were interesting like the soup kitchen, homelessness in singapore which I wished they discussed more..
Slight touch on mental health too..
Overall, I wish that if they were going to go and touch on all those topics, have a bit more depth. Not just touch and go.
nicreadsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the premise and honestly, I actually felt some affinity with the main character, Sukhin. However, I think that the so-called romantic interest was bland and made out to be a manic pixie girl at times which made me increasingly annoyed the more I read the book. The writer could have helped ease some of the mysterious parts but it often seemed like she couldn’t be bothered to try to flesh out this ‘purposefully’ elusive character. Also, I didn’t like that there were too many stereotypes in the book which made the book fall flat for me at the end.
Another round of edits could have helped (I think) to clean up the book better.
Another round of edits could have helped (I think) to clean up the book better.
semiconservative's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
tinycl0ud's review against another edition
5.0
i very rarely describe a book as stunning but this one really is. aside from it being really funny it was also really heart-wrenching. and mysterious. and relatable. and lowkey political (which is the best kind imo). and eye-opening. and did i mention funny? it’s so funny!! it matters a lot to me that this book managed to reference the western canon AND the singaporean canon AND the singaporean non-canon without coming off as pretentious, not even a little bit. it was seamless. i thought that was really, really well done. i was so impressed i was internally applauding. and not just that but the representational diversity too, it just came so naturally without feeling forced at all. her characters are just so life-like and recognisable without being stereotypical caricatures. imagine all that with an intriguing plot and backstories you can really feel for. overall this book was just really refreshing and i could not put it down until i reached the very last page. even the ending was wonderful. i loved everything about this book.
slightlyliterary's review against another edition
4.0
Impractical Uses of Cake focuses on Sukhin, a grouchy 35-year-old Literature teacher who seems to dislike everyone around him and would rather have the company of his own books. One afternoon, he chances upon a homeless person who recognises him, and this unexpected encounter leads him to explore the lesser-known side of Singapore.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading Impractical Uses of Cake. This book has a bit of the slice-of-life, easygoing feel to it while also asking us to think more deeply about what we want out of life—is following the 'Singaporean dream' of a steady job, career advancement and getting married by your 30s the only, singular way to go, or is there something else you have in mind? Sukhin as a character fully internalises this dilemma; although he outwardly appears to be decisive, opinionated and stubborn, he finds himself unable to truly break free from what society deems as 'wise, no-brainer' decisions.
Additionally, the book also introduces the topic of homelessness in Singapore, as well as the idea of mutual aid and solidarity through the people Sukhin meets, which was really heartening to read. I was afraid that there would be some kind of saviour trope going on because of the way the plot unfolded, but I'm glad there wasn't any of that.
As a whole, though Impractical Uses delves into these heavier topics, it still maintains a very light-hearted and at times, comical prose which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. The book had a somewhat abrupt ending, but in retrospect, I liked that it ended off as a hopeful, open one. I highly recommend this if you're looking for a rather sweet and uplifting story.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading Impractical Uses of Cake. This book has a bit of the slice-of-life, easygoing feel to it while also asking us to think more deeply about what we want out of life—is following the 'Singaporean dream' of a steady job, career advancement and getting married by your 30s the only, singular way to go, or is there something else you have in mind? Sukhin as a character fully internalises this dilemma; although he outwardly appears to be decisive, opinionated and stubborn, he finds himself unable to truly break free from what society deems as 'wise, no-brainer' decisions.
Additionally, the book also introduces the topic of homelessness in Singapore, as well as the idea of mutual aid and solidarity through the people Sukhin meets, which was really heartening to read. I was afraid that there would be some kind of saviour trope going on because of the way the plot unfolded, but I'm glad there wasn't any of that.
As a whole, though Impractical Uses delves into these heavier topics, it still maintains a very light-hearted and at times, comical prose which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. The book had a somewhat abrupt ending, but in retrospect, I liked that it ended off as a hopeful, open one. I highly recommend this if you're looking for a rather sweet and uplifting story.
steelglassivory's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic book, only the ending felt a bit underwhelming. Sukhin was such a relatable character.